LIVING CULTURES COLLECTION

Documentary series 13×52′ 

Produced by : ZED

Directed by: Jean Queyrat

Music by : Pierre Estève

“We are like birds. They don’t stay still … They land for a moment on a branch, then fly off somewhere else.”

The Baaka Pygmies are like elves. They live in the forest, hidden under the cover of leaves. They hunt using nets and gather wild honey at dizzying heights. No one knows the great African equatorial rainforest better than they do. 

They sing polyphonic songs with an unique musical texture that has fascinated the greatest musicians. These songs express their beliefs in the spirits of the forest. By singing, the pygmies transmit to their children an extraordinary life lesson. 

In this film, we follow American ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno who has been recording the melodies and rhythms of the Central African Baaka for over twenty years. 

With Baaka Opera, Jean Queyrat has produced a magnificent musical film featuring the greatness of a people long dismissed with amused condescension because of their small size and discretion. Queyrat’s film is also an ode to the great virgin forest and its exceptional animal life.