Another Congolese film shone under the stars of Kinshasa, this Sunday, May 26, 2024. It is Zamiri by director Julien Wenga which was chosen to be screened at “Ciné sous lesétoiles” to celebrate year 1 of the existence of this initiative which highlights Congolese films. At the Comète site, on Avenue de la Libération (formerly November 24), the activity brought together more than 200 moviegoers all dressed in white.
This is the ninth film screening in one year, since the launch of Cinema Under the Stars on May 23, 2023, a young people’s initiative which carries the hopes and efforts to somewhat establish an idea that will germinate. An initiative that stands out for its way of doing outdoor screenings as indicated, differently from screenings in theaters. Cinema theaters which the city of Kinshasa is in dire need of despite its more than 14 million inhabitants who may need them.
On the synthetic turf of this mini football field, the Kinshasa public was treated to an unforgettable evening around the cinema. Music, buffet, drinks, gifts accompanied this evening which did not fail to delight and attract the curiosity of passers-by. A unique idea that the public is already enjoying in Kinshasa and in the provinces.
Zamiri or Congolese conscience
Patriotic awareness of the Congolese on the security situation in the East of the DRC, this is the common thread of this cinematographic work. A short film of approximately 30 minutes which features a general who left Kinshasa, her city of residence, to go to Goma as part of a mission in the Congolese army, to fight the rebels who had conquered a few territories of North Kivu and Ituri.
That notwithstanding her marriage, the general called Marlene, also fat, decided to lead the troops whatever happened, in the name of her homeland. The mission took a long time until we saw the general giving birth in the forest in the middle of combat. Despite terrible conditions, she gave birth but the child was immediately recovered by the rebels. Caught between saving her child’s life and protecting herself, she becomes vulnerable and falls under the bullets of her adversaries.
Zamiri is also the story of a journalist who, like the soldiers, left Kinshasa to go on a mission to Goma for the cause of insecurity. Very unfortunately, they end the days of their lives in this area which is worrying in terms of security even outside of fiction.
The DRC is still a country plagued by cruel insecurity in its eastern part. These hostilities, which have lasted far too long, have caused deaths whose numbers cannot be precisely counted. It is certain that the million mark has already been reached and continues to be exceeded, and has been for almost 30 years. This should make the issue a priority for the Congolese authorities in their action plan.
This film, released recently, is a stone in the building of Congolese awareness in this tragedy which affects the country. Zamiri remains a school film at the start, which left spectators with a feeling of unfinished business, a film in French, Lingala and Swahili, which takes place in Goma but several sequences of which were not really filmed in the volcanic city. Julien Wenga will probably make a sequel.
Cinema under the stars
As its name suggests, the activities of this initiative called “Cinema under the stars” take place under the stars, in the open air, differently from the screenings that take place in theaters. The focus is on the presentation of Congolese films to promote them to an audience which should a priori be the primary consumers. In the long term, the Cinema under Stars would like to have regular spaces for the screening of films.
In Kinshasa as in the provinces, on the initiative of the organizers or on the order of another organization, Ciné sous lesétoiles organizes evenings where Congolese films are shown first, and other films if necessary. The idea is to support previews and releases of Congolese films to familiarize the Congolese public with the consumption of “their cinema”.
One of the problems that Ciné sous lesétoiles addresses is that of return on investments in Congolese films. Sometimes to the detriment of profits for the organizers, the directors who release their films at Ciné sous lesétoiles are remunerated in copyright and broadcasting rights.
This initiative is run by passionate young people. A small team of barely 3 people is carrying out the project; in addition to the initiator, they are Jonathan Buba and JB Franklin. She is accompanied by hosts, ticket sellers, security agents, decorators, and many others who perform when there is a screening.
The challenges to be met
Many things have been done but there are still several things left for Congolese cinema and for Cinema under the stars. In one year, more than 20 Congolese films were screened at Ciné sous les étoiles, more than 10 directors paid in royalties and a percentage of admissions, and in two cities, more than 1,500 spectators for all 9 editions.
“In the coming years, we want to install Cinema Sous Stars in big cities and for it to become a regular event where Congolese people come to watch Congolese films. These actions must be taken by the end of the year, so that this initiative becomes an event anchored in the hearts of the Congolese,” Henoc Kiyombo, initiator of Cinema under the Stars, told ACTUALITÉ.CD.
The next film screening as part of Cinema Under the Stars is scheduled for June 6, as part of the European Film Festival. The long-term vision is to have regular Cinema spaces under the stars so that people can come and watch Congolese cinema. And this, not just in Kinshasa, but also in big cities. The organizers have not ruled out the possibility of covering any country.
“The idea is to industrialize Congolese cinema in distribution, and when it comes to distribution, you need a lot of cinemas for the Congolese to meet up. Cinema under the stars wants to build cinemas and have funding from the cultural promotion fund where the Ministry of Culture to plant in each commune or in each city, a cinema or a cinema space under the stars to go out Congolese films that would benefit Congolese directors,” explains Henoc Kiyombo.
The question that will need to be clarified is that relating to the finances of this initiative, the majority of the investment of which comes from the pockets of the initiators. The organization of Year 1 at the Comète field on Avenue de la Libération cost more than $3,000, we learned, but the income after the sale of access tickets is not always at the same level.
Investment in this initiative would take the form, among other things, of providing projection equipment to reduce the costs of expenses for each edition.
Kuzamba Mbuangu
