The beginnings of Malagasy cinema
It was during the French Occupation that cinema first arrived on the island of Madagascar, through Lumière operators and projectionists. However, it wasn't until the 1930s that the first Malagasy film appeared. This short film by Philippe Raberojo is entitled Rasalama Martiora, or Rasalama, the Martyr (1937). Part documentary, part fiction, this 22-minute film traces the martyrdom of Rasalama, one of the great figures of Malagasy Protestantism, murdered in 1837. A black director of Malagasy origin, Philippe Raberojo can be considered one of the first African filmmakers, although the film is now considered lost. In the years that followed, Malagasy cinema remained in the form of short films, highly controlled by metropolitan France and the Consortium Cinématographique in charge of imports. By this time, Antananarivo already had a number of well-established cinemas, such as the now-defunct Excelsior. The number of cinemas continued to grow, but without any great enthusiasm on the part of the public. Cinema was, after all, a rather negative art form for the local ecclesiastical authorities.
Disappearance and resurrection of Malagasy cinema
In the second half of the twentieth century, institutional turmoil, followed by revolution, brought the country's already fragile film industry to a halt. State censorship took hold, prompting a number of filmmakers to flee the island. This trend accelerated even further after the 1975 revolution, which coincided with the arrival of television and then video. As a result, the national cinematographic landscape collapsed, cinemas closed and few Malagasy films were produced or broadcast. A few notable exceptions: filmmakers Benoît Ramampy(L'Accident, 1973) and Solo Randrasana(Very Remby, 1974) continued to produce short films that were shown and rewarded at African and European festivals. L'Accident won Best Short Film at FESPACO in Ouagadougou, while Le prix de la paix (1989) was shown in Montreal. But it was with Tabataba, in 1988, that Malagasy cinema finally earned its letters of nobility.
Tabataba, and the cinema of Raymond Rajaonarivelo
Depicting the events leading up to the Malagasy insurrection of 1947, and the violent repression that followed, the film sees the arrival of a city-dwelling Malagasy man in a small, hitherto peaceful village. When this man begins to spread the pro-independence ideas he brings with him from the city, the inhabitants are faced with the choice of armed rebellion or democratic reflection. But for all of them, the insurrection will have the same outcome, a coming tragedy that hangs like a shadow over the village. Selected for the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes, the film caused quite a stir, winning the Audience Prize, before going on to win the Jury Prize at the Taormina Film Festival and the First Work Prize at the Carthage Film Festival. Today, it is considered one of the most influential films in Madagascar's domestic industry. Raymond Rajaonarivelo pursues his career between documentary and fiction, focusing on national history. With Quand les étoiles rencontrent la mer (1996), the filmmaker again anchored the relationship between town and village in the history of the revolution, while offering a breathtaking fiction that won an award at the Istanbul Film Festival. In 2005, he teamed up with Franco-Malagasy filmmakers Marie-Clémence Paes and César Paes to shoot the music documentary Mahaleo, about the eponymous Malagasy music group, symbol and inspiration of the 1972 uprising. A great popular success, it will also find its way to festivals, in addition to having brought together this trio of filmmakers who are the strength of modern Malagasy documentary cinema.
Malagasy documentary with Marie-Clémence and César Paes
Marie-Clémence and César Paes, a filmmaking couple trained in France, have been working together since the 1980s. Angano Angano (1989), their first film, plunges you into Malagasy legends and tales, through oral tradition. Somewhere between the real and the imaginary, the film won over documentary and story lovers alike, winning awards at a number of specialist events, including the Cinéma du Réel and Vues d'Afrique festivals. With their company Laterit Production, Marie-Clémence Paes has produced numerous short and feature-length films, contributing to the diversity of the Malagasy cinematographic landscape. Most recently, her first solo film, Fahavalo (2019), saw her look back at the events of 1947, through a wealth of archive footage and eyewitness accounts. An effort hailed by audiences and international critics alike.
Young generation in short and long format
Since the early 2000s, a new generation of filmmakers has been developing in Madagascar, spurred in particular by the Rencontres du film court, the only film festival on the island to date, set up in 2006. Among these short films, animation is doing particularly well, boosted by the success of Sur les murs de la ville, Madagascar's very first animated short, released in 2004 and selected for competition at the Annecy festival. Beyond these formats, other filmmakers such as Haminiaina Ratovoarivony(Malagasy Mankany, 2012), Lova Nantenaina(Ady Gasy, 2014) or Marie Camille(Les panthères de l'île rouge, 2015) are also among the independent directors perpetuating Malagasy cinema on national and international screens, despite the lack of financial support provided by the State today. Want to discover these films, but don't know where to start? Why not check out Alexander Abela's two gems, Makibefo (2002) and Souli (2004). Respectively adaptations of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Othello , these two films were shot in the village of Faux Cap with the locals, and are very special experiences that we urge you to discover. An example of the inventiveness that Malagasy filmmakers can demonstrate, with few resources but impressive energy.
Famous filming locations on the island
Without a well-developed domestic film industry, the island of Madagascar has struggled to attract big international productions. So it's on the documentary side that you'll find the finest cinematographic images of the region. And more specifically in the documentaries by (and narrated by) David Attenborough, Life on Earth (1979) or more recently Life (2009) and Madagascar (2011). These BBC series, with their grandiose construction and images, will plunge you into the scenery of the Tsingy, Morondova and Isalo parks. With the voices of British actor, or American Oprah Winfrey, you'll be able to navigate these impressive landscapes. Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou, the filmmakers behind Microcosmos (2002), are another talented documentary filmmakers who have set down their cameras in the island's ecosystems. In 2004, they released Genesis. From the Galapagos to Iceland, via France and Madagascar, the film traces the emergence of life on Earth, a film in which animals and living things as a whole are the only actors. On the human side, photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand captures the island's diversity in his documentary Human (2015), a collection of stories gathered from around the world. But beyond these works, the few pre- and post-independence dramas shot on location are of little interest. The only exception is the opening scene of the film Force Majeure (1989), starring François Cluzet and Patrick Bruel, supposedly shot in Madagascar. When will we see real international filming on the island? To be continued.
Is it possible to watch movies in Madagascar?
Since the revolution of 1975, it has become increasingly difficult to see films in cinemas in Madagascar. Nevertheless, thanks to the 2018 opening of Cinepax, Antananarivo is once again able to welcome you in front of a cinema screen. Located in the heart of the Tana Water Front shopping center, Cinepax is THE cinema of the city. Brand new, it has four comfortable theaters equipped with the latest projection technology, 3D, and a cine-café. The programming is of the highest quality, in both original and French versions, depending on the film. At the same time, several itinerant cinema projects are regularly set up, bringing cinema to the villages and to a wider, more popular audience. But we're still a long way from the heyday of the island's movie theaters, such as the Rex, Eden, Valiton or Metro, founded in the first half of the twentieth century and since disappeared. As for film events, the Rencontres du film court or Madagascourts have been held in Antananarivo since 2006, showcasing the diversity of national and international short film. In 2023, the 18th edition will welcome you to the capital in December. Entirely free of charge, more than 350 films will be shown to the delight of Madagascan film buffs. It's currently the only event of its kind on the island, despite a 2014 attempt to set up a feature film festival in the city. While you're here, be sure to check out the Institut Français, which is quite active on the island, and other local cultural associations. Who knows, maybe you'll discover a Malagasy film nugget on the big screen?
