The Echuya Batwa people (also known as pygmies) followed their traditional tribal lifestyle in the deeply forested region of southwestern Uganda until 1992, when—under pressure from international conservation groups—the government evicted them as part of the creation of the Mgahinga National Park, which was designed to protect the area's declining population of mountain gorillas. Without compensation or resettlement options, they have since lived in poverty and suffered pervasive discrimination. Filmmaker Daniel Roher's documentary focuses on Gad Semejeri, who has founded the Batwa Music Club as a means of preserving their culture and presenting it through public performance. Much of the film follows the group in rehearsal for a concert in Kampala, but those segments are punctuated by archival footage showing the Batwa in the forest prior to their expulsion and reminiscences from elders describing their earlier lives and mourning their separation from the spirits of their ancestors—the titular ghosts who they believe still inhabit their homeland. Some of the stories they tell—of forced conversion to Christianity and beatings by park rangers—are heartrending, but these sad tales are also juxtaposed with scenes of the joy they exude while singing and dancing. Some Batwa also serve as park guides for tourists—one of the few job opportunities open to them. Roher's film does not suggest that the Batwa's old life can (or should) be restored, but it does argue that they indeed deserve recognition and assistance as a displaced people. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Ghosts of Our Forest
(2017) 65 min. DVD: $99.95: public libraries; $350: colleges & universities. The Cinema Guild. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 0-7815-1553-X. Volume 33, Issue 2
Ghosts of Our Forest
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