Belgian Congo filmed by Gérard De Boe, André Cauvin and Ernest Genval
At the time when colonial ambitions were still on the official political agenda of many major powers, thousands of Belgians left their homeland to settle in Central Africa. Belgian Congo has not only been a source of inspiration for writers, but also for film-makers. This double DVD offers an insight into colonial reality through the lens of the three most prominent 'colonial filmmakers'. Pioneer Ernest Genval made his first films around 1925. From the late thirties onwards Gérard De Boe built up a singular and yet impressive work. And finally there is André Cauvin's most famous film Bwana Kitoko, a gripping account of King Baudouin's first journey to the black continent in 1955. Five years later Congo was independent.
In collaboration with the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren), the Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society and VRT (Public Broadcasting Company of the Flemish Community).
CONTENT
DVD 1
Leprosy (Gérard De Boe, 1938, 09'24'')
The Black Elite of Tomorrow (Gérard De Boe, 1950, 16'16'')
Wagenia Fishermen (Gérard De Boe, 1952, 13'34'')
Mangbetu (Gérard De Boe, 1954, 30'10'')
Lovanium (Gérard De Boe, 1959, 08'17'')
Training Medical Staff (Gérard De Boe, 1955, 10'05'')
In the Garden of Brother Gillet (Gérard De Boe, 1957, 09'02'')
Congolese Sisters (Gérard De Boe, 1958, 09'17'')
In 50 Years (Gérard De Boe, 1958, 20'35'')
She Shall Be Called Woman (Gérard De Boe, 1953, 11'39'')
DVD 2
Bwana Kitoko (André Cauvin, 1955, 77')
From Boma to Tshela (Ernest Genval, 1926, 28'39'')
Gold (Ernest Genval, 1938, 15'23'')
Within the Work Fair (Ernest Genval, 1926, 05'06'')
The Life of the Watermen (Ernest Genval, 1938, 12'45)
DVD 1: 138 min.
DVD 2: 138 min.
Languages: Dutch, French
Subtitles: English, Dutch, French
Regional code: PAL (region free)