Salvo of acclamations as the credits of the film L’Accord by Franck Thierry Lea Malle, screened at the SITA BELLA Hall on Sunday, October 02 as part of the Ecrans Noirs Festival 2022. It is a conquered public that strongly renews its appreciation when Thérèse Ngono, all smiles, rises to present herself to the assembly. Gertrude Meboua, the role played by Thérèse in the film is certainly one of the most remarkable and accomplished female characters of this feature film. There is no doubt that Thérèse Ngono’s performance greatly contributed to the public’s affection for this character. During the ninety-three minutes of the film, Thérèse Ngono convinced us by her mastery of the acting and her ability to arouse emotions. For you, Ayila went to meet her to ask some questions.
Ayila : Good evening Thérèse, thank you for answering our questions, it is a pleasure to have you.
Thérèse Ngono : Good evening Ayila, pleasure shared.
Ayila : We just watched L’Accord, a film in which you offer a dazzling performance. During his interview, director Franck Thierry Lea Malle mentioned that you had three to four months of rehearsals. How did this stage of rehearsals go?
T.N. : First of all, thank you for this interview. Speaking of work, the three months of rehearsal were not easy, it was hectic but I held on. At one point there was this urge to let go, but you think no, you’re almost at the end of the tunnel, why give up? The rehearsals allowed me to apply myself fully, I knew when to breathe, the positions and the gestures to adopt. Because spending three months doing the same gestures every day makes the day of shooting easier. For me the most difficult moments were indeed these rehearsals because I had to enter the character , a character that I loved enormously.
Ayila : How were you selected for this role?
T.N. : Okay, for the record when the casting was launched, I saw the ad on social media, Facebook in particular. I was looking at the ages of the characters they were looking for, it was either below or above my age. Knowing that castings are rigorous about age, I thought, “Thérèse, what are you going to do there?” So I stayed in my corner, and I said, “Ah Ngono maybe next time.” One day I’m on errands and I get a call from a woman who presents herself as a manager at Inception. She asks me to go for an audition the next day. I was surprised and asked if it was true, she said yes and asked for my email address. That’s how I got a piece of text. The next day I went to Inception and auditionned.
Ayila : How was the audition?
T.N. : (Laughs) As always, we are generally afraid to do wrong, I thought to myself Okay, knowing the person behind the company [Inception Arts & Com, Editor’s note], how he appreciates being natural, I had artificial nails, I removed everything.
Ayila : Lot of pressure for an audition, isn’t it?
T.N. : Yes, I knew the director had a liking for the natural looks, so I had to be as natural as possible. Knowing also that he likes African dialects, I translated some excerpts of my text into my language, éwondo. So when I went there, I told myself, “Hmm! this time!” I had the rage to work with Lea Malle, it was a great opportunity for me, why miss it? So I went there and I gave everything I had.
Ayila : For you the secret to a good audition is being natural and prepare ahead?
T.N. : Yes, being natural is really important, that’s what makes you beautiful, that’s what gives this little magic. And the more you are natural, the more fantastic things you do. When you want to be someone else, it’s a problem. It’s better tostay true to yourself and do what you know best, whether it’s good or bad, it’ll be you. It’s also important to know which director we’re auditioning for, to do research.
Ayila : How did you receive the news of your selection for the role of Gertrude Meboua?
T.N. : Oh my God (laughs) I was in Douala on Simon William Kum’s Guerre des Sexes set, and I got a call from a friend who shouted, “Congratulations Thérèse!” I was like: Congratulations for what? You’ve not seen that you are selected for Lea’s project? I said: huh? He asked if I didn’t see it on social media? I said nooh. “Your name is there!” I started screaming I quickly went to Facebook, I saw it posted «Gertrude Meboua: Thérèse Ngono!!!». If I didn’t blow up the roof that day… It was amazing, something crazy, I thought, finally! Finally I can work with Lea Malle, I can show him what I can do, I can show the world what I’m capable of, it was great!
“I always tell myself and I hope that the next film will allow me to improve, show and demonstrate that I can still evolve.” Thérèse Ngono
Ayila : And you did it, when we watch the film we are impressed by your performance, you have received a lot of praise from film lovers who love the character and filmmakers who salute your performance, how do you react to all this love ?
“It is very encouraging to see his work being appreciated, it is the first reward.”
T.N. : Yeah, I got a lot of phone calls and congratulations. But when I look at the film I say to myself: “honestly Thérèse Ngono you could have done better than that”, I really mean it. It’s true that at the moment you play, you tell yourself that you are giving your best but when you look at the result you see all the places where you could have done otherwise to make it better. L’Accord enabled me to grow. I took part in several ilm projects and always told myself next time I would do better, I would do like that, on L’Accord it was the same. Although people appreciate and are proud of me, I always tell myself and I hope that the next film will allow me to improve, show and demonstrate that I can still evolve. I can only say thanks to all the people who support me, who appreciate and love the film. It is very encouraging to see your work being appreciated, it is the first reward.
Ayila : Do you feel that this film and this role especially, comes as the consecration of all your efforts so far?
T.N. : Yes. I have been in film since 2009 and seeing that it is today that I am “discovered”, I can only say thank you Lord. It proves that from 2009 to 2022 I haved evolved, yes it proves it. Because if you’re always in the dark at some point you have to ask yourself questions, it means there’s something wrong, that you’re not working hard enough, you’re not taking what you’re doing seriously. I’m one of these people who are very patient, who always say it’s going to be okay, no matter the obstacles it’s going to be okay. Today L’Accord is the fruit of my years of work. I hope it is the first fruit and that there will be many more.
Ayila : After the film was screened as part of the Black Screen Festival, a filmmaker praised your performance, especially the ease you had to go from a strict mother to an accomplice and then sensitive and faulty mother, how did you get that result?
“The [L’Accord] story has touched me so much, personally because I found some elements of my childhood.”
T.N. : I read the script several times and each time the story touched me so much, personally because I found some elements of my childhood and… (sad) Actually, I was saying, when I read the script, I saw myself during my childhood, it wasn’t easy, but then I thought to myself, Thérèse, when you look at this lady’s psychology, are you going to be good? Because it’s a very complicated character, a character who lives in a blurry world , a difficult world and after receives an opportunity that comes along with drama, I wondered how I would handle it, how I would go about it. During filming, I would break down at times when I really had to live the suffering because it…
Ayila : It brought back memories?
T.N. : Yes, it brought back memories and it was a bit of a challenge for me, I really had to do it, I had to relive it while being older. It is true that in my childhood I did not experience rape but I experienced another violence, a persistent violence where we lived, physical violence. So it wasn’t easy at all. Honestly, the psychology of this character touched me a lot and that’s what attracted me the most. For me, I had to face it, I really had to.
Ayila : Was it some kind of struggle with a painful past?
T.N. : Iindeed, it was a bit like that, and every time I look back I say Wow, you did it!
Ayila : Your experience on the film allowed you to face your past. Do you think that cinema can heal the traumas of the past, or at least attempt to cure them?
“Let’s make movies that educate, it’s very important.”
T.N. : Of course, what I love about film is the education, in fact I may not be the only one who has experienced that, there are people who see this film and are filled with memories, so I would say that cinema can heal. It is true that it can revive suffering, for me for example every time I look at the film it overwhelms me, but it empowers me and strengthens my mind. I think we have to make cinema that educates, that speaks to people. It is important because there is so much going on in the world, so much violence. If we do not denounce them through images, through such stories, we will not know what is happening in the dark. Because there are things that happen in our homes, it can be a child who is under pressure and is afraid to talk, a mom who is abused but remains silent. When she watches this film she may decide to talk. The little girl who may have been raped by a family member will understand by watching a film on the subject that she is a victim and that she has the right to complain. That’s why cinema is good, let’s make movies that educate, it’s very important.
Ayila : Thank you Thérèse Ngono for this very enlightening interview.
T.N. : Thanks to you it’s an honor for me.
Interviewed by Stella Tchuisse
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