A solidarity cooperation between SINEMA TRANSTOPIA, Frauenfilmfest Dortmund Köln, AFRIKAMERA – Aktuelles Kino aus Afrika (toucouleur e.V.) and ProQuote Film e.V.
“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 (director)
In Matongé, the African quarter of Brussels, Sabine Amiyeme, a native of Cameroon, runs her hair salon. Jolie Coiffure offers the latest hair trends, gossip and advice for everyday life; it is a microcosm of the African diaspora. Like most of her customers, Sabine has no valid papers, and every raid becomes an existential threat. At Jolie Coiffure, Sabine nevertheless creates a place of familiarity and solidarity for the community.
Sabine Amiyeme, the protagonist of the documentary Chez Jolie Coiffure by Rosine Mbakam, has been living and working in Brussels for 13 years and has built a life, a network and a business in Belgium after a long and traumatic migrant journey. Nevertheless, she has not been able to obtain a permanent residence permit. On October 2, 2024, she was arrested in Liège. She is at acute risk of deportation to Cameroon. At her last hearing on January 8, 2025, Sabine's appeal against the deportation order was again rejected. Her expulsion is a severe blow not only to her, but also to her employees and her community, who have launched a petition.
As cinema operators, we would like to support Sabine Amiyeme by showing the film Chez Jolie Coiffure together in Berlin. The entrance fees and donations from the solidarity screening will go to support Sabine’s ongoing fight against deportation. (PQ)