Rising Up at Night

Nelson Makengo paints a striking and immersive picture of those surviving and finding beauty and hope in alternative sources of light in Kinshasa.

Darkness has descended over the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Nelson Makengo’s debut feature documentary, the residents of Kinshasa struggle to access electricity and many live with the consequences of extensive flooding in submerged homes. Despite the multiple hardships facing the city, a community rallies together, and the film becomes a powerful portrait of strength and resilience in the face of crisis. Shot mostly at night, with careful observation and impressionistic cinematography, Makengo paints a striking and immersive picture of those surviving, finding beauty and hope in alternative sources of light.

"[A] powerful impressionistic collage of lives forced into uncertainty." - Wendy Ide, Screen International