The movie by Cameroon film producer, Musing Derrick, exploits the conflicts during the pre-colonial migrations in the Grass field regions.

“Tenacity” is a 2018 Cameroon movie that won the best feature film at the just-ended Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF). The movie centres on the conflicts that emanated during the pre-colonial migrations in the Grass field regions of the country. It further exploits the manoeuvres that Africans were subjected to following the wittiness of the Colonial masters.

A chunk of the movie also exploits pieces and remnants of the Rwanda genocide. The writer and director of the film, Musing Derick Tenn, believes that when Africans know and tell their own story, they change certain happenings in the world and around them.

The horrific images and actions that accompany the movie, reveal the lack of understanding and tensed hatred that still exist amongst Africans due to colonial ideas. “Tenacity” centers around two kingdoms; Ndang and Ndangang with two contradictory leaders.

The two clans migrated from different destinations and eventually meet and agreed on settling on the same land with love and unity. But manipulation from their colonial masters influenced the minds of the people; for one clan to submit to another.

As the two clans could not work on such terms and because of the secret backup from the whites, this escalated into a conflict between the two. One leader accepts the local gifts (whisky, clothes, etc.) from the whites in exchange for his people and that went on until the other clan resists selling his people for ‘low grade’ gifts. For close to 1:15 minutes, viewers will be troubled with the violent and barbaric actions that occur between people who were once united in love.

The film was shot in the North West Region in a village called Alamandum- Mankon, where one of the German Ethnic resistances was experienced by the Nso and Kom people during the colonial period. The film stars big names in the industry like: Onyama Laura, who is the lead character, Libota McDonald, Edith Pikwa, Mat Atugon, Vugah Samson, the screen teacher and Eyo Eyo Michael.

The movie further encompasses a cast of over 350 characters. Musing Derrick says through the movie he hopes that Africans will come to know that the solution to our problems is in their ability and willingness to reason together as a people especially if they can drop off their ego. “Anger has never solved any problem”, the producer noted.