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Director: François Ducat
Since the arrival of the Internet in the African republic of Cameroon, Internet cafés have mushroomed. In a country where nearly half the population lives under the poverty threshold, many young women who dream of escaping a life of misery by marrying a rich, white foreigner, surf the Internet for European marriage prospects at cybercafés such as Love.com, Affection.org, Flirt.net and Meeting.com. Set in the capital city of Yaoundé, North-South.com contains interviews with many of these young women who see Europe as a "paradise," and who express incredibly naïve beliefs about European men––that they are more masculine, more romantic, have lots of money and always tell the truth. The film also tells the stories of several Cameroonian women who married white Europeans, showing their current situations, the cultural differences with which they deal, and the personal sacrifices they made in exchange for economic security. We also learn of the tragedy of a 19-year-old woman who was lured to Paris by an Internet correspondent, taken captive and forced into prostitution for nine months before escaping. In relating these heartrending stories of dreams, hopes, disappointments and happiness that develop from on-line encounters between black women and white men, North-South.com also provides a provocative contemporary portrait of the relationship between the "developed" and "developing" worlds.
François Ducat has resided in Brussels for over twenty years and it is there that he started making documentaries. In 1984 he was accepted at the INSAS to study film. His love of Belgium made him decide to take that nationality in 2004. Presently, he's working on a project for the International Migration Organization and the High Commissioner of Refugees.
Icarus Films
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©2010 United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) |
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