Blooming (2024)
Founded three hundred years ago as a refuge from slave traders, Ganvié, in Benin, has become the largest stilt village in Africa and now attracts thousands of tourists. But the people of the water, who once resisted colonization, are today colonized by a new invader: the water hyacinth. Said to have been introduced to decorate hotels and luxury homes, this plant now spreads at a staggering and uncontrollable rate, suffocating the lake. A small Beninese company has managed to turn this scourge into a resource—but at the cost of exhausting labor. Raw realism and imaginary visions blend together, as if one could only be understood—or endured—through the lens of the other.
Directors:
Marina Russo Villani, Victor Missud.
Writer:
Marina Russo Villani
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Suzanne Danyihoun as |
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Arselle Houngbo as |
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Dieudonné Sewade as |
| Directing | Marina Russo Villani | Director |
| Directing | Victor Missud | Director |
| Writing | Marina Russo Villani | Screenplay |
| Camera | Joseph Fandre | Director of Photography |
| Editing | Souliman Schelfout | Editor |
| Sound | Ludivine Pelé | Sound Engineer |
| Sound | Danilo Romancino | Sound Editor |
| Sound | Laura Chelfi | Sound Mixer |
| Sound | Giulia Tagliavia | Music |
| Visual Effects | Yannig Willmann | VFX Artist |
| Crew | Nicolas Herlin | Special Effects |
| Costume & Make-Up | Leyla Adje Chabi | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Crew | Gilbert Hounwanou | Logistics Coordinator |
| Production | Olivier Capelli | Producer |
| Production | Marina Russo Villani | Associate Producer |
