Kasongo (Im)Matériel

As part of its programming 125/5 years, the AfricaMuseum, in collaboration with Cinematek and the Afrika Film Festival, is organising an evening around Noemie Arazi and Georges Senga's documentary Kasongo (Im)Matériel.

After the screening, Nadia Nsayi (in charge of cultural programming at the AfricaMuseum) will moderate an after-dinner discussion between Noemie Arazi (archaeologist and researcher at the AfricaMuseum), Moussa Don Pandzou (co-author of the book 'Yaya na leki') and the audience.

Kasongo (Im)Material

Kasongo (Im)Material (2021) explores the forgotten history of people of Arab-Swahili descent in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their trajectory from oppressor to oppressed and the local takeover of their culture and language reflect the tensions and ambivalence of history and heritage. Combining images from excavations with archival material and contemporary footage, an archaeologist and a photographer evoke the emotional impact of what persists from the past into the present.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/513369909

Kasongo (Im)Material was an official selection at the following festivals: Kinshasa International Film Festival (2021, DRC), Belgrade International Ethnological Film Festival (2021, Serbia), Cotonou International Digital Film Festival (2021, Benin), Sharjah Film Platform (2021, United Arab Emirates), Saint-Louis Docs - Festival International du Film Documentaire de Saint-Louis (2021, Senegal), Luxor African Film Festival (2022, Egypt), Afrika Film Festival Leuven (2022, Belgium), New York African Film Festival (2022, USA), Zanzibar International Film Festival (2022, Tanzania) and Congo in Harlem Festival (2022, USA).