IFFR 2011

Les Boulistes

In the Congo you can't make a joke about anything, so humour has to be very clever. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Signals: Raiding Africa

Les Boulistes 1

They may well make some more next year. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screened before My Father's House.

Les Boulistes 10

A boss faces the strong spirit of one of his employees whom he harkens night and day. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Les Boulistes 11

A minister’s wife proves that, above all, she is an independent woman. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Les Boulistes 12

Satire is a noble art. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Les Boulistes 2

Humour is an effective weapon against despair and disorder. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Les Boulistes 3

You can turn anything in to a joke, as long as you see it. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies.

Les Boulistes 4

Just about everything is wrong in Brazzaville, so there’s plenty of material for humour. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screens before Imani.

Les Boulistes 5

A good sense of humour is all you need for a nice short film. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screens before Imani.

Les Boulistes 6

Dry social humour from the Congo. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screens before Elmina.

Les Boulistes 7

This film didn’t cost much to make, but it was obviously great fun. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screens before Elmina.

Les Boulistes 8

Not too serious, stimulating look at real Congolese life. Episode from a series of twelve short African comedies. Screens before My Father's House.

Les Boulistes 9

Caroline Kamya

Boris B. Bertram

If you’re a girl in a city like Kampala, and you want everything, you have to give everything. She wants to survive, or to study. He wants value for money.

Chips and Liver Girls

Emmanuel Apea Jr.

One man’s struggle to retain his lands and his pride against overwhelming odds, Elmina is a story of love, betrayal and Oil that showcases Ghana’s uneasy relationship with China. Curiously we are supposed not to notice the man is white.

Elmina

Henrique Narciso 'Dito'

This Angolan filmmaker regularly went awol at the previous IFFR. It turned out he was spontaneously shooting a new film in Rotterdam, about the large Cape Verdean community here.

O emigrante

An improvised mini-feature in which both everyday and mythical aspects of China are investigated. With a nice kid playing the lead.

Fire Fly

Nicole Schafer

The Chinese don't go to Africa just for themselves. In a Chinese Buddhist orphanage, children learn to read and write. And, of course, they learn kung fu.

Homage to the Buddha - of Africa

The great technical accomplishment and complex narrative structure of Imani are exceptional in African cinema, and have led comparisons with Magnolia. The sensitive stories interwoven here are told in a very special way.

Imani

Omelga Mthiyane

There are African women and African women. Mthiyane is an African woman. In China, she went into a hairdresser's and said: 'Do something with my hair'.

Li Xia's Salon

Kristin Rogghe

Pierre Kigoma

Mekhar Azari

Tocha Zaventen

Amourabinto Lukoji

Rek Kandol

Eric Biansueki

Androa Mindre

Matthias De Groof

Humorous result of cooperation between young Congolese and Belgian artists/filmmakers. About the present and the past. Shot on 8mm film and digital video.

Lobi (hier/demain)

Emile-Aime Chah Yibain

African filmmaker opts for comedy for his impression of China. What else can you do in a country where people say 'Aflica' because they can't pronounce the 'r'? Nevertheless, this is also a romantic film.

Love Born of Chopsticks

Yves Montand Niyongabo

Iris Olsson

Is the concept of a country conceivable after genocide? Together, a filmmaker from Rwanda and a filmmaker from Finland ask a question it is impossible to answer.

Memory (work in progress)

He missed his flight twice, but still made it to the port of Guangzhou (Canton). Or chocolate city as the Chinese call it, because of all the African traders.

Moamba Chinesa

Zhao Dayong

In China, they call the port of Guangzhou 'Chocolate City', because so many Africans come here to trade, live and even set up churches. A young Chinese documentary maker mixes with the immigrants and makes a personal portrait of religious Africans.

My Father's House

Samson Ssenkaaba 'Xenson'

In this film, the snake is a mythical Chinese creature - but also a concrete thought in search of direction. Experimental hip-hop filmmaker also tries to find his way.

Snake

Ella Raidel

After shooting a film in Mozambique for the last IFFR, the Austrian director returns to that country to find out about the Chinese.

Subverses

Visiting China for the first time, he became the most popular basketball player in the farmers' and artists' village of Songzhuang. The tall African. Who is also a filmmaker.

The Trip

Nick Francis

Marc Francis

As a festival, you have to have a good reason to screen a film that is not a premiere - and has even been shown on national TV. The reason is that this is, without a doubt, the film that best shows how China is making inroads into Africa. Screens only on the Raiding Africa day.

When China Met Africa

MEMY AMOUR SAUVEUR

An African joke packaged as a Chinese film. The actors were scouted on the streets and the makers have just graduated. Must have been fun to make.

IFFR 2025
30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025