On November 30, the filmmaker Noëlle KENMOE won the LFCinéphiles prize at the ceremony of the 6th edition of the LFC Awards. A distinction she won with flying colours with a record 56.7% in a category that featured five other Cameroonian filmmakers, including Marcelle KUETCHE and Ebenezer KEPOMBIA. This public vote in favor of the one who is commonly called «Mama na Kigali», is a proof of his attachment to the character, but also an invitation to discover the person who hides there.
Born in Batié, Cameroon, Ernestine Noëlle KENMOE was born on December 25, 1987. Clear skin with an average build and especially an exuberant character, the 36-year-old actress, screenwriter and producer is very popular with the public and enjoys a large community of fans on social networks. From a young age, she dreams of being either a teacher or an actress. She will do both. “Today I am proud to have done the two best jobs in the world,” she says. Indeed, after obtaining her baccalaureate, the young woman will enroll in communication classes at the University of Douala, then she will practice as a teacher for a year before following her passion for the 7th art from 2008.
From shadow to light
It is in the casting of the series Dreams city of the director Edmond FOSSITO that Noëlle KENMOE makes his first steps in the cinema. Recommended to the director by a friend, she is selected for one of the roles. An experience that will reveal her to the world of cinema. She then made a series of shoots and gradually made a place in the profession. In 2017, she appeared in a few episodes of the hit web-series Pakgne. An opportunity that draws the spotlight to her. The same year, she was chosen to be the muse of «Savon MAY» through several commercials. But its goal has not yet been achieved. Noëlle aims to revolutionize Cameroonian cinema and leave its mark. This is how she launched her production studio Noëlle Kenmoe Studios and produced her very first film entitled, Effet Boomerang (2016) Thanks to which she won the prize for best female performance at the 5th edition of the Festival International du Cinéma Indépendant de Bafoussam (FICIB). Et si c’était à refaire (2018) will follow and fill the cinemas during the screenings. Feeling on the right track, the producer will embark on the project of the film 2 Avril (2019) which will be even more successful than the previous ones. The film is about the daily life of a mother and her autistic child. A story that arouses the interest of the local public, and even beyond borders. The social theme of the film pushes organizations such as Orange to sponsor its distribution in several cities.
The consecration in the role of «Tchiza»
Season 1 and 2 of the series Madame… Monsieur de Ebenezer KEPOMBIA will be a kind of consecration for the actress. She perfectly embodies her role as mistress of the son, then the father; a role that will not only increase her notoriety, but also allow the signing of several contracts as a brand muse. Mother of three (3) children, the young woman never stops working to achieve her projects. Owner of a ready-to-wear store located in the city of Douala, she is very active on social networks where she communicates with her fans. «Mama na Kigali» has a very close relationship with her mother who supports her in all her businesses and does not miss an opportunity to recall her love for Rwanda, a love that pushed her to call her daughter «Kigali». She is one of those rare personalities who, despite accomplished projects and successes, do not take themselves seriously and keep a remarkable simplicity and humility. It is therefore no coincidence that the cinephile public appreciates her and decided to make her, for the year 2023, his favorite personality.
Joselyne Z.A.
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