DELPHINE’S PRAYERS (2021)

Delphine’s Prayers is a portrait of Delphine, a Cameroonian woman who, by the age of 13, had lost her mother, been abandoned by her father, and had been raped. First turning to sex work to support herself, Delphine later married a Belgian man more than three times her age in the hope of finding a better life in Europe for herself and her daughter. Seven years after her marriage, the European dream has dissipated, and her situation has worsened. This is where the third feature film from Cameroonian-born, Belgium-based filmmaker Rosine Mbakam begins. Mbakam joins Delphine in her Brussels apartment, as she engages Mbakam, the camera, and the viewer in a frank and direct address. With a strong, sensitive voice, Delphine tells her life story with palpable emotion and frequent anger. Her unusual energy and courage consume the confined space that she inhabits. Delphine’s voice is essential, and this film belongs to her.