Rosine Mbakam was born in Cameroon and lives and works in Belgium. After gaining acclaim for her short films, she turned to feature-length documentaries. Her first two features are being packaged as a diptych and released on screens in select cities across the country. In The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman, Mbakam returns to the country of her birth and reconnects with her mother, who still remembers life under French colonial rule. In Chez Jolie Coiffure, Mbakam gives a rounded portrait of a hair salon in Brussels that functions as a social hub for West African women. Gradually, their stories are told. These enchanting, emotional non-fiction works shed light on the experience of migrants and offer hope in the form of resilient, independent women. They will play back-to-back at the newly reopened Lumiere Music Hall (formerly the Laemmle Music Hall).

Lumiere Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, Fri., Dec. 13, various showtimes; $9-$12. (310) 274-6860, lumierecinemala.com.

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