L’arbre de l’authenticité

Photographer and visual artist Sammy Baloji’s fascinating film essay explores the Democratic Republic of Congo’s colonial history and its ecological significance. Drawing on research from the 1930s, the film highlights the Congo Basin’s vital role in consuming carbon dioxide and shaping global environmental balance over a century.

L’arbre de l’authenticité opens with an article by environmental journalist Daniel Grossman, which details the discovery by Ghent University biologist Koen Hufkens of journals kept between 1937 and 1958. Originally the records of researchers at Yangambi Biological Station in the heart of the Congo Basin’s jungle, they show how much carbon dioxide produced by the world is consumed by the trees in the Congolese jungle. Moreover, a comparison with today’s data offers a stark reminder of how precarious our ecosystem has become.

In this immersive film essay, artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji examines the colonial history surrounding this research, presenting a detailed study of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the past century. Structured in three parts, the film combines personal testimonies with scientific findings to trace the legacy of Belgian colonisation – not only its profound impact on human lives but also on the natural world. Baloji confronts the exploitation embedded in this history, asking urgent questions about its continued resonance in a world facing ecological collapse. A riveting historical document, L’arbre de l’authenticité is also a compelling portrait of lives across cultures and backgrounds, and a chilling reminder of what lies ahead if we fail to change our relationship with the environment.

– Vanja Kaludjercic

Interview

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