Director, producer, screenwriter, and journalist Carmelle Viviane Netto works in a film industry that is still in its infancy. Her career combines personal projects and collective actions aimed at promoting the emergence of a structured film industry in the Central African Republic. Ici Ciné Team met her during the 6th edition of the Bangui Fait Son Cinéma Festival, held from December 9 to 16, 2025, at the Alliance Française in Bangui, where she was served as the moderator of the screenings for all the films in selection.
From a passion for images to a commitment to cinema
Carmelle Viviane Netto is a journalist, producer, and on-air director at Télévision Centrafricaine. Born in Bangui, she completed her secondary education at the Lycée des Martyrs before going on to study at the University of Bangui, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in applied linguistics.
She says that her interest in cinema stems from her passion for images. She worked for six years at Cinéma Numérique Ambulant (CNA Centrafrique) as a senior facilitator, organizing and hosting film screenings in Bangui and in rural areas where access to cinema is virtually non-existent. This field experience, which combines cultural mediation and the creation of images for activity reports, fuels her commitment to cinema as a tool for transmission and awareness-raising.
In 2020, she was selected to join the Ciné Bangui training program, supervised by professionals from the French school La Ciné Fabrique, with the support of the French Embassy in the Central African Republic, on the initiative of director Boris Lojkine. This training marked her official entry into filmmaking and enabled her to direct her first short film, “Zoé.”
The short film “Zoé”
Released in 2022, the film “Zoé” tells the story of a young graduate who, unable to find a job, is forced to work as a night watchwoman to support her young daughter. During the day, she visits offices in search of an internship or a job, but encounters various forms of sexual harassment. The film has been screened at several festivals, including the Zambia Short Film Festival, where it won an award.
“Through this film, I denounce these practices that many women face in their professional lives and call for collective awareness,” said Carmelle Viviane Netto. “As a woman, I cannot remain indifferent to this reality,” she added.
In 2023, the young Central African director was selected for a writing residency at Groupe Ouest in Brittany. This experience allowed her to start developping a second film project, refine her narrative approach, and broaden her artistic perspectives. Co-founding the Ciné Phénix initiative alongside Tanguy Djaka marked another milestone in her career. The program offers calls for projects, workshops, and support for series writers, with the aim of strengthening local writing and supporting production in the Central African Republic.
Alongside the development of her film projects, Carmelle Netto continues her career as a journalist and director at Télévision Centrafricaine, where she combines news production with the exploration of creative content, placing her career at the crossroads of journalism, cinema, and cultural engagement. She is also currently preparing to defend her Master's degree in African literature, a discipline in which she is developing an in-depth reflection on narratives and cultural representations.
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