This text was produced with the assist of Afreximbank
Muganga, The One Who Treats, the newly launched pressing and deeply human movie exploring braveness, resilience, and survival, has formally launched in France to sturdy evaluations and viewers acclaim. Following its premiere in Paris and nationwide theatrical launch on 24 September, the movie has been praised by main shops together with Le Monde and Cineuropa for its emotional energy and authenticity.
Directed by Marie-Hélène Roux and co-written with Jean-René Lemoine, Muganga tells the story of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and the ladies whose power and voices stay on the coronary heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ongoing battle. By way of their tales, the movie sheds gentle on one in every of Africa’s most pressing humanitarian crises whereas paying tribute to the enduring spirit of survival and hope.
In accordance with Marie-Hélène Roux, Director, “My imaginative and prescient for Muganga was to create a cinema of emotion, one which embraces each silence and depth, whereas encapsulating the complexity of the human expertise. I wished to share with the world what these extraordinary individuals have finished in DRC with my pal Jean-René, and I imagine we achieved that. Seeing this imaginative and prescient come to life right here in Paris, I’m met with a large amount of emotion and I’m prepared for this movie to spark significant conversations about what girls within the world south are experiencing.”
The movie’s French debut has been met with important consideration. Le Monde hailed Muganga as “a dedicated work that denounces using sexual violence as a weapon of battle within the DRC,” whereas Cineuropa referred to as it “a poignant tribute to those damaged girls and to the person dedicated to his conscience.”
The movie received three Valois awards on the Angoulême Francophone Movie Pageant, , together with Greatest Actor (Isaach De Bankolé), the Viewers Prize, and the Pupil Jury Prize.
It was additionally screened to a choose viewers of UK business and NGO leaders just lately, with the attendance of Dr. Mukwege, the movie group and producer Angelina Jolie, who launched the movie. Jolie and Dr. Mukwege have recognized and labored alongside one another for over a decade, campaigning for an finish to impunity of rape and sexual violence as weapons of battle.
Jolie, who first met survivors of rape within the DRC in 2013, paid tribute to Dr. Mukwege’s steadfast work on behalf of ladies and kids in his nation, calling him “a healer of minds and our bodies.” She stated:
“Marie-Hélène Roux’s MUGANGA, The One Who Treats, is an pressing and highly effective movie. I’m honored to hitch the movie’s group in amplifying the voices of Congolese survivors and the important work of Dr. Denis Mukwege, one of many biggest advocates of our time combating to finish using sexual violence as a weapon of battle within the DRC and globally.”
Writing in 2022 concerning the prevalence of warzone rape in battle zones all over the world, Jolie famous: “Governments and worldwide efforts come and go. Those that stay and who combat and battle for many years are native individuals…the survivors of rape, and folks equivalent to…Dr Denis Mukwege. He has handled tens of 1000’s of survivors of rape, regardless of assaults on his life, for many years. If world leaders had been keen to be even a fraction as courageous and dedicated as Dr. Mukwege – and as survivors are – then we may maybe lastly discover a method to meet this crime with the response it deserves.”
Starring Isaach De Bankolé as Dr. Mukwege and Vincent Macaigne as Dr. Man-Bernard Cadière, Muganga affords an unflinching have a look at sexual violence as a weapon of battle whereas highlighting the resilience and humanity that endure regardless of unimaginable struggling.
Financed by CANEX Creations Inc. (CCInc), a subsidiary of Afreximbank’s funding arm, the Fund for Export Improvement in Africa (FEDA), monetary companions on the manufacturing embrace Canal+, France 3 Cinéma, France Télévisions, CNC and Scope Footage. The movie displays a pan-African and worldwide collaboration that exemplifies the facility of co-production in amplifying African tales worldwide.
Osahon Akpata, CEO of CANEX Creations Inc., stated:
“At CANEX Creations, our mission is to make sure that African tales will not be solely advised, however resonate on the worldwide stage with the dignity, depth, and scale they deserve. Muganga is strictly the form of mission we’re proud to assist, one which amplifies the voices of survivors, honors the legacy of a modern-day African hero Dr. Mukwege, and demonstrates the facility of African cinema. By way of collaborations like this, we reaffirm our dedication to investing in African narratives and strengthening the buildings that enable these tales to achieve and transfer audiences in all places.”
At a second when girls’s and minority rights face mounting world challenges, the success of Muganga in France marks an important step in spotlighting the combat in opposition to sexual violence and the humanitarian efforts remodeling lives within the DRC. The movie will proceed its worldwide rollout throughout festivals and particular screenings within the months forward.
