Democratic Republic of the Congo and Germany / 2018 / 22mins / Documentary / Swahili and Mashi

The Prophetess is a story of overcoming struggle through gumption and sisterhood. Furaha and Venantie have survived physical and psychological traumas we could never imagine. Set in the South Kivu region in the DR Congo, the pair has experienced horrific sexual terrorism by the FDLR militia, yet in each other they find the strength to make a change and tell their own stories, devoid of societal pressures. Their strength is so great, it empowers their entire female community to set out for a different future. Contemporaneously, the mythical story of Kimpa Vita plays out – the mother of a revolution, who stood and suffered for all women in her fight against patriarchy and colonialism.

Sylvie Weber

Sylvie has told stories with vivid imagination since before she understood her own. Of German-Dominican descent, questions of belonging have been a driving force in her filmic exploration of humanity, its virtues and weaknesses. Her ability to seamlessly navigate between formats like narrative fiction, music video, documentary and commercials are fueled by a focus to amplify underrepresented voices and rework historical injustice. Sylvie’s work begs us to shift our gaze by challenging our usual point of inquiry. The Prophetess, her debut short, has won awards at and traveled to several film festivals around the world. Learn More