RISING UP AT NIGHT (TONGO SAA) | DOCUMENTARY | By nelson Makengo
Kinshasa, the capital of 17 million people, is plunged into darkness and insecurity, and its inhabitants are struggling to gain access to light. In a relentless quest, Kudi mobilizes the people of his neighborhood to buy a stolen cable in order to restore electricity in time for the end- of-year festivities. The committee gathers a group of mostly women and goes door-to-door to pay for the cable in the Kisenso neighborhood. At Christmas, Kudi turns into Santa Claus. Flashes of light and hope animate the streets of Kinshasa. At the same time, at Mount Mangengenge, a holy place that overlooks the city, Pastor Gédéon preaches the light of Christ as the path to life and truth. For his part, Davido seeks shelter because his house has been flooded by the Congo River. While observing the city, he sings, between discouragement and resilience. With a community of young men, he kills time by working out, dreaming of a better future. RISING UP AT NIGHT (TONGO SAA) is a subtle portrait of a population that, despite the challenges it faces, is reinventing itself in an environment that is plagued by violence, coloured by the uncertainty of tomorrow, and immersed in the beauty of Kinshasa’s nights.
Director NELSON MAKENGO | Camera NESLON MAKENGO | Editor INNEKE VAN WAEYENBERGHE | Producer DADA KAHINDO (DR CONGO), ROSA SPALIVIERO (BELGIUM) | Co-producer FORIAN SCHEWE, MICHEL K. ZONGO (BURKINA FASO)
World Sales: SQUARE EYES
World Premiere:
Awards:
Jury Statements:
"To an urgent and mesmerising film that portrays the life of communities living in darkness. The film brings us closer to people that we rarely pay attention to. Here’s a film that shows what role can cinema play in revealing and expressing the human condition" - Jury statement – Indielisboa 2024
“A film which rises to the challenge of filming darkness, without ever losing sight of the daily resistance and resourcefulness of a population facing a truly difficult situation” - Jury statement – Visions du Réel 2024
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