Pascale Obolo

Pascale Obolo lives and works in Paris. She was born in Yaoundé in Cameroon in 1967. She studied at the Conservatoire Libre du cinema Français in the field of directing, then obtained a Master of Cinéma at the Paris VIII University, in the experimental cinema section. Her first films document the beginning of the Hip Hop movement and the Parisian graffiti scene.

Being a feminist cineast, she also carried her attention on the feminine Hip Hop movement in the French suburbs as well as the place of the Black woman in the artistic fields (circles).

As early as 1995, she directed reports and documentaries for CRTV (Cameroon's national television) before starting a collaboration in 2000 with Virgin Music France, for whom she signed several artist and musician portraits. Interested by the music of the world, Pascale Obolo specialized herself in musical documentaries and was attracted in particular by the cultural heritage of the Island of Trinidad through its carnival and its music.

It was after her several visits in this region of the Caribbean, especially in Trinidad, that was born this long documentary of creation: "Calypso at Dirty Jim's" which gives tribute to the last great legends and figures of Calypso, as well as to the soul of this island and caribbean culture.

"Calypso at Dirty Jim's" was selected and awarded in several festivals throughout the world: Fespaco Ouagadougou, Vues d'Afrique 2006 in Montreal (Special Prize of the Jury), Panafrican Festival of Cannes, 2006 (Prix Dikalo d'Or), Africa in the Picture, Womex Festival, African Diaspora Film Festival in New York, and African Festival in Tarrifa.

Passionate about visual arts, Pascale Obolo collaborated with graffiti artists such as Jayone, Shuck, the Alpha force, Samuel Fosso and the Jean-Marc Patras Galerie, Jean-Pierre Bekolo and Ayana Jackson on the Leapfrog project. (07/12)

Calypso Rose: The Lioness of the Jungle
A film by Pascale Obolo, 2011, 85 min., Color
An exuberant and inspiring ambassador for the Caribbean, Calypso Rose is the uncontested and much decorated diva of Calypso music. With more than 800 ...