A driving force in Cameroonian cinema, Bassek Ba Kobhio has died at the age of 69. Even before his career as a filmmaker, he was articulating his vision of the world, publishing a series of politically engaged books.

First was Les eaux qui débordent in 1984, followed by Cameroon, la fin du maquis? in 1986. These works expressed his values and what he stood for.

Five years later, Le Maitre du Canton was released. The film tells the story of a rural schoolteacher who resists the established order. It went on to win the Audience Award at the Milan African Film Festival.

Three other films followed over the next 27 years. During that period, however, Kobhio was also working tirelessly behind the scenes.

With limited resources, he ran the Écrans Noirs film festival based in Yaoundé, seeking to champion and spotlight African cinema.

His legacy also extends beyond filmmaking. In partnership with UNESCO, he established film classes for young Cameroonians, some of whom have gone on to become filmmakers themselves.