Mammy Water (1956) Directed by Jean Rouch The Lion Hunters (1965) Directed by Jean Rouch Sunday - February 17 - 6:30 p.m. On the coast of Ghana, in the shadows of the Portuguese slave forts, lies the Gulf of Guinea. This sea is home to the “surf boys”, teams of expert fisherman who paddle into the ocean in large canoes, sometimes staying at sea for one or even two nights. Their success is governed by water spirits (‘Mammy Water’). Villagers must honor the spirits with a ceremony if they wish to ensure their fortunes. More strictly observational than most of Rouch’s films, it takes an intimate look at the spiritual traditions and the wider life of a West African fishing village. (DigiBeta. 18 min. Not Rated.) Shot on the border between Niger and Mali over a period of seven years, The Lion Hunters is Jean Rouch’s documentation of the lion hunt performed by the bow hunters of the Songhay people. Rouch said that he made the film “to try to give the audience a feeling of what I myself felt as I was learning the way of the lion hunt”. The film portrays the immediacy of the hunt, but it also explores the complex social organization that underlies it, and the difficult questions entailed by its representation. (DigiBeta. 77 min. Not Rated.) 34 Jean Rouch Tickets: (812) 855-1103