简介：LesMaitresFousisabouttheceremonyofareligioussect,theHauka,whichwaswidespreadinWestAfricafromthe1920stothe1950s.HaukaparticipantswereusuallyruralmigrantsfromNigerwhocametocitiessuchasAccrainGhana(thenGoldCoast),wheretheyfoundworkaslaborersinthecity'slumberyards,asstevedoresatthedocks,orinthemines.Therewereatleast30,000practicingHaukainAccrain1954whenJeanRouchwasaskedbyasmallgrouptofilmtheirannualceremonyDuringthisritual,whichtookplaceonafarmafewhoursfromthecity,theHaukaenteredtranceandwerepossessedbyvariousspiritsassociatedwiththeWesterncolonialpowers:thegovernorgeneral,theengineer,thedoctor'swife,thewickedmajor,thecorporaloftheguard. TherootsoftheHaukalieintraditionalpossessioncultscommonamongtheSonghayandDjermapeoplesoftheNigerRiverbasin.Giftedmenandwomenmayentertranceandbecomepossessedbyanyofanumberofstronggods,suchasDongo,godofthunderandthesky.Supplicantsconsultthegodthroughthetrancingmediumandreceiveadviceabouttheirproblems,curesfordiseases,comfortandsupport,orreprimandsfortheirwrongdoings.Likethesetraditionalpossessioncults,theHaukasectco-existedwithIslamandincorporatedmanyIslamicsaintsandheroesintoitsrituals.MostofitsadherentswereMuslims. HaukafirstappearedinNiger,itisthought,inthepersonofaformersoldierwhoparticipatedinthesavagebattlesofthesecondGermanoffensiveofWorldWarIin1917and1918,inwhichWestAfricantroopsweredecimateddespitetheirspectacularperformance.ThissoldiermadethepilgrimagetoMeccaandreturnedtoNigerinthe1920s.Inhisvillage,inRouch'saccount,hefoundthepeople"doingatraditionaldanceandthesoldierwaspossessed,veryviolentlypossessed,andwhilepossessedhesaid'Iamtheavant-gardeofthenewgodswhoarecomingfromMalia[theRedSea].MynameisGovernorMaliaandIamthefirstofthenewgodswhoarecomingandtheyarethegodsofstrength'." TheHaukawerequicklysuppressedbytheFrenchauthoritiesinNiger,withthesupportoftraditionalchiefsandpriestswhofearedthepopularityofthenewmovementanditschallengetoestablishedauthority.ButtheHaukacultspread,evenwithinthejailwalls,andby1935theBritishadministrationinGhanaagainattemptedtosuppressitandtojailthecultists.FiresbrokeoutinresponsethroughoutAccra,andeventuallytherewasanagreementthatHaukapriestswouldlimittheirceremoniestocertainplacesandtoSaturdaysandSundays.Thiswasstillthecasein1954whenRouchfilmedLesMaitresFous,whichwasbannedbythecolonialgovernmentin1955. TheHaukamovementwasaphenomenonofthecolonialera.AftertheindependenceofGhanain1957,migrationwascontrolledandmanyHaukawhohadsettledinAccrareturnedtoNiger.Nigeritselfgainedindependencethreeyearslater,andtheHaukabegantosubsideandtobeabsorbedintothetraditionalreligioussystem.Dongo,forexample,theoldgodofthunder,isnowconsideredthefatheroftheHauka.AsRouchhaspointedout,"therewasnomorecolonialpowerandthereneverwasaHaukacalledKwameN'krumah."TheeventsfilmedrepresenttheendoftheHaukadevelopment.TodaythefilmisshowninthevillagesofGhanaandintheNigerCulturalCenter. TheimageryinLesMaitresFousispowerfulandoftendisturbing:possessedmenwithrollingeyesandfoamingatthemouth,eatingasacrificeddog(inviolationoftaboo),burningtheirbodieswithnamingtorches.Beyondtheimagery,thethemesarealsopowerful,andhavehadanimpactinourownculture:JeanGenet'sTheBlackswasmodeledupontheHaukainversioninwhichblacksassumetheroleofmasters,andPeterBrook'sMarat/SadewasinfluencedbythetheatricalityandinventedlanguageofHaukapossession.Yet,asRouchremindsusinaninterviewinCineaste,possessionfortheHaukacultistswasnottheaterbutreality.Thesignificanceofthisrealityisleftambiguousinthefilm,althoughRouch'scommentarysuggeststhattheritualprovidesapsychologicalreleasewhichenablestheHaukatobegoodworkersandtoendureadegradingsituationwithdignity.TheunexploredrelationoftheHaukamovementtotheircolonialexperience1-Sperhapsthemostintriguingissueraisedbythisceremonyinwhichtheoppressedbecome,foraday,thepossessedandthepowerful.…