Rouch, Jean

(May 31, 1917, Paris, France - Febru­ary 18, 2004, Bimi N'Konni, Niger)

   After earning a Ph.D. in literature and a civil engineer­ing degree, he started a career as an ethnographer, leading him to documentary. He also was a technical adviser (1951 Alger-Le Cap, documentary, Serge de Poligny; 1961 Le Niger, jeune République, Claude Jutra, Canada), actor (1962 La Poupée, Jacques Baratier, 1995 Le Fils de Gascogne / US DVD: The Son of Gascogne, Pascal Aubier; La Momie a mi-Mots, medium-length, Laury Granier; Rouch in Reverse, documentary, me­dium-length, Mantia Diawara; 1998 Chêne de Vie / US DVD: Tree of Life, documentary, Dylan Verecchia; 1999 Cinémavérité: Defining the Moment, Peter Wintonick), author of commentary (1966 Terres africaines No. 2, segment "Samba le Grand", Moustapha Alassane), and producer (1980 Théâtre de la jeune Lune, documentary, Edgar Sobéron Torchia). He died in a car crash at age eighty-six.

 Filmography

1947 ◘ Au Pays des Mages noirs (documentary; short; co-director with Jean Sauvy, Pierre Ponty; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La Chevelure magique (documentary; short)

        ◘ Magiciens noirs / Ouanzerbe, Capitale de la Ma­gie / Les Magiciens de Wenzebe (documentary; medium-length; co-director with Marcel Gri-aule; also producer, cinematographer)

1948 ◘ La Circoncision (documentary; short; also producer, cinematographer)

        ◘ Hombori (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Initiation à la Danse des Possédés (documentary; medium-length; also producer, cinematographer)

1950 ◘ Bataille sur le grand Fleuve (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1955 ◘ Les Maîtres Fous (documentary; medium-length; also screenwriter, cinematographer, narrator)

        ◘ Ma Mère l'Eau (documentary; short)

        ◘ Mamy Water / La Pêche et le Culte de la Mer (documentary; short; also screenwriter, cinematographer)

        ◘ Baby Ghana (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Les Fils de l'Eau (five documentary shorts: "La Chasse à l'Hippopotame", shot in 1947; "La Circoncision", shot in 1948; "Cimetière dans la Falaise", "Les Gens du Mil", "Yenendi, les Hommes qui font la Pluie", shot in 1951; also screenwriter, author of commentary, cinematographer, narrator)

        ◘ Sakpata (documentary; short; co-director with Gilbert Rouget; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La royale Goumbé (documentary; short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Moro Naba (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Les Fils de l'Eau (documentary; short)

        ◘ Moi un Noir / Treichville / UK: I, a Negro (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer)

        ◘ Hampi (short)

1961 ◘ Les Ballets du Niger (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La Pyramide humaine (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer; shot in 1959)

        ◘ Chronique d'un Eté / UK and USA: Chronicle of a Summer / Chronicle of a Summer, Paris 1960 (documentary; co-director with Edgar Morin; also screenwriter, actor)

1962 ◘ Urbanisme africain (documentary; short)

        ◘ Les Pêcheurs du Niger (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Fêtes de l'Indépendance du Niger (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Le Mil (documentary; short)

        ◘ Abidjan, Port de Pêche (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1963 ◘ Rose et Landry (documentary; short; co-director with Jacques Godbout)

        ◘ Le Palmier à Huile (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Monsieur Albert Prophète (documentary; me­dium-length; co-director with Jean Ravel; also screenwriter, author of commentary, cinematographer, narrator)

        ◘ Les Cocotiers (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1964 ◘ La Punition (documentary; also screenwriter; shot in 1960; released on TV in 1960)

        ◘ La Fleur de l'Âge, ou Les Adolescentes / Le ado­lescent / Shishunki / UK and USA: That Tender Age (segment "Les Adolescentes / Les Veuves de Quinze Ans"; France / Italy / Japan)

1965 ◘ Paris vu par . . . / UK and USA: Six in Paris (segment "Gare du Nord"; also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

        ◘ Tambours de Pierre (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Tambours et Violons des Chasseurs de Songhay (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Lackville (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Festival de Dakar (documentary; short; also cinematographer; shot in 1963)

        ◘ Alpha noir (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ L'Afrique et la Recherche scientifique (documentary; short)

        ◘ Musique et Danse de chasseurs Gow (documentary; short)

1966 ◘ Sigui Année Zéro (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Koli-Koli (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Fêtes de Novembre à Bregbo (documentary; short; co-director with Colette Piault)

        ◘ Dongo Yenedi, Gamkallé (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Dongo Horendi (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Batteries Dogon—Eléments pour une Etude des Rythmes (documentary; short; co-director with Gilbert Pouget; also cinematographer)

1967 ◘ Faran Maka Fonda (also cinematographer)

        ◘ Tourou et Bitti (documentary; short)

        ◘ Yenendi de Gamkalle (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Sigui 1967: L'Enclume de Yougo (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La Goumbé des jeunes Noceurs (documentary; short; also cinematographer; shot in 1965)

        ◘ Yenendi de Gourbi Beri (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Yenendi de Goudel (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Yenendi de Kirkissey (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Yenendi de Kongou (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Dando Sorko (documentary; short)

        ◘ La Chasse au Lion à l'Arc (documentary; also screenwriter, author of commentary, cinematographer, narrator; shot in 1957)

1968 ◘ Wanzerbe (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Yenendi de Ghangel (documentary; short)

        ◘ Un Lion nommé l'Américain (documentary; short)

        ◘ Sigui 1968: Les Danseurs de Tyogou (documentary; short; also author of commentary, cinematographer)

        ◘ Pierres chantantes d'Ayorou (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La Révolution poétique: Mai 68 (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1969 ◘ Sigui 1969: La Caverne de Bongo (documentary; short; also author of commentary, cinematographer)

        ◘ Yenendi de Karey Gorou (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1970 ◘ Yenendi de Yantalia (documentary; short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Sigui 1970—Les Clameurs d'Amani (documentary; medium-length; also screenwriter, cinematographer)

        ◘ Mya—La Mère / Taway Nya, la Mère (documentary; short)

1971 ◘ Yenendi de Simiri / Sécheresse à Simiri (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Sigui 1971—La Dune d'Idyeli (documentary; medium-length; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Lorto Novo—La Danse des Reines (documentary; short; co-director with Gilbert Pouget; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Architectes d'Ayorou / Architectes d'Avorou (doc­umentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Rapport Mères-Enfants en Afrique (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Laguar (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer; shot in 1953)

        ◘ Petit à Petit (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer)

1972 ◘ Yenendi de Boukoki (documentary; short; also author of commentary)

        ◘ Les Funérailles du vieil Anaï / Funérailles à Bongo: Le Vieil Anaï (documentary; short; co-director with Germaine Dieterlen; also cinematographer, actor)

        ◘ Tanda Singui (documentary; short)

        ◘ Sigui 1972—Les Pagnes de Yamé (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Les Tambours d'Avant / Tourou et Bitti (documentary; short)

        ◘ Horendi (documentary)

1973 ◘ VW-Voyou (documentary; short)

        ◘ Boukoki (documentary; short)

        ◘ Hommage à Marcel Mauss: Tara Okamoto (doc­umentary; short)

        ◘ L'Enterrement du Hogon (documentary; short)

        ◘ Loot-Girafe / L'Alternative (documentary; short)

        ◘ Funérailles de Femme à Bongo (documentary; short)

        ◘ Dongo Hori (documentary; short)

        ◘ L'An 01 (episode "L'Afrique"; co-director with Jacques Doillon, Alain Resnais)

1974 ◘ Ambara Dama (documentary; short; co-director with Germaine Dieterlen; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Toboy Tobaye (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Sigui 1973—L'Auvent de la Circoncision (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Pam Kuso Kar (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La 504 et les Foudroyers (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1975 ◘ Souna Kouma (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Initiation (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

1976 ◘ Rythme de Travail (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Médecines et Médecins (documentary; short; co-director with Inoussa Ousseini; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Babatu, les Trois Conseils / Babatu (documentary; also cinematographer; France / Nigeria)

        ◘ Laba tondi (documentary; short)

1977 ◘ Makwayela (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ I spahan: Lettre persane 1977 / La Mosquée du Shah à Ispahan (documentary; short)

        ◘ Hommage à Marcel Mauss: Marcel Lévy (documentary; short)

        ◘ Hommage à Marcel Mauss: Germaine Dieterlen (documentary; short)

        ◘ Le Griot Badye (documentary; short; co-direc­tor with Inoussa Ousseini; also cinematographer)

        ◘ La Fête des Gandy Bi à Simiri (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Ciné-Portrait de Margaret Mead / USA: Marga­ret Mead: A Portrait by a Friend (documentary; short)

        ◘ Cocorico! Monsieur Poulet (co-director with Damouré Zika, Lam Ibrahim Dia; also screenwriter, cinematographer; shot in 1974)

        ◘ Simi Siddo Kuma (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Le Vieil Anaï (co-director with Germaine Diet-erlen; also cinematographer; unreleased)

        ◘ Captain Omori (documentary; short)

        ◘ Ciné-Mafia (documentary; short; also cinematographer, actor)

        ◘ Les Deux Chasseurs (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Le Renard pâle (documentary; short; co-director with Germaine Dieterlen)

        ◘ Yenendi Gengel (documentary; short)

        ◘ Portrait de Raymond Depardon (documentary; short; also actor as himself)

        ◘ Hassan Fathi (documentary; short)

        ◘ Cousin-Cousine / Pirogue-Gondole (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Folie ordinaire d'une Fille de Cham (co-director with Alberto Chiantaretto, Marco Di Cas-tri, Daniel Pianciola; also cinematographer; France / Italy)

        ◘ Dyonisos (shot in 1984)

1987 ◘ Brise-Glace (co-director with Titte Tômroth, Raul Ruiz; also actor)

        ◘ Brise Glace, Bateau Givre (documentary; short; also cinematographer, actor)

1988 ◘ Enigma (co-director with Alberto Chiantaretto, Marco Di Castri, Daniel Pianciola; also cinematographer; France / Italy)

        ◘ Bac ou Mariage (documentary; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Couleur du Temps, Berlin, Août 1945 (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Boulevards d'Afrique (co-director with Tam-Sir-Douebe; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Promenade inspirée (documentary; short; also author of commentary, cinematographer)

        ◘ Liberté, Egalité, fraternité, et puis après . . . (documentary; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Le Beau Navire (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Cantate pour Deux Généraux (documentary; short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Madame l'Eau (documentary)

        ◘ Damoure parle du sida (documentary; short)

1997 ◘ Moi fatigué debout, moi couché (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer)

        ◘ En une Poignée de Mains amies, Fleuve qui, par-dessous les Ponts, ouvre la Porte de la Mer . . . (short; co-director with Manoel de Oliveira; also actor)

        ◘ Laire-Part Musée Henri Langlois (documentary; medium-length)

2002 ◘ Le Rêve plus fort que la Mort (documentary; co-director with Bernard Surugue)