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Félicité

Competition 2017
© Celine Bozon
Félicité is a proud and independent woman who works as a singer in a bar in Kinshasa. Whenever she goes on stage, she appears to leave the world and her everyday worries behind. Her audiences are quickly infected by the rhythm of her music and her powerful, melancholy melodies. But then one day Félicité’s son has a terrible accident. Whilst he is in hospital she desperately tries to raise the money needed for his operation. A breathless tour through the impoverished streets and the wealthier districts of the Congolese capital ensues. One of the bar’s regulars is a man named Tabu who has been known to get carried away in every sense of the term. Tabu offers to help Félicité. Reluctantly, she accepts. After his spell in hospital, Félicité’s son has a hard time picking up his old life, but it is lady’s man Tabu of all people who manages to coax him out of his shell. Félicité’s sparsely furnished flat with its permanently defunct fridge becomes a mini utopia in a country that holds no hope for most of its population. The trio forms an eccentric community thrown together by fate, each of whom is free to go their separate ways together.
by Alain Gomis
with Véro Tshanda Beya, Gaetan Claudia, Papi Mpaka France / Senegal / Belgium / Germany / Lebanon 2017 Lingala 123’ Colour

With

  • Véro Tshanda Beya (Félicité)
  • Gaetan Claudia (Samo)
  • Papi Mpaka (Tabu)

Crew

Written and Directed by Alain Gomis
Cinematography Céline Bozon
Editing Fabrice Rouaud
Music The Kasaï Allstars
Sound Design Jean-Pierre Laforce, Fred Meert
Sound Benoit De Clerck
Production Design Oumar Sall (le grand)
Costumes Nadine Ostobogo Boucher, Emma Zola
Make-Up Nadine Ostobogo Boucher, Ana Senghor
Assistant Director Demba Deye, Delphine Daull
Casting Roger Ngandu Kangudia, Deschamps Matala Shakembo
Production Manager Oumar Sall
Producers Arnaud Dommerc, Alain Gomis, Omar Sall
Executive Producer Roger Ngandu Kangudia
Co-Producers Anne-Laure Guégan, Géraldine Sprimont, Vanessa Ciszewski, Georges Schoucair
Co-Production Need Productions Brüssel
Katuh Studio Berlin
Schortcut Films Beirut

World Sales

Jour2Fête

http://www.jour2fete.com http://www.jour2fete.com

Produced by

Andolfi

http://www.andolfi.fr http://www.andolfi.fr

Granit Films

Cinekap

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Alain Gomis

© Gerhard Kassner / Berlinale

Born in 1972 in Paris, France. He studied art history and film. After making videos and short films, his first feature film L’afrance (2002) won the Silver Leopard at Locarno. His last film Félicité was shown at the Competition section of the 2017 Berlinale.

Filmography

1996 Caramels et chocolats; 12 min. 1998 Tout le monde peut se tromper; 8 min. 1999 Tourbillons (Whirlwinds); 13 min. 2002 L’afrance (As a Man); 90 min. 2003 Petite lumière (Little Light); 15 min. 2006 Ahmed; 15 min. 2008 Andalucia; 90 min. 2012 Aujourd'hui (Today); 86 min. 2017 Félicité; 129 min. 2022 Rewind & Play; 65 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2022