Balthasar

First Elections

Large parts of Goma were covered with lava after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in January 2002. Today kids live in the ruins on the lava. They sell paper hankies to grown-ups in the city, and lava rocks to construction builders. Meanwhile, the kids are building their own city on top of the old one, a city complete with radios and tv’s, white jeeps and blue helmets, presidents and vice-presidents, commercials and hate campaigns, cemeteries and election fever. The kids emerge from the lava, as it were, and reveal the world underneath the rubble.
Credits

Super 8 mm and mini-DV / 15' / 4:3 / 2006

Swahili spoken, with French and English subtitles

Director/Camera/Producer: Sarah Vanagt

Editing: Inneke Van Waeyenberghe

Sound Design: Pete Connelly

Translator & Researcher in Goma: Gatambi Nicolas

Translator in Brussels: Malekera Albert

With the support of argos tentoonstellingen vzw, Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie & Sacd/Scam

First Elections is a single-schannel version of the video-installation Les Mouchoirs de Kabila.

Distribution: www.argosarts.org