This Is Congo
(Canada, Qatar, Congo, République démocratique du, 2017, 92 min)De Daniel McCabe
Category: Panorama
With fairy-tale beauty and endless violence, Congo is full of contrasts, all of which continue to have a strong impact on the country’s history. Using the story of four different protagonists, the film shows the harsh present, which is still haunted by the bloody past.
When photojournalist Daniel McCabe first visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008 to document the war in the eastern part of the country, he witnessed incomprehensible brutality set against the beautiful backdrop of pristine nature. According to his description, Congo is “Narnia on acid “. McCabe decided to tell the completely unfiltered, unabridged story of this country, not focusing on only a few areas. He describes the world’s longest-running conflict through the eyes of four protagonists: a whistle-blower with a unique insight into politics; a commander of the Congolese army, who, with his unit, defended the city of Goma against the rebel invasion of 2012; a woman who trades in blood minerals; and a shoemaker in a refugee camp.