Kengné Téguia not wanting to be the lascar of Mawena Yehouessi's Sol in the Dark

...Literally, emancipating myself from a trauma, by using the act of calling out as a welcoming present to preserve my sanity. Putting things in perspective, underlining then, the importance of this incidence deafinitely. By finally giving myself value, reassuring me of the importance of my existence. By deciding to stop thinking about it in the future, to gain my independence.

Je me suis questionné.e en me levant ce matin pourquoi je gardais encore cette histoire dans mes tiroirs. De la question d'invisibilisation et de celle du privilège entendant, de ce que ça signifie de manière concrète. De la question de me libérer d'un trauma, de manière littérale, d'une forme de call-out bienvenue en ce sens. De remettre les choses à son, ses endroits, de faire souligner l'importance de cet-te incident-ce. Enfin, de me donner de la valeur et me rassurer sur l'importance de mon existence.

Instagram 22 january 2023, Kengné Téguia to their audience @blckdeafaganger :

"Hello,
Today I got up and thought it was the perfect day to unload the trauma around Mawena Yehouessi's "Sol in the Dark", sharing the archives only, not being able to comment at the risk of legal action on their part but the situation speaks for itself, a textbook case, in terms of abuse of power, of the issue of hearing privilege in all its glory.

Enjoy your viewing "

"Enfin, de l'unethical process with me..." 06 march 2022, Kengné Téguia to Mawena Yehouessi :

"Hello Mawena,

Looking back, I thought it was important to point out what was unethical about our collaboration and how things were supposed to be going differently from what it is finally now, quite differently I must say.

In July 2020, when I came to the Villa Arson, following your invitation, the first days going well, the reading of your manifesto Sol in the Dark was a trigger for the non-possibility for me to participate in your project. After long conversations, it was agreed that because of my desire to get out of a form of essentialization and particularly because of my difference, which points to a precise political context, it was not possible to be just a material that would respond to a projection of a discourse that would not belong to me, at a time when I am specifically marginalized for who, what I am, would be. We agreed that for me, there would just be the rushes, in a raw way, where I would sleep, as a kind of pause, rest, without being in a form of performance but of ...

...more visible, more direct vulnerability. That it would be about your own, not a continuation of your manifesto but a discourse that would be supportive of you and personalized to my realities. There was the question of a back & forth about me to make sure that we were on the same page as far as my part was concerned, during this implementation.

The simple fact that you did not take these considerations into account and that you did not deem it necessary, in addition, to send me the video in question before doing the same at festivals, in a finalized version, raises an ethical concern.

All the more so since there have been crisis in the past, my desire to leave the project so as not to be associated with Olivier Marboeuf, and finally a coherence in relation to my withdrawal from all collaborations with hearing people, a radical withdrawal from the contemporary art scene to heal and protect myself from this kind of violence, in particular, in addition to those institutionalized violences. I had to wait until the end of December to have access to my own images, once they had been sent to the Berlinale. And in this submission, to reproach me for not having given your film a single chance and to ask me to withdraw, ah no, just to be able to remove my name, a letter specifying that our collaboration was not ethical with a rather short deadline. It's a lot...

I don't doubt your (good) intentions but maybe we didn't understand each other from the start but there is (was) a problem somewhere and from where I stand, the figuration of my hastag in my part becomes only a detail when the discourse, non-personalized but very much your manifesto, only projects itself onto my body, victimizing me more particularly at a time when I am precisely trying to reclaim the reigns of my own narrative, without any supposedly caring validation from those I am trying to run away from at the moment, Hearies. Which is quite dangerous in this context where I don't want to exist through your hearing gaze, as an ensemble anymore and what you will benefit from the outset in terms of being strengthened by your hearing colleagues and will thus lock me into a vision (yours), which will be shared by others, who don't understand me.

There you have it, I felt it was necessary to take the time to send you this email in order to be clear, even if I notice that the moment is not opportune to answer me, but I hope that you will understand through these grievances why I would like to totally disappear from your film, finally.

I wish you much success with your work, as well as with your future projects.

Deafinitely yours,

Kengné"

18 march 2022, Mawena Yehouessi to Kengné Téguia :

"Dear Kengné, 

I hope you are well. I don't know to what extent you expect me to reply to each of your three emails or only to the last one, but as far as the film is concerned: I am no longer in a position to modify the linear short film version. As indicated in my last e-mail of 29/12/2021, it will remain as is, i.e. with your images and your name + hashtag in the credits as you saw them and as we mutually committed to in our initial collaboration contract. 

I can and will rework the editing of the "episodes" version as well as its credits in order to "extract" you from it and remove you from it. Similarly, I stand by my later proposal, still in my last email, to no longer mention your name in the context of the film's broadcast. In either case, however, we will have to define the parameters and

..conditions of execution in a new and final contract that I will submit to you according to your answer. 

I will let you think about it and come back to me as soon as possible in order to sign the new contract in question no later than April 15, 2022, because for you as for me, we obviously have to put an end to all this: this collaboration, these exchanges, this relationship. 

Yours sincerely, 
Mawena"

19 march 2022,  Kengné Téguia to Mawena Yehouessi :

"Dear Mawena,

Yes, you are right, let's be pragmatic, let's exchange in a purely contractual way, specifically by looking more precisely at the initial collaboration contract. It states:

"3.2.1 The COMMISSIONER agrees to share the final cut of the FILM before its public release,
for review once between 01/07/2021 and 31/07/2021.
As of 01/08/2021 and once the editing is completed, the CONTRIBUTOR undertakes not to retract his/her CONTRIBUTION from the FILM. At this stage, only retractions linked to the non-respect of the spirit of the film and the contribution stated at the beginning of the project will be taken into consideration."

Since this is a fault on your part, I'm sorry to say that I can't be satisfied with an inability to edit the linear short version without any explanation and finally an apology about it. I think that a solution should be considered in the context where the film...

...would be touring, much more radical than the non mention of my name. It is not possible, for me, in these conditions that my image be at the mercy of other viewers without some kind of update or context of the present situation, to them, as a matter of work ethics. 

Finally, as for the "episodes", I still maintain my wish to disappear completely. 

Yours sincerely,

"Warning before notice / Sol in the Dark" 04 april 2022, Kengné Téguia to Mawena Yehouessi & Olivier Marboeuf :

"Hello,

After several attempts to call-in over the last few months, I am forced to risk going to the next level, through civil action to be precise, in order to be able to withdraw completely from Mawena Yehouessi's film "Sol in the Dark" for non-compliance with this condition stipulated in the contract between us:

"3.2.1 The COMMISSIONER agrees to share the final cut of the FILM before its public release,
for review once between 01/07/2021 and 31/07/2021.
As of 01/08/2021 and once the editing is completed, the CONTRIBUTOR undertakes not to retract his/her CONTRIBUTION from the FILM. At this stage, only retractions linked to the non-respect of the spirit of the film and the contribution stated at the beginning of the project will be taken into consideration."

As I did not receive the film cut until Wednesday, December 29, 2021, the contract, through your fault, is rendered null and void.

Because without prior consultation of my opinion regarding the rushes concerning my situation, the film "Sol in the Dark" by Mawena Yehouessi was shown at the Expanded Forum at the Berlinale, from a non-consultation of my opinion even before sending this film to this and other festivals, I demand these various conditions :

       - The total removal of my image, name and hashtag (#TheBLACKRevolutionwillbeDEAFinitelyLOUD) from Mawena Yehouessi's film "Sol in the Dark", as well as its episodes, upon receipt of this email.
        - A public presentation of a statement with an apology to my address, as well as the precision of the fault, on the social networks of the film Sol in the Dark. It will be necessary to send me the text in question for validation before its diffusion. This text must be written in FR and EN.
        - This statement should be sent to the Expanded Forum of the Berlinale so that they can also be informed of the fault on your part, of the non-ethics.

As this is a warning, I will give you two weeks to get organized and respond positively to my requests. If there is a conflict or no response from you, I will be obliged...

I will be obliged to go through a lawyer, by sending you a formal notice on 19/04/2022, in order to assert my rights and this time to take legal action. This formal notice will be accompanied by a publication in my networks of this conflict between you and me.

Sincerely,

Kengné Téguia."

4 april 2022, Olivier Marboeuf to Kengné Téguia :

"The new editing that removes your presence (image, name, hashtag) for the linear and episodic version of SOL IN THE DARK is underway.
It will be effective before any new broadcast.
For the other points, we will come back to you as soon as possible.

Olivier Marboeuf"

13 april 2022, Olivier Marboeuf to Kengné Téguia :

"Hello,
As the editing of the film is now complete, we are considering how best to respond to the other requests listed in the email below.
You will receive our proposals by 18 April at the latest.
Yours sincerely
Olivier Marboeuf"

"SPECTRE / KENGNÉ TÉGUIA (SOL IN THE DARK)" 19 april 2022, Denis Papin to Kengné Téguia :

"Document sent by e-mail and letter R+AR by obligation
N°1A 199 275 4209 8

Dear Sir

I am counsel to the SPECTRE Company, its director Olivier Marboeuf and the director Mawena Yehouessi concerning the film entitled "SOL IN THE DARK".

In an attempt at conciliation, while the production company has respected all its obligations, at your request, everything related to you has been removed from the film (image, name, hashtag).

However, neither the production company nor the director will make any private or public apology, which would be completely nonsensical because they have nothing to reproach themselves for.

Of course, I am at the disposal of your council to discuss this matter.

For your information, I am already mandated to bring before the ad hoc court any act that could be qualified as defamation or insult against the SPECTRE company, its director or the director of the film "SOL IN THE DARK";

I wish you good reception of this letter and ask you to receive, Sir, my best regards.

Denis JACQUIN, Lawyer at the Court
Correspondent for Information Technology and Civil Liberties
Lecturer in Criminal Law at the University of Paris 13"

Notes 22 january 2023, Kengné Téguia to ourselves :

"I am under no illusion that what I am revealing will have little impact, as those who already know about it are protecting themselves.
The same pattern of the question of hearing solidarity, already seen in action during the conflict with the Rijks and their residents.
To be somehow selfish and tell myself that all this is important, to free myself from the injunctions to be wiser and to do otherwise.
To free myself from this episode and do my part to behave differently."

Instagram 25 january 2023, Kengné Téguia to their audience @blckdeafaganger :

"It went even further than I thought...

Screening of the film, Sol in the Dark by Mawena Yehouessi, on April 16, 2022, i.e. 2 days after being informed by Olivier Marboeuf, via email, that my image, hastag and name have been removed from the film"

"It's my body in the background, the rushes I produced and then gave to Mawena Yehouessi. My image, basically.

The visual effects over my body are by Mawena Yehouessi. It was decided on their part to continue to leave an impact on my body, despite the email sent by Olivier Marboeuf 2 days earlier."

"I don't know if you realize the violence of the gesture, in addition to the one(s) already mentioned

I am speechless"