ABSTRACT
A stylistic element in filmmaking, cinematography could be defined as the creative camera work that the director undertakes to tell the story visually. The camera work involves decisions ranging from the type of shots (long, medium, or close-up), camera height and angles (low, eye-level, high angle), focal length of the lens (telephoto, medium, and wide-angle lenses) to static or mobile framing (the pan, tilt, tracking, or crane shot). African cinema does not differ on the basic elements from other cinematic practices and traditions around the world. Delwende and Yesterday tell the stories of women pushed to the margins of society by an invisible yet powerful center that decides when and if an individual is deemed fit to be part of the group. Long shots traditionally provide panoramic views with the subject in the foreground, providing contextual information necessary for understanding the scene or for making connections with the overall narrative at large.
