DIRECTOR/EDITOR Maxime Jean-Baptiste
PRODUCTION La Loge, Collectif Jeune Cinéma
SOUND Josy Mass
VOICE Gilbert Jean-Baptiste
An examination of footage from a film premiere leads to the investigation of colonial continuities and family histories.
"Moune Ô" delves into the cryptic line "I close my eyes. The crowd makes me smile, breaks my body, and that's the end," which serves as a portal into profound introspection. Amid festivities tied to "JEAN GALMOT, AVENTURIER" (1990), in which the filmmaker’s father featured, the film exposes enduring colonial legacies within the Western collective psyche, as intertwined with stereotypes. Through ordinary gestures, a unique rhythm of resistance emerges. Colonialism extends beyond resources, claiming culture and talent. "Moune Ô" dissects imagery from the old, forgotten film, revealing a cycle of appropriation. Beneath this cinematic exoticism lies the theft and contamination of land, dignity, and identity.
MAXIME JEAN-BAPTISTE, a filmmaker based in Paris and Brussels, hails from the Guyanese-Antillean diaspora. His art delves into Western colonial history's complexities, unearthing past traumas in the present. His film LISTEN TO THE BEAT OF OUR IMAGES (2021), co-directed with Audrey Jean-Baptiste, gained recognition at CPH:DOX, Hotdocs, Sundance, and IDFA.
