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About
The film begins in the north-east of the Belgian Congo in 1933. Following reports of mysterious deaths in the region over several years, the Belgian colonial authorities arrest and put on trial a group of men suspected of belonging to the Mambela sect and of being responsible for these deaths as Aniotos, men who kill like leopards. Among them is Mbako, ritual chief and presumed leader of the Aniotos or leopard men. As the film progresses, the role of the accused is reversed and the colonizers' disregard for traditional customary law, social structures and traditional leaders and chiefs, as well as their devastating impact on local traditions, are scrutinized.
The pioneer of African animation, Congolese stop-motion animator J-M Kibushi takes the Western imagination of the Anioto as a starting point for revisiting this episode in the history of today's Democratic Republic of Congo, challenging the racist and dehumanizing interpretation of the colonizers and the portrayal of leopard men as the ‘savage Other’. The Mbako Trial: Myth and Reality presents a post-colonial reinterpretation of the hearings and trial through animations, illustrations, a diorama, theatrical reconstructions, archive documents and interviews.
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Credits
Mbako Anioto Leopard Man Trial - Myth and Reality
(Procès Mbako Anioto Homme Léopard - Mythe et réalité)
Producer & Narration
Jean-Michel Kibushi Ndjate Wooto
Assistant Director
Wedou Wetungani
Editing
Juliette Kergoat
Images
Divita Walusala Dividi
Patrick Dehalu
Amuri Sédar
Nicolas Socquette
Gisèle Haby
Sound Editing & Mixing
Sabri Meddeb
Script
Thethe Diamonika
Set Manager
Marcel Kayumba Luvengika
Sound Operators
Junior Kasongo
Michel Kabeya Kalala
Christophe Blitz
Hair Stylist & Model and Accessory Decor
Marcel Kayumba Luvengika
Toussaint Kanumbi
Theater Model Assembly
Divita Walusala Dividi
Costumes
Amédée Kilema Mayumbi
Grading & Calibration
Patrick Dehalu
Coproduction
Serge Alain Noa
Jean-Michel Kibushi Ndjate Wooto
Isidore Kaboré
Victor Claude
Studio Malembe Maa (Belgique-RDCongo)
Vinavy Productions (Cameroon)
KidougouFilms (Burkina Faso)
AJC (Belgique)
Animation
Hervé Mata Taday
Kennedy Nzungu Nzalampangi
Aurélien Labrot
Carlos Kalonji
Elodie Verheyden
Emmanuel Emongo
Frédérique Ndaye
Stop Motion
Asabi Gebanga
Espérant Kayembe
Didier Djamba
2D Compositing
Armel Pululu Mbala
Pol Bourdellon
Mathieu Georis
3D Compositing
Moussa Thiam
Comedians (Comédiens)
René Hardy Mone
Bavon Diana Landu
Steve Patton Nseya
Fifi Ekutu Embassy
Agnès Mujnga Bitota
Sheila Nzutisa Ngemba
Nadine Kimbolo Kindembo
Bonaventure M’fele Kabamba