»This film is part of a process I started when I arrived in Belgium in 2007: to discover the African community from the inside, the other side of the medal, the other side of the European dream.« Rosine Mbakam

Sabine Amiyeme from Cameroon runs her hairdressing salon in Matongé, the African neighbourhood of Brussels. »Jolie Coiffure« offers the latest hair trends, the latest gossip and practical help with everyday life; it is a microcosm of the African diaspora. Like most of her customers, Sabine has no valid papers and every raid becomes a threat to her livelihood. Nevertheless, Sabine creates a place of familiarity and solidarity for the community every day at »Jolie Coiffure«.

Sabine Amiyeme, the protagonist of the documentary Chez Jolie Coiffure by Rosine Mbakam, has lived and worked in Brussels for 13 years and has built up a life, a network and a business in Belgium after a long and traumatic migrant journey. Despite this, she was unable to obtain a permanent residence permit. She was arrested in Liège on 2 October. She is at acute risk of deportation to Cameroon. Her deportation is a severe blow not only for her, but also for her employees and her community, who have set up a petition.

As cinema programmers, we would like to support Sabine Amiyeme by showing the film Chez Jolie Coiffure together in Cologne. The entrance fees and donations from the solidarity screening will go to support Sabine Amiyeme.

11 January 2025, 17:00 Filmhaus Cologne
Chez Jolie Coiffure
Belgium 2018 | Director: Rosine Mbakam | 71 min | Documentary film | OF, English UT

A solidary cooperation of the Afrika Film Festival Köln, Filmhaus Köln, IFFF Dortmund+Köln and LaDOC.