Pierre-Marie Dong (1945-2006) was a Gabonese film director,[1] who was also Minister of Culture in Gabon at the end of his life. Along with Charles Mensah and Simon Augé, Dong "is considered the pioneer of Gabonese film".[2]

Pierre-Marie Dong
Born1945
Libreville
Died11 December 2006
Libreville
NationalityGabonese
Occupationfilm director

Life edit

Pierre-Marie Dong was born in Libreville.[1]

Dong's first films were supported by Gabon's national television company.[3] His short film Sur le sentier du requiem won second prize at the 1972 FESPACO. The following year, Identité won the FESPACO prize for the most authentic African film. That film, and his later Obali, co-directed with Charles Mensah, looked at the dilemmas of identify and alienation felt by Westernised Africans.[4]

Dong succeeded Étienne Moussirou as president of the National Council of Communication (CNC).[5] In January 2006 he was appointed Minister of Culture in Gabon. He died on 11 December 2006 in Libreville.[6]

Dong's 1972 film Identité was chosen to open FESPACO in 2013.[7]

Films edit

  • Carrefour humain, 1969. Short film.
  • Lésigny, 1970. Short film.
  • Sur le sentier du requiem, 1971. Short film.
  • Identité, 1972
  • (with Charles Mensah) Obali, 1977
  • (with Charles Mensah) Ayouma, 1978
  • Demain, un jour nouveau, 1979

References edit

  1. ^ a b Françoise Pfaff (1988). "Pierre-Marie Dong (1945–)". Twenty-five Black African Filmmakers: A Critical Study, with Filmography and Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Press. pp. 79–85. ISBN 978-0-313-24695-1.
  2. ^ West Africa, 22 June 1986, p.1310.
  3. ^ Diawara, Manthia (1992). African Cinema: Politics & Culture. Indiana University Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 0-253-20707-X.
  4. ^ Pfaff, Françoise (2004). Focus on African Films. Indiana University Press. p. 2. ISBN 0-253-21668-0.
  5. ^ Nécrologie : Étienne Moussirou a tiré sa révérence, L'Union, 14 May 2018.
  6. ^ Gabon: Décès du ministre d’Etat Pierre-Marie Dong, InfosPlus Gabon, 12 December 2006.
  7. ^ «Identité» de Pierre Marie Dong comme film inaugural, Ouaga.com, 25 February 2013.

External links edit