IN CINEMA
Congo In Harlem 16
KATASUMBIKA + MAHERE: TWO BY PETNA NDALIKO KATONDOLO
Tickets: $15 General Admission / $7 Reduced Price
Friday, October 18th at 7PM
Co-Presented with Friends of the Congo
Two new films by acclaimed Congolese filmmaker, activist, and educator Petna Ndaliko Katondolo!
KATASUMBIKA
Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, 2024, 27 min.
The world was shocked to witness the people in eastern DR Congo demand the departure of the UN peacekeepers, even resorting to force. How can we understand this outrage toward a mission that is supposed to help the people? Through a testimonial approach, the film reflects on what has been left out of the frame in the colonial project and its legacy. By following the thread of history, the chain of natural resource extraction, and the vein of violence, will the sounds of indigenous resistance be heard?
MAHERE
Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, 2023, 64 min.
In the shadow of the mighty Nyriagongo Volcano, lies the Congolese city of Goma, which over the past two decades has experienced multiple eruptions amid an explosive growth in population. Blending performance, archival footage, and an immersive soundscapes, Ndaliko Katondolo’s genre-defying film conveys a journey of rediscovery, as survivors of the 2021 eruption strive to mend the disrupted balance between humanity and the natural world. Guided by ancient spirits of Nyamuhanga, they embark on a transformative quest to heal the land, while confronting a history tainted by colonial influence and the misrepresentation of their guardian deity. MAHERE is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant film that explores interconnections and dissonance among ancient knowledge, ecology, and colonial legacies. Mahere is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant film that explores the interconnection between folk tale, ecology, and the enduring human spirit.
How does information archived in rituals and collective memories enable us to heal? A collective of artists and community members who survived the May 2021 eruption in Goma work to examine this question by reactivating Indigenous practices and creating new pathways from ancient knowledge.
Post screening Q&A with Petna Ndaliko Katondolo and other special guests TBA
