Baka: A Cry from the Rainforest

This is central Africa, 25 years ago.

The tropical forests of southern Cameroon.

I spent two years filming here

with the people who know these forests the best,

the Baka, hunter gatherers,

who were known to the outside world as Pygmies.

They introduced me to the wonders of this forest

and the creatures that live here.

Their names for the animals were magical.

Ebobo was the lowland gorilla that climbed the tallest trees.

Kamba was the largest of the forest elephants.

Nduku was the very rare golden cat.

And this creature, ngbongelebo, was the honey badger.

But the forest was really brought to life for me by the man who became my friend.

Likano, the father of the family I filmed.

HE IMITATES A CHIMPANZEE

Ali was Likano's youngest son.

25 years later, I've returned to Cameroon to find Ali again.

I want to find out what has happened to Ali and his family

when the outside world has changed so much.

I am returning to where I last saw him,

a few miles from the Bumba River

that drains south into the Congo basin.

Finding Ali was easy.

His new village is not far from where they had lived before.

Ali is 30 now and still living in a leaf hut

with his disabled daughter Yeye.

HE CHATS TO HER

Yeye is around five years old but can't walk

and is barely able to talk.

Yeye's mother finds it hard to cope with her disabled daughter,

so spends much of her time in her parents' village,

leaving Ali to look after her.

Ali has to carry Yeye everywhere.

Ali has told me that his father Likano died eight years ago

and takes me to his grave just beyond the village.

He brings with him a booklet I've given him

with photographs from 25 years ago.

This is the first time that Yeye and her cousin Ambi

have ever seen pictures of their grandfather.

SHE SPEAKS

Unusually for the Baka, Likano was a born leader

and insisted that his village had to be in the real forest,

well away from the road and the outside world.

Ali doesn't remember, but he hated the arrival of his baby sister.

LIKANO SPEAKS

LIKANO CHUCKLES

Ali's parents named their new baby girl Camera after my film camera,

because, so they said, I always cradled it like a baby.

Now Camera is 25 and has three children of her own.

Ambi is her oldest.

She is having her hair done for her first day at school.

AMBI SOBS

Camera's baby boy is called Akade and Ndodia is her other daughter.

I was surprised to find Ali's grandmother Ndende still alive.

She must be in her middle 70s and has seven great-grandchildren.

Four generations of women share this tiny village of 16.

HE CARRIES ON TALKING

HE CHUCKLES

SHE GIGGLES

I find Deni, Likano's widow,

looking after her grandson Akade while the village is fishing.

Camera has named Akade Little Elephant Hunter

in honour of his great-grandfather Akade,

the greatest of all the elephant hunters.

Deni must be 50 now.

She was shy and reserved when I first met her 25 years ago

but now she's very much the matriarch of the village.

With most of the family still here and fishing together,

as they always had done, it doesn't feel that much has changed.

I had no idea then how wrong I could be.

After a few nights, I showed the Baka the film we made together so long ago

on a projector set up in the village.

Not only can everyone see themselves for the first time on film,

loved ones are suddenly brought back to life on the big screen.

25 years on, Ali and his older brother Yeye are still inseparable.

THEY ALL CHAT AND LAUGH

LAUGHTER

EVERYONE CHEERS AND LAUGHS

EVERYONE CHEERS

HE SINGS

HE SINGS

HE CARRIES ON SINGING

HE CARRIES ON SINGING

THEY JOIN IN THE SINGING

THEY CARRY ON SINGING

Watching the film has rekindled Ali's love for his father.

The grave is no longer just an empty place.

Ali now feels the presence of his father again.

Likano's village 25 years ago was full of artefacts,

axes, spears and drums.

I am surprised to find there is nothing of that sort left here

when they were such an integral part of daily life.

The machete seems to have replaced everything.

The only blacksmith who still makes spear and axe heads

lives in a Bantu village four hours' walk away.

He fashions the axe heads from old car parts.

I want to encourage Ali to take me into the forest again

in the way that his father used to,

hunting and gathering with spears and axes.

After Likano's death eight years ago,

Deni married his younger brother Paul.

Paul is the only one in the village who remembers how to make an axe.

Ali and Yeye listen politely but they disapprove of Deni's marriage.

Paul does not measure up to their father.

The next day, Ali and Yeye take me to the forest

a couple of hours' walk away from the village

to show me why they no longer have a need for spears and axes.

Their old camp is beside the rapids of the river.

It was a place teeming with monkeys when I was last here

but it's obvious that this is no longer the case,

although the new spears and axes make it feel like the old times.

There are still plenty of trees here

but the forest is no longer what it seems.

So many of the medicines gathered from the forest are chemicals

produced by the trees to defend themselves

against attack from insects.

But many of these trees are no longer reproducing

because the very animals that pollinate their flowers and disperse their seeds

have been over-hunted and are close to disappearing altogether.

I watched Likano treat Ali with this resin when he was a baby.

It treats many ailments and will confer good health on Yeye.

Today the forest is a ghost forest, a shadow of its former self.

Even the fishing is not what it was.

We stay in their old camp overnight.

THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER

THEY CONTINUE TALKING

The forest has been hunted out, mostly by Bantu hunters

with guns and traps to provide bush meat

for people of nearby villages and towns.

Bush meat is the most prized meat in Cameroon

and fetches a high price throughout the country.

To the south of the Bumba River lie the rainforest national parks

that have been created in recent years to protect the forest,

but the Baka are no longer allowed to hunt there

as they have done for centuries.

They have been excluded, sometimes forcibly.

Baka villages have been burned

and families trucked out and dumped on the nearest road.

Pressed into smaller and smaller areas,

these patches of forest no longer offer

young Baka men like Ali and Yeye incentive to go hunting.

Losing the hunting skills is just one of the many reasons

why the Baka are losing touch with their culture.

Increasingly, I fear the forest

no longer has a part to play in their lives.

Timber companies add to the pressure, coming ever closer.

This concession to the north of Ali and Yeye

covers several hundred square kilometres.

With forest life now largely a thing of the past,

the focus has switched more to the outside world.

Camera is determined to give Ambi every chance she can.

She has decided she wants Ambi to attend school.

It's an hour's hop, skip and jump away in the Bantu village of Massea.

Today will be Ambi's first day.

She will be the only Baka child to attend.

Lessons are in French and English.

The rest of the children only speak their local Bantu language

so Ambi we will not understand a word.

The teacher, Sister Nathalie,

is one of four Catholic sisters who run the small mission here.

SISTER NATHALIE GREETS THE CLASS

THE CLASS RESPOND

Bonjour, papa. Bonjour, maman.

THE CHILDREN RESPOND

THE CHILDREN CALL OUT

THE CHILDREN CALL OUT

Ambi has been promised a school pinny to celebrate her first day.

THEY ALL SING

THE TEACHER ENCOURAGES THEM

THEY ALL SING

Allons-y!

THEY SING

Likano, Ambi's grandfather, would have been so proud of her today.

He spoke often of his ambition that his children should go to school.

SHE CALLS TO AMBI

THEY CHUCKLE HAPPILY

SHE SPEAKS TO AMBI

THEY CHAT

Losing their forest is one thing, but this is worse.

I'd been warned before I returned

that the Baka have lost a generation of men to alcohol addiction,

in particular to a distillation called arki.

Arki's a spirit distilled here from sweet bananas

by Bantu women who do not drink it themselves.

It is highly addictive, with a dangerously high alcoholic content.

It is illegal, as it was when I was here before,

but now the law is no longer enforced.

This lethal drink is destroying the Baka.

Camera's husband Ngoko is particularly susceptible to arki.

Local Bantu farmers exploit this addiction to entice the Baka

to hunt in the forest for them and to work in their cocoa plantations.

A full day's labour is often paid only with alcohol.

I'd noticed drinking once or twice on my arrival

but now it's obvious that it's happening most days.

Most shockingly, Deni,

who never drank when I was last here, seems addicted.

SHE EXCLAIMS

25 years ago, only some of the men drank.

Not only are many of the women now addicted,

but even children are drinking this lethal substance.

Ali's sister-in-law is six months pregnant.

It is hard to believe that regular drinking

will not damage the baby growing inside her.

THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER

SHE CALLS TO SOMEONE

I have no idea whether Ali's wife drank during her pregnancy

but I do wonder whether Yeye was affected by alcohol

while in her mother's womb.

Her condition is a real concern.

It's already becoming more and more difficult to look after her in the forest.

I also have a nagging worry

that Yeye may be suffering from foetal alcohol syndrome

but it's impossible to be sure.

I've suggested to Ali that he bring Yeye to the clinic here in Massea

to see what, if anything, can be done.

The clinic is right next door to Ambi's school.

Debout.

Assis. Debout.

Assis. Debout. Assis.

THE TEACHER SPEAKS

THE CHILDREN RESPOND

Sister Josephine established this clinic four years ago.

HE TRANSLATES

ALI REPLIES

Elle etait bebe?

But Ali is right. Yeye is at least six years old.

ALI TRANSLATES

Donne-moi la main. Viens.

Donne la main. Aha! C'est bien.

YEYE WHIMPERS

The problem is the child is very weak.

I will put her on a special diet.

She should be able to have foods rich in calcium

and possibly we should put her on calcium tablets.

THE OTHER MAN TRANSLATES

YEYE WAILS

Together with calcium tablets,

Ali is encouraged to exercise Yeye's legs

by walking her as frequently as possible.

Bien. Oui.

But I do still worry that Yeye's condition must be more serious

than calcium deficiency and a fear of walking.

If nothing is done, Yeye's future is increasingly bleak

as she becomes too big to be carried.

Ali has confided in me

that one day he hopes that Yeye will be able to attend school like Ambi.

Ambi's making great progress.

Sister Natalie already has high hopes for her,

perhaps one day to return as a nurse or a teacher.

There is a belief amongst the local teachers

that Baka children make the brightest students.

In the village senior school, the only Baka boy is top of the whole school.

THE CHILD SPEAKS TO AMBI

THE TEACHER EXCLAIMS AND CHUCKLES

Ca c'est bien!

Ecris.

Oui, ca c'est bien.

These few remaining tall trees stand as lonely sentinels,

a reminder of my stay so long ago.

The men have returned drunk from working in the Bantu plantation,

telling old forest stories inspired by the film.

As usual, Camera's husband is drunker than most.

Years ago, Ali and Yeye would have spent the day tending traps and hunting.

Now they and their friends simply sing about these animals their fathers once hunted.

THEY SING

This porcupine was the only time I saw bush meat in the village.

DRUMS PLAY AND THEY SING

DENI CALLS OUT

SHE CALLS OUT AGAIN

SHE CARRIES ON SPEAKING

HE REMONSTRATES

While her father Yeye has been dancing,

little Andu has been drinking the dregs of arki.

THEY SING AND CLAP

Deni is trying to sing the children's song about the monster Likobo.

SHE SINGS

THEY BOTH SING

THEY PLAY MUSIC

A BABY CRIES

THEY PLAY AND CLAP

SHE HUMS

The old film has revived the women's interest in so many things.

They, more than the men, still keep some of the old traditions alive.

Interest in the old ways is so high

that I'm forced to show the film almost every night now.

Beyond the sheer entertainment,

is a genuine fascination in the world of their fathers.

CHEERING

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

LAUGHTER

THUNDER

SHE LAUGHS

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

THUNDER IN BACKGROUND

BAKA MUSIC

Desperately proud of what they've seen on screen,

Ali and Yeye talk more and more about going on a journey,

deep into the forest to experience again the life of Likano and Akade, the elephant hunter.

HE CHEERS

THE BIRDS SCREECH

CRICKETS IN BACKGROUND

DRUMBEAT

After the film,

Camera's brought little Akade to the village of her in-laws,

to dance in celebration of the life and death of her great-uncle, Sakola.

Sakola's widow, Mbali, leads the chant.

Deni's also here.

Without Paul, she's receiving the attention of younger men.

SINGING AND MUSIC

Nobody here could possibly know the tragic turn of events

that is to unfold in the next few days.

Overnight, Paul's threat has come true.

Fuelled by alcohol, he has beaten a young man over the head with a machete

for getting a little too friendly with Deni.

The incident with Paul is bad enough, but worse has happened.

Last night, Camera's husband returned home drunk.

He accused her of having had an affair and beat her.

Camera ran into the forest to escape him

and spent a terrified night there.

LAUGHTER IN BACKGROUND

Yeye has been taking her calcium pills

and is making some progress.

But the focus of the village is on little Akade. He has fallen sick.

AKADE CRIES

There are many mahogany trees in this forest.

Its commercial name is Sapele

and it's exploited by the loggers for export to other countries.

But for Deni, it provides cures for many ailments.

SHE SINGS

She's hopeful that it will help her grandson.

BABY CRIES

Two days later, Ali has asked me

to come to the village of Camera's husband, Ngoko.

Everyone has heard the devastating news.

Baby Akade died in the night.

WAILING

SHE CRIES

SHE SOBS

DRUMMING AND CLAPPING

For the second time in a week,

the village gathers to express its grief.

Mbali, little Akade's aunt, is leading the chant again.

CHANTING AND DRUMMING

It's hard to believe that Camera was dancing here with her baby son

just a few days ago.

Death has come horribly quickly.

SINGING

Always the craftsman, Babu has made a guitar to sing

his lament for his nephew, little Akade.

HE SINGS

SHOUTING

The cause of little Akade's death is deeply troubling.

The conviction persists that sorcery by persons unknown

is at the heart of it.

The second death in so little time,

Mbali, his aunt, feels the finger of guilt pointing at her.

The heads of the two families, Selo and Paul,

are trying to calm things.

Camera's husband has fuelled the rumours by spending the night away.

SINGING AND DRUMMING

To change the atmosphere of death and recrimination,

Ali and Yeye have decided that the village must leave

as soon as possible for the deep forest.

They've invited the Likobo monsters to dance for the children

as a prelude to the journey.

UPBEAT SINGING AND DRUMS

SINGING, DRUMS AND CLAPPING CONTINUE

BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRP

Before they go on the trip,

Deni has called Camera and her husband together,

to try and understand their son's death.

It was Camera who asked for one last viewing of the film before we set off.

Seeing his father's affection for him as a child is deeply moving for Ali.

Ali wants to pass on to Yeye what his father passed on to him.

Tonight, he decides to take Yeye with him.

He can't bear to leave her behind.

BIRDS CHIRP

Somewhere in the forest, the family are heading west,

avoiding the national parks to the south, where they risk arrest.

The logging concession lies in their way.

Their guards patrol the boundaries.

Looping west to avoid them will make the journey much longer.

And dangerous animals - elephant, gorilla, snakes -

lie ahead in the deep forest.

They don't know the way, but nothing is going to stop them now.

Mado, Little Yeye's mother,

has joined the band of travellers to help Ali with her daughter.

MAN'S VOICE REPLIES

THEY LAUGH

Settling under the forest canopy for the night,

away from the troubles of the village,

is somehow deeply comforting.

WOMAN LAUGHS

It's not long before the true forest offers up food,

just like the old days.

THEY CHAT

BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRP

CHATTING CONTINUES

THEY CHAT

EXCITED CHATTER

Njenje are tiny, stingless bees,

whose nest stretches the entire length of this rotten tree,

beneath the outer bark.

CHATTING CONTINUES

BEES HUM

CHOPPING AND CHATTER CONTINUE

DEEP ROAR

ELEPHANT TRUMPET ECHOES

THEY CHAT

CHATTING CONTINUES

CRICKETS CHIRP

After five long days, having successfully avoided the loggers

and the park guards, we finally reach the Elephant's Mirror.

Oh!

HE LAUGHS AS HE TALKS

The Baka are using an old Bantu hunting camp as a temporary village.

Ali has discovered a honey bees' nest high in the canopy.

It will take many hours to fell this tree,

to get at the honey 30 metres above.

Felling trees in small numbers doesn't hurt the forest -

it may even make it richer by providing light gaps

for new kinds of trees to grow.

TREE CRACKS

TREE CRACKS AND FALLS

BEES BUZZ

THEY SPEAK IN BAKA

For Ali, and all the Baka, honey is the greatest gift of the forest.

THEY LAUGH

HE SPEAKS BAKA

This is just how it was 25 years ago.

We feel safe from the world.

Even Camera and Ngoko are talking again.

Away from the numbing effect of alcohol,

the true predicament of the Baka sinks in.

This morning we have to leave.

Ali knows in his heart that Yeye will never be able to come back here again.

But still he continues to encourage her.

ALI SPEAKS IN BAKA

THEY LAUGH

SHE LAUGHS

THEY LAUGH

But it can never be like this. Paradise doesn't exist.

I hear rumours of a railroad coming into the forest,

with six kilometre-long trains to take the minerals

that lie beneath the trees away to distant countries.

I returned a few weeks later to the village to find out how things are.

Not much has changed. The deep forest seems a world away.

-ALI:

-Woop, woop, woop!

Little Yeye is older, stronger, but still unable to walk by herself.

PEOPLE SING SINGING IN BAKA

THEY SING IN BAKA

The Bantu farmers are still here, prowling the village

with their constant offers of poisonous alcohol.

Camera has told her husband to leave.

She will no longer tolerate his drunken abuse.

Ambi is already speaking some French.

Oof!

THEY LAUGH

Yeye's wife has given birth to a little girl they call Alula.

We do not know yet what effect the alcohol drunk by her mother

during her late pregnancy may have on her tiny body.

But Alula will never meet her older sister Andu,

who died shortly after the return from the Elephant's Mirror.

With the death of little Akade, two of Deni's seven grandchildren

have now died during my short stay of a few months.

Yeye tends his daughter's new grave.

Ali has taken his daughter once again to his father's grave.

He never stops hoping for her.

Is this what it's come to?

Mud from his father's grave, rubbed on his daughter in hope,

but perhaps more in despair.

This is how I left Ali that morning.

HE HUMS

25 years ago, I left Ali and his baby sister Camera

safe in the womb of the forest, in the loving care of their parents.

I wondered then whether they would be the last generation to lead a forest life.

BABY CRIES

What I've found in these few months is worse than I could've imagined.

Under the canopy of these tall trees,

a human disaster is happening, quietly,

unnoticed by the outside world.

Alcohol has filled the void left by the retreating forest.

There are several thousand Baka families scattered throughout the forests of Southern Cameroon.

Ali's story speaks for many of them.

They've found themselves in a cul-de-sac,

squeezed by the interests of wildlife conservation,

the exploitation of the forests,

and the self-interest of ever-present Bantu farmers.

If there is to be a future for the Baka,

it lies with the children of Ambi's generation.

TEACHER SPEAKS IN FRENCH

Now top of her class,

education is gaining Ambi the respect of her classmates.

THEY RECITE THE WORD "TULU"

This is how it needs to be, bringing back a culture to the classroom as part of everybody's learning

as a first step in giving the Baka the respect they deserve.

TEACHER SPEAKS

CHILDREN REPLY

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd