HEART OF AFRICA : WORKING FOR A BETTER FUTURE

The movie “Heart of Africa” is a drama released in 2020. It was directed by Tshoper Kabambi, written by Tshoper Kbambi, Margaret B. Young, and Margaret Blair Young, and for those who starred in the movie, we see actors like; Moyindo Mpongo as Gabriel Ngandu, Elbas Manuana as Mwabila, Amour Lombi as Yvette, Megan Dembo as Cygne, Kadhaffi Mbuyamba as Albert, Brandon Ray Olive as Jason Martin, and many others who featured as minor characters. The movie is inspired from a novel titled “Heart of Darkness” which was written in 1899, by Jospeh Conrad. The novel is a tale of British entrepreneurs who go up the Congo River seeking to expand the ivory trade. Instead, they find disillusionment and death. This movie is the first Congolese-American production of its kind.

The movie tells the story of a young Congolese man, Gabriel, who runs aways from the destiny thrust upon him by his foster father, a tribal leader who seeks revenge from Belgians, Rwandans, Whites, and others who enslaved and brutalized their people.

In running from his home, Gabriel encounters missionaries, who take him to their home and feed him. Soon, he is baptized, though the conflict of his former life and the life he is entering in cause giant conflicts inn his life. The mission president, who knew him as a child, sends him on a six-month mission back to his village to build an orphanage.

Conflicts occur, as he immediately hates his white American missionary companion, and his foster father and older brother come on the scene to stir the pot.

One can get a real feel for modern African tribal tensions that still exist because of colonialism and tribal feuding over the past centuries. At the same time, we see how distrust and conflict can turn into forgiveness, understanding and love.

The movie shows us the continued struggles and hardships seen by Conra a century ago, but offers us another ending, one of love, hope, healing and redemption.

The story conveys Christian themes of brotherly love, and overcoming prejudice, along with forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption.

Delia Nyadi