Holder of a doctorate in geography from the Université Paris A Panthéon-Sorbonne, Maïa Ghattas is a specialist on the heritage of Douala in Cameroun. She begin using video as a tool in her researches at the start of her career and made Racines au bord du fleuve with the collaboration of artist Stéphane Eloundou and the support of Bernard Surugue of the Fondation Jean Rouch. She was awarded a grant by the Fondation pour la Vocation, which encouraged the filmed, participatory dimension of her research/action. She has worked for art festivals in Doula and taken part in research into the heritage of the towns of the south.