Belgium / 2016 / 72mins / Documentary / French and Swahili

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a central African country of vast natural resources and a brutal history of conflict—independent local television stations embody the spirit of journalism, struggling courageously to document the difficulties of the country’s citizens. Nowhere is this altruistic drive to inform more pronounced than in Kolwezi, a wealthy mining city and the capital of the Lualaba Province of South Congo. There, reporters from RTMA, the largest local television channel, pursue stories with unbridled vigor and often at great personal risk. This fast-paced film mirrors the work of its subjects, encompassing hard-hitting political exposé, engrossing human interest, and crime drama.

Idriss Gabel

Idriss Gabel is a Belgian editor and director of French descent. From a very early age, he held a passion for cinema. During his studies, he taught himself how to edit films and was discovered early on by Belgian director Thierry Michel who made him his go-to editor. Gabel joined Michel on several shoots in the Congo and contributed to over ten of his films as an editor. Thanks to these experiences, he discovered his talent for directing and a particular quality to capture the point of view of his films’ protagonists. His work as a filmmaker is inspired by his family’s migrant background and by his brother’s Down’s syndrome. His two first short films, Handicap toi-même! (2014) and Snoezelen, un monde en quête de sens (2015), deal with disabled children. His first feature documentary, Kolwezi on Air (2016) chronicling the efforts of a local television news team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, screened at many international film festivals. I Used to Like the Sea (2018) was his fourth film and second feature. Learn More