Pay the Dowry/Cameroon--Africa in Miniature

This video takes a look at Boniface Wewe's installation as Commissioner of Native Affairs in his home nation of Cameroon, Africa. After the inauguration ceremony, we see his fictionalized settling of disputes according to African tradition and a re-enactment of a traditional betrothal. Mr. Wewe is a librarian who received his MLS from the University of Pittsburgh. While in the States, he became aware of the vast ignorance of Americans concerning Africa in general and Cameroon specifically, and hopes with this tape to provide more information about his home. While the video is most effective when showing the men's and women's dance troupes, the stagy conflicts and their resolutions are hampered by bad lighting, bad sound, and occasional difficulties in understanding Cameroonean English. The installation oath-taking itself is about as entertaining as watching a video of a stranger's wedding or Bar Mitzvah: the viewer's interest doesn't get engaged until the dancing begins. And even the fabulous dancing is undermined by the lack of a voice-over or on-screen titles giving the name of the group, the dance they're performing, the names of the instruments, and the purpose of the dance. This material was provided in the press materials, but it should have been listed on screen. Since the stated goal of the tape is to educate, less stagy fiction and more clearly elucidated non-fiction should have been in order. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)