Tribute to Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, Part 3

Théâtre brûlé

The third part of the tribute features two films that deal with eruptions of the Nyiragongo volcano, located twenty kilometers north of Goma.
The short film THÉÂTRE BRÛLÉ features performers from Goma’s only theater, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 2002. The information inscribed in the performers’ bodies was used to revive the theater’s memories.

Mahere

Nearly two decades later another eruption threatened Goma again, which Ndaliko Katondolo processes in his latest film, MAHERE. How does information archived in rituals and collective memories enable us to heal? A collective of artists and community members who survived the May 2021 eruption in Goma examine this question by reactivating Indigenous practices and creating new pathways from ancient knowledge.

Petna Ndaliko Katondolo is a filmmaker, activist, and educator. His multigenre artistic works are known for their decolonial Afrofuturistic artistic style, which engages historical content to address contemporary sociopolitical and cultural issues. In 2000 he co-founded Yole!Africa and in 2005 he founded the Salaam Kivu International Film Festival. Ndaliko Katondolo teaches and consults regularly for international organizations, addressing social and political inequity among marginalized groups through culture and education.