The Next President

Thierry Michell's portrait of Congolese businessman-governor-football club owner Moïse Katumbi is among a few new films at the Belgian Afrika Film Festival.

Still from "Moïse Katumbi: Foot, Business, Politique."

Taking cues from the çprogram (which kicks off on March 15, running until March 30), here are 5 more films to watch out for. Below is the trailer for documentary maker Thierry Michell’s portrait of Congolese businessman-governor-football club owner Moïse Katumbi Chapwe. Michell’s relentless dedication to all things Congo is quite impressive. Remember for example his Mobutu King of Zaire, Congo River, Katanga Business, or the recent documentary on the murder of human rights activist Floribert Chebeya (which landed him in trouble). For a fairly complete list of his other work, see here.   The film, Moïse Katumbi: Foot, Business, Politique, seems to suggest Katumbi might become the DRC’s next president unless the incumbent Joseph Kabila has something to do with it (Congo has never had a democratic transition between ruling parties and the opposition).

Next, is The Teacher’s Country, a film by Benjamin Leers about home and belonging in Tanzania, 50 years after its independence. One of the characters followed and interviewed in the documentary is Tanzania’s first President Julius Nyerere’s son Madaraka (who’s a prolific blogger, by the way).

A still from “The Teacher’s Country,” about Julius Nyerere’s son.

There’s the short film Nota Bene by Rwandan director Richard Mugwaneza, tracing a boy’s move from his village to the city. Actors include Rodrigues Cyuzuzo and Jean Pierre Harerimana. The film’s website has a detailed write-up about the production.

C’est à dieu qu’il faut le dire (God’s the one to tell) is an older short film by Elsa Diringer (2010, 19min.) but I haven’t seen it screened in many places since it came out. Set in Paris, the lead role is played by Tatiana Rojo (Côte d’Ivoire).

Finally, Pourquoi Moi? (Why Me?) is a short fim by Burundian director Vénuste Maronko, tackling violence against women. The dramatic and experimental film is available in full on YouTube — not of the best quality but that might be partially explained by its home cinema “of the 1950s with a 8 mm camera” aesthetics.

All films will be screened at the 2013 Africa Film Festival. Look out for their selection of other Burundian short films.

Further Reading

The Mogadishu analogy

In Gaza and Haiti, the specter of another Mogadishu is being raised to alert on-lookers and policymakers of unfolding tragedies. But we have to be careful when making comparisons.

Kwame Nkrumah today

New documents looking at British and American involvement in overthrowing Kwame Nkrumah give us pause to reflect on his legacy, and its resonances today.

Goodbye, Piassa

The demolition of an historic district in Addis Ababa shows a central contradiction of modernization: the desire to improve the country while devaluing its people and culture.