MIKUBA (COBALT)

Credits

Name: MIKUBA (COBALT)

Country: DRKongo/USA

Year of publication: 2025

Format: DCP

Color: color

Language : OmeU

Duration: 60 Minuten

Series: 22. Afrika Film Festival Köln

Direction: Katondolo, Petna Ndaliko

Abstract

MIKUBA takes us deep into the cobalt veins of Kolwezi, the beating heart of the world’s cobalt supply, where the battle for a sustainable green energy future is fought in dust and heat. This global race to secure the essential element powering electric vehicles and renewable energy puts immense pressure on the land and its people. Amid this scramble, the film reveals the lives of local custodians – artisanal and small-scale miners – who stand resolute as the guardians of ancestral wealth and wisdom. At the center of the story is Mama Leance, a determined and resourceful trader, navigating the labyrinth of multinational copper and cobalt giants that dominate the region.