La miséricorde de la jungle

The Congolese Civil War is the second largest military conflict in the last hundred years, trailing only World War II. Millions have died or become refugees. But it’s not a very well-known war. There are hardly any pictures because the battle is taking place in the jungle. Which is also where the Rwandan sergeant Xavier and the Congolese recruit Faustin are. They have lost their battalion and have to rejoin the main forces in the west under their own steam. Rebel factions, criminals and enemy villagers form an obstacle and they are forced to trek through the thick jungle.

During a journey filled with hunger, wild animals and malaria, the bond between these two soldiers grows. The horrors of war intervene in the form of hallucinations and memories. The jungle, which is portrayed in turn as claustrophobic and grand, is a parallel world that brings humanity back to the exhausted men.