‘Le Roi, la Vache et le Bananier - Mweze Ngangura’

Dieudonné Mwezé Ngangura’s film offers a unique insight into his native region, the kingdom of Ngweshe in Kivu, eastern Zaire, where wealth is measured by the number of cows and the size of banana plantations.  

With commentary from the director, King Pierre Ndatabaye Weza III and storyteller Makura, the film reveals the daily life of this traditional kingdom as it faces up to the challenges of modernity. It also sheds light on the dramatic events in neighbouring Rwanda, notably with a premonitory sequence in which a soothsayer foretells future disasters in the region. 

This film is presented as part of a Close-up devoted to Mwezé Ngangura. After arriving in Belgium at the age of 20, he made two short films during his studies at the IAD broadcasting school: Tamtam-électronique (Electronic Tamtam) and Rhythm and blood. After making documentaries for Zairean television for ten years, in 1985 he co-directed La Vie est Belle (Life is Rosy) with Benoît Lamy, a film that was a big hit in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1998, he wrote Pièces d’identités (Identity Pieces), which won numerous awards. Bozar is devoting a Close-up to him.

Tickets will soon be available from the Cinematek website.