Reel Critic: “Mambar Pierrette”
In its concluding event of the semester, the Hirschfield Thursdays series presented “Mambar Pierrette,” the newest film from Cameroonian director Rosine Mbakam. The film, shown at Middlebury on May 2, follows the life of the titular seamstress, tracing her struggles with economic and gender-based challenges in modern-day Cameroon. Throughout the ups and downs of Mambar’s story, what truly captures and moves the audience is how she overcomes these adversities by connecting with others — particularly other women. That is the heart of “Mambar Pierrette” and the heart of Mbakam’s work.