IDFA 2017
Makala
Emmanuel Gras
France
2017
97 min
Dutch Premiere
Kabwita has it all planned: a house for his family, built with his own hands, with fruit trees and a duckpond. In a remote Congolese village, the young man works flat out to realize his dream. While his wife looks after their children, Kabwita spends days felling trees to make a big batch of charcoal to sell in the town, 50 kilometers away. The only way for him to get there is on foot, over dusty hills, along dangerous roads, with an absurdly heavy load of charcoal sacks tied to his rickety bicycle. The journey seems endless, shown in a calm, observational style, in which director Emmanuel Gras constantly keeps the camera up close to his protagonist—resulting in a painfully honest representation of reality. From the people whom Kabwita passes on his exhausting journey, it becomes clear that in Congo, such a maddening quest for a better life is more the rule than the exception.
Credits
Director
Production
Nicolas Anthomé for Bathysphere Productions
Nicolas Anthomé for Bathysphere Productions
Cinematography
Editing
Karen Benainous
Karen Benainous
Sound
Manuel Vidal
Manuel Vidal
World Sales
Les Films du Losange
Les Films du Losange
Screening copy
Les Films du Losange
Les Films du Losange