Educational Media Reviews Online

Wealthy West African women covet clothes made from colorful batik prints that have long been considered genuine African textiles. According to this documentary, however, this material is really a lucrative export of the Netherlands, produced since the early 20th century by a Dutch company called Vlisco.

But that isn’t the only surprising fact that this film conveys. Local market women who sell Vlisco cloth have become rich, successful businesswomen who afford to own their homes, send their children to school, and even drive a Mercedes Benz.

Tantalized by the prospect of achieving the power and wealth synonymous with being a “Mama Benz,” young Alice Gouba wants to sell Vlisco cloth in her own market stall in Burkina Fasso so she can “be a successful businesswoman with lots of shops, travel to Holland, and drive a very nice, exclusive car.” The film documents Alice’s experiences with ambitious Vlisco representatives introducing the cloth to a new market, demonstrating not only her determination to become important, respected and successful, but also the valuable lessons she learns about doing business in a sophisticated, competitive and harsh world.

The film also provides insight into a company’s evolving marketing strategies. Vintage footage helps to tell the story of how Vlisco developed a business relationship with West Africa, while coverage of contemporary meetings shows how Vlisco executives craft position statements, decide on appropriate advertising images, and orchestrate fashion shows and office openings.

Clever, subtle storytelling is the hallmark of this film. Truthful reactions of other local businesswomen to Vlisco’s practices, tense exchanges between buyers and sellers, and even instruction in the highly protected, methodical process of counting money in a Vlisco financial transaction provide a balanced, accurate and realistic view of business practices. Told both in English-subtitled French and in English, the film relies on key images, close-ups and introductory section title phrases to emphasize important facts the story conveys. Often, these provide the most memorable, impressionable moments of the film.

Showing the realities, risks, and rewards of doing business in today’s global marketplace, this film would be a helpful resource for marketing and business students and professionals alike. Effective editing, clear sound and video, and a straightforward script make Mama Benz and the Taste of Money accessible to a variety of audiences.