Presented by True Walker Productions and Friends of the Congo

N.G.O. (Nothing Going On)
Arnold Ganze, 2017, 83 min
Two friends, Tevo and Zizuke, dream of living carefree lives, making easy money and pairing off with mzungu (white) women. At their local hangout, they meet a mzungu woman who suggests they start an NGO. They seize the opportunity, seeing it as the key to their own personal gain. As the two young men fumble to launch their organization, they enlist the help of a beer-swilling elder named “Mr. Heineken”, who instructs them on the lingo of “empowerment” and “capacity- building”. The scam is a huge success — or so it seems — until an international donor sends a filmmaker to document the NGO’s nonexistent achievements and the situation takes an unexpected turn... This light-hearted comedy packs a deep and incisive critique of foreign aid and intervention in Africa.

Followed by a post-screening discussion with Arnold Aganze and reception with Congolese food and live music by Nkumu Katalay and the “Life Long Project” Band.

Congo in Harlem is a showcase of films, exhibits, panel discussions and special events focused on the history, politics, and culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Congo in Harlem is made possible by generous contributions from The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, The New York State Council on the Arts, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Congo Love.

This presentation is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2017 Electronic Media and Film Presentation Funds Grant program, administered by the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.