Ngoma, Mawe, and a Secret Screening screen for free in the cinema on Thursday, 10/20, at 7:30pm as part of Congo in Harlem 14.

***SNEAK PEEK*** NGOMA 2022, 16 min Peter Miyalu Documentary DR Congo Swahili (with English subtitles)

Living under an active volcano represents a dangerous risk, but also an opportunity for constant renewal. Based on the ancient rituals associated with Nyriagongo, an active volcano in eastern Congo, the collective artwork of Atelier Mahindule explores new ways of incorporating indigenous knowledge into the urban context. Peter Miyalu’s NGOMA, one of the projects of Atelier Mahindule, presents a multidimensional portrait of Goma, the city that lies beneath the volcano. Ngoma is the authentic name for Goma — a mythical place where geological events collide with the daily life. NGOMA draws its substance from indigenous and contemporary memories of the city’s inhabitants, reframing a so-called “natural disaster” as sustainable transformation.

***SNEAK PEEK*** MAWE 2022, 12 min Primo Mauridi Experimental DR Congo

Primo Mauridi's MAWE, also a project of Atelier Mahindule, offers a haunting, lyrical version of the local mythology surrounding Nyriagongo: "Through a revival ritual, Nyabhingi the goddess of abundance rises from the Liangombe breath Mazuku. She has to heal Goma from the destruction and reestablish ecological balance. Together with her warriors, she combs the streets of Goma. They witness the desolation caused by industrial arrogance which has desecrated the land, invoking the fury of Lingombe, the spirit of discipline who corrects all wrongs. Lingombe spits fire and Mahindule (lava) to warn the people for their transgressions against the buhuma philosophy and practice responsible for the relations between humans and all living beings!"