Madame l'eau (1993)

"Their land drought-stricken, three Nigerien farmers (and their donkey) travel to Holland to investigate the possibility of importing windmill technology for use on the plains of Niger. A follow-up to JAGUAR, PETIT À PETIT, and COCORICO MONSIEUR POULET! – undertaken with his longtime filmmaking partners Damouré Zika, Lam Ibrahima Dia, and Tallou Mouzourane – Rouch’s feature is a surreal tale of mythic proportions, full of antic humor and poetic digressions. But beyond the laughs and reveries, MADAME L’EAU is also a poignant commentary on the ‘poisoned gifts’ brought to West Africa by development projects. As Faye Ginsburg once remarked, this is a film about what the world would look like “if Jean Rouch was the president of the World Bank.”" - Anthology Film Archives

Director: Jean Rouch
Runtime: 102 min
Release Date:

Cast

Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Jean Rouch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Madame l'eau about?
"Their land drought-stricken, three Nigerien farmers (and their donkey) travel to Holland to investigate the possibility of importing windmill technology for use on the plains of Niger. A follow-up to JAGUAR, PETIT À PETIT, and COCORICO MONSIEUR POULET! – undertaken with his longtime filmmaking partners Damouré Zika, Lam Ibrahima Dia, and Tallou Mouzourane – Rouch’s feature is a surreal tale of mythic proportions, full of antic humor and poetic digressions. But beyond the laughs and reveries, MADAME L’EAU is also a poignant commentary on the ‘poisoned gifts’ brought to West Africa by development projects. As Faye Ginsburg once remarked, this is a film about what the world would look like “if Jean Rouch was the president of the World Bank.”" - Anthology Film Archives
Who directed Madame l'eau?
Madame l'eau was directed by Jean Rouch.
Who stars in Madame l'eau?
Madame l'eau stars Damouré Zika, Lam Ibrahim Dia, Tallou Mouzourane, Wineke Onstwedder.
How long is Madame l'eau?
Madame l'eau has a runtime of 1h 42m (102 minutes).