The first known French-language film by an African director is the Guinean work Mouramani, made in 1953. But none of the experts interviewed in The Cemetery of Cinema have ever seen it. Does it actually exist?
Equipped with a video camera and a microphone, Thierno Souleymane Diallo embarks on a search in Guinea to track down a copy of this lost film by Mamadou Touré. He visits old cinemas and archives to talk with figures from the Guinean film world, including a former film censor, a ticket seller and film school students.
Along the way, an improvised impression emerges of Guinea’s film and cultural history. Diallo ultimately finds himself in the caverns of the film archives in France. This playful but thoughtful quest invites the viewer to reflect on the historical and cultural importance of cinema, and the importance of a good archive.
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