Benin: TV in Africa
Point du Jour International
This documentary studies the cultural landscape of Benin through the lens of that country's television programming. TV shows include... • Sports Events: In Benin soccer is sacred, and a little bit of channel-surfing will almost always turn up a match. However, game delays due to voodoo aren't altogether uncommon! • News Reviews: Every Beninese television channel has at least one news review. The most popular is the program hosted by Dah Wahoue, who translates the French-language papers into the Fon language. Viewers are hugely interested in hearing-just from his intonation or the clever way he phrases his comments-what he thinks. • Entre Nous (Between Us): Beninese are passionate about politics and love televised debates such as those they see on Entre Nous. Entre Nous comes with a twist, though; to help the civic message to be understood by as many viewers as possible, a short dramatization using professional actors interrupts the discussion. • Le Grand Journal du Bien (The All-Is-Well News): Televised political debate in Benin can take on an ironic or satirical tone. Le Grand Journal du Bien imposes a positive spin on everything that's going badly...and, for that matter, on everything that's going well, too. • Midi Pile (Twelve on the Dot): Talking about business in Benin is a sign of prosperity, so on the TV program Midi Pile, businessmen pay to appear on-screen and display their goods. • Music Videos: There is a huge demand for music videos on Benin TV because they're used as fillers between programs. Even before an album is ready to be released, its videos can be getting some serious airtime! • Christ dans vos Maisons (Christ in Your Homes): Catholic and Protestant TV programs abound in Benin, and the star of the genre is the televangelist. On Christ dans vos Maisons, Pastor Elvis Dagba-a self-styled direct intermediary to God-preaches and pontificates in a very individual style. The fact that he also has a degree in marketing is an open secret. • Au Dela du Reel (Beyond the Real): The avowed intent of the television show Au Dela du Reel is to inform Beninese about the different religions in the world in order to arm them against charlatans and other frauds. • Necrologie (Obituary Column): In Benin, funerals are a lot more important than weddings. Announcing the death of a loved one on a TV show such as Necrologie is an excellent way of drawing a big crowd to the funeral, which enhances the social status of the deceased. • Rubi: Beninese love immersing themselves in stories! Rubi is a soap opera about a woman whose incomparable beauty conceals a soul of pure evil. For Rubi, the end justifies any means whatsoever. • Les Inseparables (The Inseparable Ones): Unlike the popular Mexican telenovelas that air in Benin, Les Inseparables is 100 percent Beninese. The story involves two young children snatched from their village and brought to live with a well-off family in the city. Unfortunately, the children soon end up as slaves-a powerful portrayal of an exceptionally harsh reality. A part of the series TV in Africa. (Portions with English subtitles, 26 minutes)