Canadian Premiere

Speech for a melting statue

A poet hopes for the fall of the statue of Leopold II in Brussels, a symbol of institutional racism inherited from Belgium's colonial past. 

SYNOPSIS

In June 2020, thousands of people took to the streets in Brussels to make a fist against police brutality and institutional racism in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. For a moment, it seemed like some demonstrators would take down the statue of colonial king Leopold II in a nearby square. For now the sculpture is still standing, but an optimistic poet already prepares her speech for the day it will be removed.

Theme(s): , Racism, Social struggle

DETAILS

Director | , Collectif Faire-Part
Year | , 2023
Country | , Belgium, Congo (Republic of the)
Duration | 11 minutes
Original language | , French
Subtitles | , English
Sound | Aïda Merghoub, Anne Reijniers, Paul Shemisi, Rochus Mijean
Sound mixing | Aiko Devriendt
Editing | Anne Reijniers, Rob Jacobs
Author | Benjamine Laini Lusalusa, Marie Paul Mugeni, Rob Jacobs
Camera | Anne Reijniers, Mijean Rochus, Paul Shemisi
Colorist | Thijs Paijmans
Narration | Marie Paul Mugeni
Manager | Rob Jacobs

DIRECTOR

Photo

Collectif Faire-Part

SEE COMPLETE PROFILE

Collectif Faire-Part is an ensemble of Belgian & Congolese artists. Together they aim at telling new stories about Kinshasa, Brussels, and the many complex relations in between. Next to their shared practise, they try to support each other in their personal artistic projects. The group was founded by filmmakers Anne Reijniers, Paul Shemisi, Nizar Saleh and Rob Jacobs when they first started working together in 2016. Over recent years the collective of four has shape-shifted into a larger group of regular collaborators between in Belgium and DR Congo, in which team composition changes with each project. In addition to filmmaking, they take photographs, curate programs, lead workshops, and organize a biennial performance festival called SOKL. Stephanie Collingwoode Williams, who co-curated and co-organized the 2 last editions of SOKL, joined the group in 2021 and has been stearing the festival and the collective in beautiful new directions ever since.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

SCREENING 1 | 

22 July 2025 pm31 20h45

Parc Médéric-Martin 

This film is included in screening Short film competition – Programme #2

In collaboration with: