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MOAPÉ KONGO

Documentary

Director
Martial HANGUI
Ivory Coast

Synopsis

Moapé Kongo, one of the famous orchestras from the village of Moapé in the Adzopé region of southern Côte d’Ivoire, was a driving force in the heyday of traditional-modern music during the independence and post-independence periods.
The orchestra has reclaimed a colonial-era musical instrument, the double bass, the Kongo, which has found a unique place in this musical group, now largely forgotten and neglected.

Tino, a local boy and son of one of the orchestra’s founding members, therefore takes on the challenge of reviving Moapé Kongo and restoring its former glory.

Intention Note

Moapé Kongo refocuses the debate on the place of colonial heritage and local African cultural heritage in the collective consciousness.

Archival footage will open the film to situate its historical context. The heart of the film will be the story of Tino’s actions and endeavors in the village of Moapé, filmed using direct cinema. The speech of the village patriarchs, living witnesses to this wonderful era they shared with Tino, will be at the heart of the film. My presence on camera is essential, as I have forged a very strong bond with Tino, through whom I reconnect with my grandfather, who spoke to me about the double bass, the Kongo. Filming will take place largely in Moapé, and the power of the place is an integral part of the film.

The film will be told with a strong musical tone that will mark the different eras from independence to the present day.

About us

Les Ateliers de Grand-Bassam is brought to life by Grand-Bassam Project, a non-profit association that embodies excellence in the film and audiovisual industry. The association is an organization of filmmakers, producers and cultural industry professionals from Ivory Coast, the continent and beyond, who help incubate performing arts and audiovisual projects by applying alternative methods of management, production, marketing and distribution in countries across the continent.

Grand-Bassam Project’s main objective is to contribute to the emergence of a solid, internationally competitive African cultural industry, notably through the development of the performing arts and audiovisual sector, capable of contributing to improving the economic impact of culture and consolidating the employability of young people.

Specifically, the objectives of the Grand-Bassam Project are to :

– Implement and consolidate an incubator for cultural projects and professional training workshops for artists and producers from Ivory Coast and other countries on the continent.

– Contribute to the reappropriation by Ivorian cultural players of the conception and governance of cultural policies, in partnership with public decision-makers at national level.

– Contribute to the dissemination of cinematographic works from the continent Formalize and implement a strategy for the implementation of activities, a risk management plan, as well as a monitoring and evaluation plan for all actions.

– Produce and/or co-produce performing arts and audiovisual works and projects for dissemination on the continent and internationally.

– Intensify artistic education initiatives aimed at children, young people and the general public.

Grand-Bassam Project is in the process of launching its program of activities, which include training, production, distribution, image education and consulting for the first edition of the Ateliers de Grand-Bassam. In keeping with its management strategy, the company’s aim is to combine production activities with socio-educational initiatives.

By working closely with sister organizations in Ivory Coast who share the same passion, Grand-Bassam Project will contribute to the future of cinema in Côte d’Ivoire and beyond.

The association capitalizes on the experience acquired over the last ten years by the Ouaga Film Lab, and projects will be carried out with the expertise required to increase the competitiveness of Ivorian and African filmmakers on the world stage.