Brett Berliner notes that when the camera depicts "young nude women with firm breasts", it suggests that Allégret's vision of Africa was that of an aestheticized and sensual Garden of Eden—a view that arguably derives from the idealization of the natural man by thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment. The film debuted on 8 July 1927, opening at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier.

You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. André Gide wrote two books about their time in Africa, Travels in the Congo and Return from Chad, and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Add the first question. 3 of 7 people found this review helpful. Clovis Bergère, University of Pennsylvania, in the journal American Anthropologist“An important film for understanding both colonial history and film history in sub-Saharan Africa."

In 1925, Marc Allégret accompanied André Gide on a journey to French Equatorial Africa, the Congo, as his secretary, and novice filmmaker.

Looking for some great streaming picks? The architectural styles of their areas and a number of group rituals, athletic competitions, and dances are also covered. Around India with a Movie CameraSandhya Suri skillfully weaves together archival footage—including hand colored sequences and a new score—to create a story about life across India from 1899 to 1947.

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View production, box office, & company info, Starmaker Allégret: From Gay Romance with 'Uncle' (and Nobel Winner) Gide to Simon's Movie Mentor. When a scene was specifically staged for the camera, the director attempted to have the individuals involved acting as naturally as possible. Their first port in Africa was Dakar, which Gide found to be "gloomy", ugly, and lacking in exoticism. He found their next stop, Conakry, more pleasant. Subject areas:Africa, African Studies, Anthropology, Cinema Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Studies, France, Historiography, History, Indigenous Peoples, Literature, Racism, Film History, Cinema Studies, Cultural Studies. After Travels in the Congo, Marc Allégret had a long career as a filmmaker and photographer. “An exceptional work of early ethnography [and] a stark reminder of ethnographic representations’ role in producing and reproducing Europe’s colonial discourse on and about Africa. It depicts his expedition in French Equatorial Africa. Rachel Gabara, University of Georgia, in the journal African Studies Review“The film that emerged from their voyage stands as a singular account, through its images and their subtext, of the complex and uneasy power dynamics inherent in erotic exchange, between men and women, the young and the old, the photographer and the subject, the colonizer and the colonized." The duo sailed from Bordeaux on 18 July 1925. (1929). Voyage au Congo It was well received by critics, however, and helped launch a professional career for Allegret. This frenchified director would soon embark on a successful career in the talkies.Herr Gide's book criticized openly French colonialism and financial interests of that European country in their African colonies but Herr Allégret's documentary is more focused on anthropological and ethnological aspects.In those early silent years, to watch "Voyage Au Congo" was a kind of enlightening exercise, an excellent chance for curious audiences to discover different cultures, customs and behaviours. In contrast, Allégret set out to portray African cultures in an objective way. Allégret started filming in this area. He did so by getting them accustomed to the camera before starting to film. His depictions managed to avoid the "sensationalism" and stereotyping of the newsreels of the time. Herr Allégret put the trip in images and used the same title to make his first silent film. The quality of the restored images is stunning, and the candid nature of the shots are striking." Allégret and Gide carried out most of their journey on foot. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site?