Fragments of Life

The film follows three stories that take place in the slums of a city in French Equatorial Africa. At nightfall, people seem to regain a vitality which explodes in the bars to the rhythm of the latest hits from the music charts. The first part tells the story of Petit-Jean, a young graduate, who is unemployed and roams the city in search of work. From humiliations to frustrations, the destiny of this young ordinary African changes dramatically. The second part follows a young girl who transforms herself into an angel of death in order to free herself from a traumatic past. The final section is of an encounter between a woman and a man who seem ordinary at first, but a past which the woman had thought had forever disappeared, resurfaces in this man.

Directed by François Woukoache, Fragments of Life leans on a strong ensemble — Jean Bédiébé, Hélène Beleck, Jérome Bolo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2000.