Film Title

L'arbre de l'authenticité

Director

Sammy Baloji

Synopsis

في قلب غابات الكونغو المطيرة، تكشف بقايا مركز أبحاث مُخصص للزراعة الاستوائية عن ثقل الماضي الاستعماري وارتباطه الوثيق بالتغير المناخي المعاصر.

In the heart of the Congo rainforest, the remains of a research centre dedicated to tropical agriculture reveal the burden of the colonial past and its inextricable links to contemporary climate change.

Production Year

2025

Production Countries

Belgium, DRCongo

Running Time

1h29

Language / Subtitles

In French, Dutch with English subtitles

Festivals/Awards

Special Jury Award, Tiger competition - International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025

Best Film Award, Testimonies section - Ji.hlava 2025

Olhar Best Film Award, International Competition - Olhar de Cinema 2025 

Director’s bio

The artist Sammy Baloji (b. 1978, Lubumbashi, DR Congo) lives and works between Lubumbashi and Brussels. Since 2005 he has been exploring the memory and history of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His work is an ongoing investigation into the cultural, architectural and industrial heritage of the Katanga region, as well as questioning the impact of Belgian colonisation. His critical view of contemporary societies serves as a warning of the ways in which cultural clichés continue to shape collective memory, allowing social and political power games to continue to dictate human behaviour.