Félicité

Director: Alain Gomis

2017 / 129min / DCP

Gomis’s vibrant, tumultuous fourth feature follows Félicité, a free-willed nightclub singer in the heart of Kinshasa, whose life is thrown into turmoil when her 14-year-old son gets into a terrible car accident. To raise the money to save him, she embarks on a harsh journey, seeking aid from friends, family, and strangers in the streets of the bustling capital, ultimately leading to a profound exploration of her own soul. Buoyed by a powerful performance by Véro Tshanda Beya Mputu, Félicité is a tapestry of toughness, tenderness, lyricism, mystery, humor, and terror. This emotional rollercoaster, selected as Senegal’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards in 2017, marks a ground-breaking moment as the country’s first submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category.

"So vibrant and visceral, the film transported me to Kinshasa. Haunting imagery capturing the daytime grit and the all so atmospheric energy and beauty of those astounding night time performances. A film full of energy and life, an ode to resilience which feels so true." —Sandhya Suri