Dikongué-Pipa forged a new African cinematic language in Muna moto, a delicate, emotionally resonant love story. In a Cameroon village, the rigid customs governing courtship and marriage mean that a betrothed couple, though deeply in love, can be torn apart by the lack of a dowry and another man’s claiming the young woman—a rupture that sets the stage for a clash between a patriarchal society and a modern generation. Luminous black-and-white cinematography and stylistic flourishes yield images of haunting power in this potent depiction, told via flashback, of the challenges of postcolonialism and the devastating consequences of a community’s refusal to deviate from tradition.