• Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

    Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night



  • Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

    Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night



  • Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

    Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night



  • Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

    Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night



Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

by Nelson Makengo

Tongo Saa – Rising up at Night

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium, Germany | 2024 | 95:00 min

Original Title:
TONGO SAA

Content Categories

Documentary
Synopsis
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. 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.
Festivals/Awards
2024
74 BERLINALE Panorama
Jury Award offered by Région de Nyon – 55 Visions du Réel
21 Africa FF Cologne [Afrika Film Festival Köln]
Cast and Crew
  • Director Nelson Makengo
  • Producer Rosa Spaliviero (Twenty Nine Studio, Belgium), Dada Kahindo Siku (Mutotu Productions, Democratic Republic of the Congo), Florian Schewe (Film Five GmbH, Germany), Michel K. Zongo (Diam Production), Marie Logie and Catherine Plenevaux (Auguste Orts), Samuel Feller (Magellan Films)
  • Director of Photography Nelson Makengo
  • Editor Inneke Van Waeyenberghe
  • Sound Moimi Wezam (recording), Laszlo Umbreit (editing), Rémi Gerard (mixing)
  • Sound Design Franck Moka
  • Score Bao Sissoko, Wouter Vandenabeele, Lode Vercampt
  • Digital Colorist Miléna Trivier
Original Languages

Lingala

World Sales Company
Square Eyes Film
Habichergasse 39/3, 1160 Wien 16
info@squareeyesfilm.com
https://squareeyesfilm.com
Co-Production Company
Film Five GmbH
Germany
www.filmfive.net
Links / Reference
Menu Icon Menu Icon Arrow Icon Arrow Icon Plus Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Minus Icon HFF Logo HFF Logo