Congo Boy

Seventeen-year-old Robert dreams of a life in music. Congo’s civil war drifts his family to the Central-African Republic. When his parents end up in prison, he suddenly becomes breadwinner and supporter for his four younger brothers and sisters. In between school exams, various jobs and caring for his family, he keeps writing, rhyming, rapping and singing. In the streets and clubs of Bangui, he’s looking for his own voice. He has to grow up too fast but is determined to chase his dreams.

Slam poet and filmmaker Rafiki Fariala (1997) was inspired for his feature film debut by his own experiences as a young Congolese refugee and wrote the music and songs himself. His first documentary feature, NOUS ÉTUDIANTS!, wrote history as the first Central-African film at the Berlinale; CONGO BOY had its world premiere this year at the Cannes film festival. With a playful, precise direction, Fariala intertwines the vibrant chaos of the capital, Bangui, and her lively street scenes with Robert’s intimate living environment. His resilience, vulnerability and poetry set the rhythm; the tenderness with which he carries his heavy responsibility forms the heart of this musical coming of age story. More than a success story about a rising rapper, CONGO BOY is a warm, worn and unique portrait of contemporary Central-Africa. War and displacement become tangible without every making the film didactic. Care, hope, and the power of music give this story its spirit.