Democratic Republic of the Congo / 2010 / 24mins / Documentary / French and Lingala

Ladies in Waiting shows the everyday life of a Congolese maternity ward. Many mothers cannot leave the hospital after giving birth because they cannot pay the bill.

Dieudo Hamadi

Dieudo Hamadi was born in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo in February 1984 and studied bio-medicine from 2005 to 2008. Since 2002, he has completed several documentary film workshops and video editing courses and has worked as an editor, producer, and assistant director, for Suka! Productions. He directed Congo in Four Acts - Ladies in Waiting (Dames en attente - 2009) and Congo in Four Acts - Zero Tolerance (Tolérance zéro - 2009). In 2014, with National Diploma (Examen d’Etat), he follows high school students who are unable to pass their final exams because they cannot pay school fees unfairly inflicted upon them. Dieudo Hamadi received the Cinéma du réel Grand prize in 2017 for Mama Colonel. Learn More

Divita Wa Lusala

Divita Wa Lusula was born in Kinshasa, DRC on September 3, 1973. He worked for the Congolese state television station RTNC from 1996 to 1999 and for the private broadcaster AA1 from 1999 to 2009. Since 2009 he has been an editor and cameraman for Suka! Productions in South Africa. He served as an assistant editor on Viva Riva!, a Djo Tunda Wa Munga film, and he co-directed Congo in Four Acts - Ladies in Waiting (Dames en attente - 2009) and made Un jour… in 2011. Learn More