The Palavers of Mboloko: Nkanda (Anger)
Dir. Roger Jamar
DR Congo, 1952-1953, 13 min.
Silent
The Palavers of Mboloko is a series of seven short 16mm color “animated cartoons for Africans” produced in the Belgian Congo by the priest Father Roger Jamar during the 1950s. They have been called the first ‘African’ films, despite being made by Europeans, because they incorporated elements of African folklore and music. Recently restored from the original 16mm prints, one film from this series – Nkanda (Anger) – will be screened.
Followed by:
Roger Jamar and the Palavers of Mboloko
Dir. Jean-Michel Kibushi
DR Congo, 2015, 21 min.
French w/ English subtitles
A short film about Roger Jamar, the pioneer of African animated film, made by renowned Congolese animator Jean-Michel Kibushi who also oversaw the restoration of Jamar’s original 16mm prints.
Post-screening discussion with filmmaker Jean-Michel Kibushi + Opening Night Celebration with Congolese food and live music by Isaac Katalay and the Life Long Project
Filmmaker:
In 1988, Jean Michel Kibushi Ndjate Wooto launched the Malembe Maa Studio in the Dem. Rep. of Congo, intending to moderate creative and mobile workshops to learn African culture through animated films and craft toys. In 1996, he decided to re-establish his structure in Brussels for political and financial reasons. “All our partners had left because of the war, strikes and different revolts” he explained. “And then, let’s face it; films in the South are exclusively financed by the North.” Since then, he continues to travel between both countries in order to organize Animation Films workshops, essentially aimed at young people. As he explains, “Young people are quite accessible, open to cultures from other places. This is a way to build new ties, to nourish new horizons.” His ambition would be to create a forum between Congolese and European youths. As the director of a dozen feature and short films, he belongs to the CINAF network (African Animation Films Centre), whose headquarters are in Belgium. “We usually help partners who would like to join forces with us, in both North and South, in order to dynamise artistic activity -- especially in southern countries where there are many potentialities, but where artists have a hard time getting organized because of political troubles”.
- Excerpted from Passeurs d’images by Angélique Lagarde
