Democratic Republic of the Congo and France / 2017 / 78mins / Drama / Lingala and French

Nineteen-year-old Maki’la, nicknamed Maki, has been living on the streets since she was 13, and has long been friends with young hoodlum Mbingazor, who has become the boss of a criminal gang. The two end up getting married; however, the relationship is founded on exploitation and violence and soon leaves Maki feeling trapped. She manages to escape and goes into hiding, when she meets Acha, a 12-year-old who has recently wound up on the streets herself after losing her parents. Soon the two forge a close bond, though Mbingazor, angrier than ever, is close behind.

Machérie Ekwa Bahango

Machérie Ekwa Bahango was born in Kisagani in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She was studying law when she decided to learn the basics of filmmaking by watching online videos. After connecting with other filmmakers in the Congo, she was contacted by Alain Gomis to translate the script for his 2017 film Félicité into Lingala, her mother tongue. In 2014, Machérie worked as a production manager and interviewer for the production company Labson Bizizi Ciné-Kongo LTD, (London). In 2016, she wrote 6 episodes for the television series, Ndakisa: lobi mokolo ya sika, an institutional project. Mak’ila, her debut film as a director was selected into Berlinale 2018 in the Forum section. It won the Golden Screen award at the 2018 Ecrans Noirs Film Festival. Learn More