Originally from Cameroon and Benin, Françoise Ellong grew up in Paris and studied film. At a very young age, she entered the Prix du Jeune Écrivain de Langue Française (Young French Language Writer Award). The competition jury awarded her a prize for her short story "Journal Intime d'un Meurtrier" (Diary of a Murderer). This distinction sparked her interest in screenwriting. A big fan of Stephen King, she wrote her first short film script at the age of 18.
Now a screenwriter and director, she has made a name for herself with her feature film W.A.K.A., shot in Cameroon. This project earned her the honor of opening the Ecrans Noirs festival. In 2016, she decided to create the blog "Le Film Camerounais" with the aim of promoting Cameroonian expertise in cinema. Two years later, she also created the annual awards ceremony "Le Film Camerounais Awards," also known as the "LFC Awards." This year, the event celebrates its fifth anniversary with an edition organized on November 24. The ambition is to develop this event and create a real label to contribute to the development and structuring of the local film ecosystem.
You recently made headlines in the audiovisual world with the launch of the series "Le futur est à nous" (The Future is Ours). What are the strengths of this new production?
"Le Futur est à Nous" is the first daily series produced by CANAL+ ORIGINAL for French-speaking Africa.
A true family saga, the series follows the daily lives and adventures of several families in a neighborhood of Abidjan, through 15 strong, diverse characters from different generations.
This daily soap opera is the work of six directors and, for me, it is a real success story for Pan-Africanism. It is a project that shows that we are capable of doing great things together. This Pan-Africanism is the strength and success of this series. It is also a success with the public.
This pan-Africanism must not become a passing fad. This series is an example of pan-Africanism because it was conceived, designed, and produced as such. I am very proud to have been able to participate in this project supported by Samantha Biffot. It is such a natural and authentic project, bringing together expertise from all walks of life.
This series is the result of three years of writing and the work of six directors, which is no small feat. How did the production go with all these different directors? Was each one able to bring their own specific touch?
I think that Samantha Biffot, the series' producer and director of the first ten episodes, wanted to emphasize sharing and show that it is possible to produce a daily series with six different directors and still move in the same direction. We each have our own approach to directing and our own expertise, but it's a strength to be able to tell the same story through multiple perspectives. I also think it keeps us from falling into a certain monotony and breathes new life into a 60-episode series each time. Even from the audience's point of view, having six directors and six different perspectives is also a way to best reflect the diversity of the audience.
Between your arrival in Cameroon for your first feature film and today, how has the local film industry evolved?
When I arrived in Cameroon to shoot W.A.K.A, I had very little knowledge of the local film industry and very few resources to carry out this project. I took a lot of risks, but it was a project that was close to my heart.
Between then and now, there have undoubtedly been many changes. W.A.K.A proved to me and to the actors that it is possible to make high-quality films. And it is clear that there are more and more high-quality works today. This is undeniable, even if financial resources remain a real obstacle. As a screenwriter and director, I use my credibility to give credibility to others who want to make films in Cameroon.
Any upcoming projects or collaborations?
I am currently working on a series project, which is imminent, but also on a feature-length genre film project. I also teach screenwriting a lot through intensive workshops.