Something New in Old Town explores the efforts of dozens of young women and men in the sprawling community of Old Town in Bamenda, Cameroon, in part to make sense of the ways in which communities “forgotten” by the state are grappling with development challenges in the neoliberal era. Filmed over three years in the homes, streets and work places of Old Town, the documentary examines the lives and activities of these young people who strive to change their community, notably as “searchers” of locally adapted solutions. Through their charitable acts, hygiene campaigns, women-centred schemes and commitment to grassroots development, they build and impart hope in a community that continues to struggle with redefining how outsiders see them.

Part cinema verité, part ethnographic, Something New in Old Town, conveys an important lesson gained from these community organizers - that it only takes a handful of committed citizens to spur and direct meaningful social change, particularly in contexts of limited or no state assistance. These young citizens embody what may be aptly described in development language as the “searchers” within.