Films by Michel K. Zongo

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgien, Germany 2024, 95 min
by Nelson Makengo

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 ani

France, Senegal, Germany 2022, 105 min
by Alassane Diago

Forty protagonists, witnesses and victims look back at the 1989 massacres on both sides of the Senegal River, the border between Mauritania and Senegal, in order to understand what really happened, and try to take a step towards reconciliation together. [Semaine de la critique – 75 Locarno FF]"In 1989, after a clash near the border between Mauritanian shepherds and Senegalese peasants, an incredible escalation of racist violence took place in the two countries. These events caused thousands of d

2019, 80 min
by Michel K. Zongo

When the government of Burkina Faso starts to issue mining permits in 2000, gold fever strikes. In 2008, a British mining company starts the first open-pit mine in Kalsaka, digging away the soil that's vital to the villagers’ lives.It's not long before the first kilogram of gold has been mined, from a reserve of at least 18 metric tons. The people of Kalsaka are promised mountains of gold: jobs for the villagers, scholarships for their children, money for the government coffers, and development