Congolese Women in Cinema, Visual Media and Screen Culture (Congo-Brazzaville - RC)

Congolese Women in Cinema, Visual Media and Screen Culture (Congo-Brazzaville - RC)

The 2000s witnessed the emergence of women of the moving image from the Congo Republic. Nadège Batou wears the hat of journalist, filmmaker and festival organizer. Originally working as journalist, she wanted to expand her audience beyond the community-based media, hence, acquiring the necessary training as director and producer. She is founder and director of the Festival des 7 Quartiers in Brazzaville. “The 7 Neighborhoods in Brazzaville Festival” is a mobile cinema event that takes place every 4 months for 7 days in the 7 districts of Brazzaville. Annette Kouamba Matondo, also a journalist and filmmaker, is an avid blogger, using social media to showcase local social activities and women’s initiatives.  Her film, "One does not forget one forgives: the Case of the Beach Disappearances" [English ranslation], is a portrait of an artist: Sylvie Diclo Pomos, and the duty of memory: about the Case of the Beach Disappearances, a devastating history in the Congo, as well as a personal tragedy for her. While making the film she realized "[I was] too deep into the skin of a journalist that I had to get rid of this hat in order to wear that of the director."

 

Communications specialist Claudia Haïdara Yoka is a filmmaker and founder of the Brazzaville-based Tazama Women’s Film Festival. According to its website the Tazama Women’s Film Festival was created with the idea to bring together women filmmakers from the African continent and provide a new platform for exchanges, meetings and sharing. The particularity of this festival lies in its desire to appeal to women who would like to participate and to serve a cause: The fight against Cancer in Africa. Tazama, which in Kiswahili means TO SEE, thus allows us to reflect on the need for African artists to engage and support the efforts of existing organizations in Africa. TO SEE, hence, in the sense to realise the extent of the disease and contribute to its eradication. Festivals bring the public together and women filmmakers are the carriers of powerful messages.

Ifrikia Kengue's transmedial journalism spans diverse communication platforms that include social media, video, digital newspapers, all of which are means to spotlight Congo-Brazzaville. Ifrikia Mag, launched in 2014, aims to give a voice to the Republic of Congo.

The African Women in Cinema Blog endeavors to present the myriad screen experiences of women of Congo-Brazzaville. While not claiming by any means to be exhaustive, the Blog presents a small selection of voices that are indicative of the diverse and wide-ranging screen cultures of Congo-Brazzaville.

Report by Beti Ellerson

Links to articles on the African Women in Cinema Blog:

Florence Bamba: Numero 10
https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2021/01/recent-films-florence-bamba-numero-10.html

TAZAMA - African Women Film Festival | Festival du film des femmes africaines - January | janvier 2014 - Congo-Brazzaville
https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2013/11/tazama-african-women-film-festival.html

Annette Kouamba Matondo: The Duty of Memory and the Case of the Beach Disappearances
https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2012/06/annette-kouamba-matondo-duty-of-memory.html

A Conversation with Nadège Batou
https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2010/11/conversation-with-nadege-batou.html