Togoland Projektionen – with guest

A film by Jürgen Ellinghaus.

[Credits] [Tickets & Termine] [Trailer]

Following in the foot­s­teps of the Hamburg film direc­tor Hans Schomburgk who tra­vel­led through the German colo­ny of Togo from Lomé to the north with his com­pa­n­ion and actress Meg Gehrts in 1913, Jürgen Ellinghaus screens the foo­ta­ge shot then at its loca­ti­ons in modern-day Togo. Schomburgk’s affir­ma­ti­ve images show slave labour, humi­lia­ti­on and the arro­gan­ce of the colo­ni­al power. The mate­ri­al is con­tras­ted by Gehrts’ roman­ti­cis­ing dia­ry ent­ries and other colo­ni­al reports which often testi­fy to a hor­ri­fy­ing coldness.

The scree­nings of this mate­ri­al, which has never been shown in Togo befo­re, prompt the audi­en­ces to reflect on tra­di­ti­on, ste­reo­ty­pes, the “white gaze.” In the vil­la­ges, the colo­ni­al images con­ju­re up memo­ries of han­ded down sto­ries. In the metro­po­lis of Lomé, young film enthu­si­asts deplo­re that the­se images were kept from them until today and dis­cuss in which con­texts they should be scree­ned. But “Togoland Projections” not only shows how much the­se pain­ful docu­ments and texts are nee­ded in con­tem­po­ra­ry Togo, becau­se they are part of the country’s histo­ry. The film also demons­tra­tes that they are nee­ded in Germany so we can take respon­si­bi­li­ty for our sup­pres­sed histo­ry and face our own racism – past and pre­sent.
Christoph Terhechte

Credits:

DE 2023, 96 Min., div. OmU
Regie: Jürgen Ellinghaus
Kamera: Rémi Jennequin
Schnitt: Nina Khada 

Trailer:
Togoland Projektionen (Trailer HD deutsch)
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