Drums from the Past

Drums from the Past

12 mins | Documentary | Jan. 1, 1971

Filmed in May 1971 in Niger, this short documentary records a possession ritual performed by the Simiri people in response to a locust invasion. The ceremony centers on the beating of the archaic drums Tourou and Bitti, used to invoke spirit forces through music, dance, and trance. Shot in a single continuous take, the film documents a concentrated moment of collective ritual practice, reflecting Jean Rouch’s first-person ethnographic approach and direct participation in the event.

Drums from the Past

12 mins | Documentary | Jan. 1, 1971

Drums from the Past
Filmed in May 1971 in Niger, this short documentary records a possession ritual performed by the Simiri people in response to a locust invasion. The ceremony centers on the beating of the archaic drums Tourou and Bitti, used to invoke spirit forces through music, dance, and trance. Shot in a single continuous take, the film documents a concentrated moment of collective ritual practice, reflecting Jean Rouch’s first-person ethnographic approach and direct participation in the event.
Producers CNRS Images, Comité du film Éthnographique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Original title Tourou et Bitti: Les tambours d'avant
Directors Jean Rouch, Lam Dia-Hama
Writers Jean Rouch

Cast