Réparer le visible Examines the Cinémathèque Afrique's 1,700-Film Collection

A new book, Réparer le visible, published this week by the Institut français and Marest éditions, explores the history and future of the Cinémathèque Afrique, a collection of more than 1,700 films shot in Africa by directors from the continent, the diaspora, and France. Created in 1961 by the French Ministry of Cooperation in the aftermath of African independences, the archive is now under the Institut français, which handles its preservation, restoration, and circulation. The publication raises questions about what this heritage fund reveals about France's relations with formerly colonized African countries, how to decolonize imaginaries, who owns the films, and whether restitution claims could be framed as they are for artworks. It also asks how to improve circulation of the films in Africa. The collective work is directed by Franco-Beninese researcher, film programmer, and exhibition curator Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issifou. Contributors include Catherine Ruelle, a leading RFI voice known for the program "Cinéma d'aujourd'hui, cinéma sans frontières" and co-author of a 2023 expertise report on the Cinémathèque Afrique, and Maxime Grember, author of the RFI podcast Cinéastes d'Afrique, which draws on emblematic films from the collection. The book launch coincides with ongoing debates over colonial-era cultural property and access.