In a first for the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which runs from 11 to 21 February, films by directors from the DRC have been selected for screening.
Congo in Four Acts, a co-production between DRC and South Africa, is a quartet of powerful, hard-hitting short films that lay bare the reality of everyday life in the DRC. The films are produced by Djo Tunda Wa Munga and Steven Markovitz through their company Suka! Productions based in Kinshasa and Cape Town.
The Berlinale screening will be the world premiere of the films – Ladies in Waiting (Dieudo Hamadi and Divita Wa Lusala), Symphony Kinshasa (Kiripi Katembo Siku), The Shrinking Press (Patrick Ken Kalala) and After the Mine (Kiripi Katembo Siku).
Congo in Four Acts is a result of a nine-month training process run by Suka!, supported by the Belgian film school INSAS and IDFA’s Jan Vrijman Fund. The training included camera, sound, lighting, research, editing, directing and producing techniques. The films were financed through the Media for Democracy and Accountability in DRC project which is supported by Cooperation Franco Congolaise, Cooperation Britannique and France Cooperation Internationale.
In a joint statement, the filmmakers said: “In a country that has lived through dictatorship and war for most of its existence, we feel it is important for us as storytellers to make films that go beyond the headlines or 30 second news clips which shape the world’s perception of us. We are committed to telling smaller stories that speak to our society and help shape a broader understanding of who we are and where we are going.
“We felt it was important to make personal films, without commentary or manipulation. So, we avoided using any music or flashy editing in the films in true cinema verite style. We wanted to make films where the characters speak for themselves.’
The films go on release in the DRC in March, first through a series of special screenings in schools and at universities, after which they will screen on television in Kinshasa.
The producers said the filmmakers had grown immensely over the period of training and production. “We intend to keep them together as a group and will continue to make hard-hitting films with them.’
Suka! is currently in post-production with the feature film “Viva Riva!’ directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga, a French, Belgian, DRC and South African co-production.
