Les maîtres fous / The Mad Masters

Two years before Ghana’s declaration of independence in 1957, Jean Rouch filmed a Hauka cult ritual near Accra. During the possession ceremony, the predominantly male participants fall into a trance-like state and slip into the roles of authorities of the colonial power: foaming at the mouth, armed with wooden rifles, fighting over a dead dog. While his explanatory commentary aims to convey a scientific perspective, Rouch records the ceremony like a frantic reporter.