Congo Boy

The second feature from Rafiki Fariala (Nous, étudiants!) draws upon the director’s own experience as a displaced Congolese finding purpose in art. Featuring a rousing performance from newcomer Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset, Congo Boy is about forging a path for yourself while never forgetting where you came from.

Robert (Fiomona Dembeasset) is still a teenager, but he’s always hustling. Civil war forced his family to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo and try to make a new life in the Central African Republic, leaving Robert to look after his four siblings while going to high school and doing whatever work he can to make ends meet to pay for food and an exam to go to medical school, following in his father’s footsteps.

As a way of finding inner peace, Robert writes poetry and seeks opportunities to perform as a rapper in the city’s small but vibrant clubs. Robert is advised by those around him to keep his heritage hidden, but for Robert, owning his roots might be the key to artistic self-actualization.

Congo Boy balances its story of youthful ambition with a bold sense of place and circumstance. We get a feel for what it’s like for Robert to placate a guard, hitch a ride, or traverse a checkpoint. Adrien Lallau’s handheld camera generates an immediacy, while César Simonot’s editing establishes the film’s singular rhythms in tandem with Robert’s rapping, which is where this inspiring film reveals its colossal heart.

ROBYN CITIZEN