🎬 Movie

Drums from the Past

Name: Drums from the Past
Released: 1971
Duration: 9 min
Rating: 5.9

Tourou et Bitti: Les tambours d'avant

📅 1971 ⭐ 5.9 🕐 9m

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Documentary

Filmed in May 1971 in Niger, this short documentary records a possession ritual performed by the Simiri people in response to a locust invasion. The ceremony centers on the beating of the archaic drums Tourou and Bitti, used to invoke spirit forces through music, dance, and trance. Shot in a single continuous take, the film documents a concentrated moment of collective ritual practice, reflecting Jean Rouch’s first-person ethnographic approach and direct participation in the event.

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