Cinema of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Cinema of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC;
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Cinéma de la République Démocratique du Congo'') originated with educational and propaganda films during the colonial era of the
Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...
. Development of a local film industry after the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
gained its independence from
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
in 1960, and was handicapped by constant civil war.


Colonial era

During the colonial era before the
DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
gained independence as
Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
, administrators of the Belgian Congo did not allow Africans to watch foreign films, officially because they said they could not understand the difference between fact and fiction. In reality, authorities feared that the films would cause subversive behavior. The government's Film and Photo Bureau instead made films for the local population in the 1940s, with educational and/or propaganda themes. African workers were employed by the bureau and were taught the basic techniques of film production. Two companies run by Catholic priests also employed Africans in making films about religious values. These were: *The Congolese Center for Catholic Action Cinema (CCCAC,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Le Centre Congolais d'Action Catholique Cinéma'') in
Léopoldville Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...
*Africa Films in
Kivu Kivu was the name for a large "region" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko that bordered Lake Kivu. It included three "Sub-Regions" ("Sous-Régions" in French): Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema, correspondin ...
. The CCCAC created a series of short films titled '' Les Palabres de Mboloko'' (Tales of Mboloko), starring an animated antelope. The government kept firm control over the format and content of the films produced by these two companies. , founded in 1950 in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
by George Fannoy, made documentaries and news items in the DRC.


Post-independence

Following the
Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...
's independence from Belgium in 1960, the country experienced a series of civil wars that largely destroyed the nascent film industry. Foreign support has allowed some directors to create movies in the DRC, notably from the French
ministry of foreign affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
. The DRC government has shown interest in assisting the development of a local film industry. Almost all DRC filmmakers live and work abroad.
Mwezé Ngangura Mwezé Ngangura (born 7 October 1950) is a film director from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Early years Mwezé Ngangura was born in Bukavu, DRC on 7 October 1950. At the age of twenty he won a scholarship to go to Belgium and study ...
is the best known Congolese director, making his first short film ''Tamtam électronique'' (Electronic Tamtam) in 1973 and the first Congolese feature movie, '' La Vie est Belle'' in 1987. His '' Identity Pieces'', a musical comedy, won the Stallion de Yennenga at the
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) is a film festival in Burkina Faso, held biennially in Ouagadougou, where the organization is based. It ...
in 1999.
Raoul Peck Raoul Peck (born 9 September 1953 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian filmmaker, of both documentary and feature films. He is known for using historical, political, and personal characters to tackle and recount societal issues and historical ...
, a Haitian who was brought up in Zaire, directed the documentary '' Lumumba. La mort d'un prophète'' (1991), about the life of
Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...
, who led the country into independence. Kibushi N'djate Wooto produced the animated short ' in 1992, with French funding. In 1994 Josef Kumbela made the short '' Perle noire'' (Black Pearl), which he followed with a series of other short films. Jose Laplaine's comic drama ''
Macadam Tribu Macadam Tribu is a 1996 comedy-drama produced by José Zeka Laplaine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The film was selected as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards, but ...
'' (Macadam Tribe) (1996) made fun of the constant quest for money, status and sex in Africa's urban neighborhoods. Petna Ndaliko is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker and activist who founded and directs the Yole!Africa cultural center and the (SKIFF). SKIFF, the first film festival in the DRC, brought together over 15,000 people in a span of ten days. The festival screens international and local cinema, and has an open-air concert and numerous dance competitions. In 2014 SKIFF celebrated its 10th anniversity. However, as recorded in
Guy Bomanyama-Zandu Guy Bomanyama-Zandu (born 22 November 1972) is a filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC. Early years Guy Bomanyama-Zandu was born in Kinshasa on 22 November 1972. In the late 1980s he moved with his family to Brussels, obtainin ...
's 2005 documentary ''
Le Congo, quel cinéma! ''Le Congo, quel cinéma!'' is a 2005 documentary film directed by Guy Bomanyama-Zandu. Synopsis Congolese cinema came to light by means of propaganda and educational film An educational film is a film or movie whose primary purpose is to ...
'', local productions today have difficulty making money. The film follows three Congolese technicians (Claude Mukendi, Pierre Mieko, and Paul Manvidia-Clarr) and Ferdinand Kanza, a director who made films in the 1970s and now works at the National Radio Television of Congo. Another 2005 documentary by the same director, '' La Mémoire du Congo en péril'' (The Momory of Congo in Danger), describes the Congolese Film Library. The library owns thousands of films that form part of the history of Congolese cinema, some dating as far back as 1935. They are in extremely poor condition and in danger of being lost. In 2009 the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
was using the cinema to break taboos on discussing rape, which was commonplace during the civil wars. The documentary ''Breaking the Silence'' covers sexual violence and abuse of women, topics that most people are reluctant to discuss. It was made by IF Productions of the Netherlands and is being screened by a mobile cinema operated by
Search for Common Ground Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for findi ...
(SFCG), a US-based NGO. Screenings are often open-air, with power provided by a generator. Nonetheless, in 2015 the DRC government, cancelled scheduled screenings of Thierry Michel's ''L'homme qui répare les femmes'' (The Man Who Repairs Women) about Dr
Denis Mukwege Denis Mukwege (; born 1 March 1955) is a Congolese gynecologist and Pentecostal pastor. He founded and works in Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, where he specializes in the treatment of women who have been raped by armed rebels. In 2018, Mukwege and Ir ...
, a Nobel nominee who treats survivors of rape, torture and mutilation in the violence against women that has been endemic to Congolese civil wars. Lambert Mende, the DRC communications minister, said the film made “unjustified attacks” on soldiers. Filmmaker
Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda (born 30 October 1957) is a filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Career Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda was born on 30 October 1957 in Kinshasa. He studied sociology, history and philosophy in Brussels, Belgium. He ...
helped organize the first Semaine du film congolais (Sefico) festival in May 2011 at Le Zoo, a cultural center. In July 2001
Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda (born 30 October 1957) is a filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Career Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda was born on 30 October 1957 in Kinshasa. He studied sociology, history and philosophy in Brussels, Belgium. He ...
announced at the Festival du cinéma africain in Khouribga, Morocco that he intended to acquire four cinemas in Kinshasa. He was looking for partners to help acquire the cinemas to serve Kinshasa, a city with ten million inhabitants but no cinemas at all. The industry was given a sobriquet of CongoFilmz to help brand Congolese cinema and promote it further worldwide.


See also

* List of Democratic Republic of the Congo films *
Media of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated. Freedom of speech and the press While the constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, the government has rest ...
*
Cinema of Africa Cinema of Africa is both the History of film, history and present of the Filmmaking, making or screening of films on the African continent, and also refers to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture. It dates back to the early 20t ...


References

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