“Viva Riva!,“ the feature debut of writer-director-producer Djo Tunda Wa Munga, is the first film made in the Democratic Republic of Congo in over two decades.
The film played well at the Toronto, South by Southwest, and Los Angeles Pan-African Film Festival where it won the top award for Best Narrative Film.
“Viva Riva!” won six African Movie Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Hoji Fortuna), Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.
The tale centers on Riva (Patsha Bay Mukuna), a small time operator who has just returned to his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo after a decade away, with a fortune in hijacked gasoline. Wads of cash in hand and out for a good time, Riva is entranced by beautiful nightclub denizen Nora (Manie Malone), the kept woman of a local gangster. Into the mix comes an Angolan crime lord Cesar (Hoji Fortuna) relentlessly seeking the return of his stolen shipment of gasoline.
Director Djo Tunda Wa Munga presents Kinshasa as a vibrant, lawless sprawl of shantytowns, gated villas, bordellos and nightclubs.
The film’s score expresses the spirit of a young, musical city, which is trying to leave a difficult past behind. Composer Cyril Atef (CongopunQ) celebrates the diversity of Congolese music with AfroPop tracks from contemporary artists, ranging from Flamme Kapaya, Papy Mbavu, and Radioclit along with popular songs from the 70s by Franklin Boukaka, Franco and Manu Dibango.
Credits
Music Box Films release.
Produced by Boris Van Gils & Michael Goldberg.
A Formosa (Paris), MG Productions (Brussels) and Suka! (Kinshasa) presentation.
Directed, written and produced by Djo Tunda Wa Munga.
Starring Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Marlene Longage, Diplome Amekindra, Alex Herabo.
Cinematography by Antoine Roch.
Music by Louis Vyncke and Congopung.
Running time: 96 minutes.
MPAA Rating: R.
