The European film festival began its seventh edition this Thursday, May 18 in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. On this occasion, the organizers chose the film “La Vie est Belle” for the opening ceremony. This late 1980s feature film was co-directed by Congolese Mweze Ngagura and Belgian filmmaker Benoît Lamy, and stars Congolese artist Papa Wemba. This film, whose version restored by the French Institute of Kinshasa will be screened, will be an opportunity for the Congolese director to meet the public and discuss his work.
Several other screenings are planned in Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu and Lubumbashi in French institutes or the Wallonia-Brussels centre. For this seventh edition, the focus is on documentary films, a genre that has enjoyed great success in the DRC in recent years. Lasting one week, the festival aims to introduce the Congolese public to documentary cinema from Europe, Africa and the Congo as well as Congolese, African and European cinema professionals.
The organizers make the festival a space for training and transmission of know-how. Thus, the Congolese actress, producer and director Nancy Adjani leads a workshop on acting that will last 5 days. She will share her experience with young apprentices and help them develop acting techniques in front of the camera. This initiative is part of Nancy Adjani’s desire to bring out new talent and to compensate for the scarcity of female filmmakers in the country.
In summary, the Kinshasa European Film Festival is a unique opportunity for professionals and amateurs of the 7th art to showcase their work and meet their Congolese audience. The choice this year to highlight the film “La vie est belle”, co-directed by Mweze Ngagura, is a tribute to Congolese talents, their history and their resilience.