With “Chez Jolie Coiffure,” Mbakam turns her camera to the experiences of others who have left their families behind . Her subject, Sabine, runs a salon in what is informally known as the African quarter of Brussels. There, she provides a hub for immigrant women, who come needing more help than can be offered by protective hairstyles. Sabine offers accommodations, support and security, building a community around her salon that mirrors the one Mbakam found with her mother. Mbakam’s camera never leaves the bubble of Sabine’s shop — even when she looks outside, Mbakam is cocooned in the world Sabine has spun for herself.

With a view that is at once intimate and distant, Mbakam shows the duality of diasporic identity; she is never totally at home, and never totally without it . In both of her short films, Mbakam demonstrates a mastery of perspective, a rare ability to include the camera in community. Her films do not give voice to her subjects — rather, she shares with women the chance to speak for themselves.

The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman

Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes.

Chez Jolie Coiffure

Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 11 minutes.