EXCLUSIVE: The Belgian-Congolese rapper Baloji caused a sensation at Cannes with his directorial debut in the Congo omen which had its world premiere in Un Certain Regard and won the New Voice prize.
Such was the excitement surrounding the film that Utopia subsequently acquired North American rights for a theatrical release in 2024 from Paris-based distribution company Memento International.
The company unveiled the North American trailer for the drama, which has now been named Belgium’s best international film.
Inspired by Baloji’s own life experiences, omen Mark Zinga plays a young man who returns to his hometown in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with his pregnant fiancee (Lucie Debay) in hopes of reconnecting with his estranged family.
Originally banished by his mother after she decided that a strange birthmark was a sign that he was a wizard, the young man falls ill with a bloody nose shortly after his arrival, immediately confirming the family’s suspicions.
The protagonist is on a nightmarish, fantastical journey, uncovering the intricacies of identity, culture and belief system.
Baloji was born in 1979 in the city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, but grew up and lived in Belgium.
His name refers to occult and evil forces.
In Swahili it initially meant “man of science”, but in colonial times it was reinterpreted to mean “man of occult sciences” or essentially “sorcerer”. For the director, this name was both a burden and a driving force for his artistic vision.
Source: Deadline
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