Pousse-pousse

A young, forthright man, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with his nickname, “Pousse-pousse,” crisscrosses the city in his rickshaw, talking endlessly about his favorite subject: Rose, the girl he loves and plans to marry. But he has not yet factored in the dowry expected by the young woman’s father, who displays increasing avarice...

Pousse-pousse is not only Cameroon’s first fiction feature film, but it is also an œuvre in which listening is essential; audiences must hear everything to understand its many facets. Pousse-pousse is a pleasant and luminous social chronicle in which we are constantly encouraged to open our ears. We can thus take in the sounds of the city, of families, of patriarchal words spoken boldly, of romantic exchanges whispered softly and of music. The music, from pop songs to more traditional tunes, as well as the film’s soundtrack, gives this story an identity, where life’s impulses and desires mean everything. Tough luck for the aging generations who want to force Pousse-pousse to remain disheartened. What remains are the landscapes of Cameroon, its silhouettes and colors, captured by the camera and the light, truly splendid and richly contrasted. Images and sounds accompany the protagonist, played by the director himself, always flanked by his rickshaw, with “Big Boss.” painted on the front. Daniel Kamwa exudes a unique presence, somewhere between joy and sacred solemnity, that of a man who doubts nothing and forges ahead with unwavering faith.

Virginie Apiou