Film Forum

Joris Postema, a Dutch documentarian filming in the Congolese city of Goma, is confronted by local artists and the Congolese members of his crew about his aesthetic approach and cultural preconceptions: Despite good intentions and progressive values, is he free of the “suffering sells” condescension often implicit in African stories and images created by Westerners? What is the difference between the way he frames everyday life in Goma and the way a local would? Countering assumptions the viewer might have regarding the filmmaker’s “white fragility,” Postema expands this dialogue, embraces the debate, and invites community voices into the conversation. His movie evolves into a meta-film about the ethics, limits, and responsibilities of European filmmaking in Black Africa.

Presented with support from The Richard Brick, Geri Ashur & Sara Bershtel Fund for Social Justice Documentaries.

2020   95 MINS.   THE NETHERLANDS   IN SWAHILI, DUTCH, ENGLISH & FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES   JUNO FILMS

Virtual Cinema program supported by the Robert Gore Rifkind Foundation.

Reviews

“Following the stories and the work of local young people deeply involved in decolonizing the world’s mind of all the misconceptions about their city, (Postema) ultimately opens up to face his own preconditioning and understandings. And by doing that, his film challenges ours.”
– Bianca-Olivia Nita, Modern Times Review