Featured Films Collection

Spotlight Opening Gala Screening: The Tree of Authenticity (L’Arbre de l’authenticité)

Opening the DRC Now: Rising Voices (Riverside Studios, 15 Nov) is The Tree of Authenticity, the debut feature by acclaimed visual artist and photographer Sammy Baloji exploring the ecological significance of DRC’s colonial history. Located on the banks of the Congo River, the Yangambi INERA Research Station was a booming scientific centre in its heyday. Today, it is an amalgam of jungle and ruin, where questions of knowledge, power over it, and access to it, linger. Baloji’s documentary explores the ecological destruction that began at the time of colonisation through the voices of Paul Panda Farnana and Abiron Beirnaert, two scientists who worked at Yangambi between 1910 and 1950. Their stories embody the legacies of colonial modernity and trace the origins of today’s environmental injustice. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Belgian actor Edson Anibal.

Short Film Collection.

The short film programme celebrates the creative energy of young filmmakers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Digital Photo Exhibition

Throughout the festival, The Africa Centre will be holding Congo RE-Vue, a free digital photo exhibition showcasing the bold vision of emerging Congolese photographers who are redefining how their country is seen. The opening event for the exhibition will take place from 3-5pm at the Africa Centre, which include both a digital and physical display at Arch 29.