A Congolese man runs from a terrible accident and finds himself at a revolutionary camp, where he is told that he has a great destiny. He tries to escape by going to another town, joining a religion, becoming a missionary. Ultimately, though, he finds himself back in the very place he tried to leave. He must face his fears and his shame, but also his magnificent possibilities.

Interview with Director Tshoper Kabambi

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

We have a compelling story, but perhaps more important, we are launching the film industry in our country. We are commonly depicted as a dangerous, savage nation. We are in fact a peace-loving, beautiful one still dealing with our war-torn past but moving strongly forward.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You will have a unique opportunity to see a country which few people outside the Congo have seen. You will see us as we are, not as we are commonly depicted. You will fall in love with not only our country but the characters of our film as they negotiate the issues we raise.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

My own family was divided by war in an area we show. I did not meet my great aunt, who raised my mother for the first decade of her life, until a year ago while we were making this film. She speaks a language which I do not speak. Because of my own family's experience, I have a passion for preaching peace. I also have a passion for hope, which lets us begin to restore trust in each other and in our future. If there is one message of this film, it's that there is always hope. Peace is always a possibility.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

We have had enormous developments as we filmed and as we edited. Our decision to use the common dialect, Lingala, as our main language was huge, but we realized that if we are to fully launch the film in the Congo, we should have our film in the language which most of our compatriots speak. As we saw the first draft, we realized that we were attempting too much and sculpted the film down to ninety minutes. Our first draft was twice that long.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have been fortunate to win several awards. We have had excellent feedback--often critical--during our editing process, which led us to significant edits. Someone suggested that the religious elements of the film could feel like proselytizing, so we added a few lines to assure that our main character is seen as independent and with a personal arc of development.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

We consider that critical feedback is a vital part of the filmmaking process. We have listened to all feedback and have often made changes after a post-production screening while we were still forming the basic film. The most surprising feedback has been positive. We did not anticipate that our film would be so widely accepted.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We want to introduce the world to the Congo and we want them to see us as we are. Films like _Congo_ (with Jennifer Lopez) have shown us as savages and suggested that we have man-eating gorillas in our midst. Other films about us have not been filmed in the Congo by Congolese teams. It is time for the world to come to our beautiful country. This film is an invitation.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We need journalists and international distribution. We have distribution within the Congo (though since there is no film industry, we have been the architects of our own distribution) and in the USA, but we want to introduce ourselves to the whole world.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We frankly want to open the door to our own filmmakers and to our own country. We want our own people to be filled with hope not only by the story itself but by the fact that their own filmmakers have made this film. We want to be seen in an international arena. We consider this film a first step in showing the world the beauty that is the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

In the tension between truth and reconciliation, what responsibility does each person have to preserve peace?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I mentioned that I met my great aunt for the first time a year ago. Subsequently, some of our friends raised money to send my mother to the village to be reunited with the woman who had raised her during her childhood. We filmed that emotional reunion and the subsequent trip to a tiny village, where my grandmother--who died in childbirth when my mother was born--is buried. We call that film Racine and are working on it now. We are also helping a number of other Congolese filmmakers in this huge endeavor to bring film to our country.

Interview: February 2020

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Heart of Africa

Length: 1:30:00

Director: Tshoper Kabambi

Producer: Bruce Young

Writer: Margaret Blair Young and Tshoper Kabambi

About the writer, director and producer:
From the DR-Congo, TSHOPER KABAMBI runs Bimpa production in Kinshasa. He is a director and producer but also the head of the FICKIN (Film International Cinema KIN [shasa]) Film Festival. He has made several award-winning short films, narrative fiction and documentaries. Three of his films have won Best Picture awards.

Author of eight works of fiction (two short story collections and six novels), MARGARET BLAIR YOUNG has received numerous literary awards from the state of Utah, USA, and has been named Best in State in literature.

Dr. BRUCE YOUNG is the head of the Congo Rising Corporation, which seeks to integrate art forms into educational curriculum in the DR-Congo with particular focus on film. Film is its main initiative.

Key cast: Moyindo Mpongo (Ngandu), Brandon Ray Olive (Martin), Elbas Manuana (Mwabila), Amour Lombi (Yvette), Megan Djembo (Cygne), Bavon Diana (Kabasubabu)

Looking for: journalists

Facebook: Heart Of Africa

Hashtags used: #heartofafricafilm

Website: heartofafricafilm.com

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Bimpa Production, Congo Rising Corporation

Funders: Congo Rising

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Kinshasa, DRC/ Show Buzz -February 15; Pan African Film Festival/Los Angeles, California, USA - February 17, 18,19; Utah, USA / Megaplex Theaters - March 13; Branson International Film Festival/ Branson, Missouri, USA - April 30; Rapid Lion Film Festival/Johannesburg, South Africa - March 7