L'ARBRE DE L’AUTHENTICITÉ (THE TREE OF AUTHENTICITY)

Credits

Name: L'ARBRE DE L’AUTHENTICITÉ (THE TREE OF AUTHENTICITY)

Country: DR Kongo/BE

Year of publication: 2025

Format: DCP

Color: color

Language : OmeU

Duration: 85 Minuten

Series: 22. Afrika Film Festival Köln

Direction: Baloji, Sammy

Abstract

In the heart of the Congo rainforest, the remains of the Yangambi research centre dedicated to tropical agriculture bear witness to Belgium's colonial past and its direct consequences on climate change. Director Sammy Baloji presents a three-part essay, giving voice to the writings of two scientists, Paul Panda Farnana and Abiron Bernaert, who worked at Yangambi between 1910 and 1950. Their stories are complemented by that of a three-hundred-year-old tree. L'ARBRE DE L’AUTHENTICITÉ highlights the legacy of colonial modernity in today's greedy exploitation of natural resources.