"Als Kanonenfutter behandelt"
Artist Mario Pfeifer has created a new film, "Wutame / Caché," which portrays two men from Cameroon who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine before deserting. The film is currently featured in the "Tirailleurs" exhibition at Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW). Pfeifer's work focuses on the men's personal accounts of being deceived, poorly treated, and used as "cannon fodder," employing anonymized voices and altered imagery to protect their identities while allowing their stories to unfold.
The film connects contemporary conflicts to enduring colonial power structures, highlighting how historical patterns of exploitation repeat. By centering the voices of the deserters themselves, Pfeifer shifts the narrative from a passive victim perspective to a complex examination of trauma, survival, and agency. The work contributes to a broader exhibition revisiting the often-forgotten history of African colonial soldiers, prompting reflection on how colonial violence continues to manifest in modern warfare and migration.