Film · Documentary
Drums from the Past (1971)
★ 6.3 · 10 votes9 minDocumentary1971
Filmed in May 1971 in Niger, this short documentary records a possession ritual performed by the Simiri people in response to a locust invasion. The ceremony centers on the beating of the archaic drums Tourou and Bitti, used to invoke spirit forces through music, dance, and trance. Shot in a single continuous take, the film documents a concentrated moment of collective ritual practice, reflecting Jean Rouch’s first-person ethnographic approach and direct participation in the event.
- Director
- Jean Rouch
- Writers
- Jean Rouch
- Country
- France
- Language
- French
- Release date
- January 1, 1971
- Original title
- Tourou et Bitti: Les tambours d'avant
