DOK.panorama

EMPIRE OF DUST

Belgien 2011 – Director: Bram Van Paesschen – French/Chinese original with English subtitles

Culture clash in Congo - Chinese work ethics meets the Congolese way of life. In Katanga province a Chinese construction company wants to carry out a huge road regeneration project. But what happens when the truck driver doesn’t show up on time or the carriage is not properly filled with gravel and everything else fails to go according to the Chinese plan? Eddy, a fluent Mandarin-speaking Congolese man, works as an intermediary between the local work force and the Chinese Project Manager. A wider perspective is offered by the daily commentary on the radio, which gives an ironic and amusing analysis of the two worlds’ coexistence. A tense conflict of cultures is revealed in strong images free from kitsch folklore. Anja Klauck

Camera: Emmanuel Gras. Sound: Jeroen Van der Stock, Pieter Deweirdt, Yves De Mey. Editing: Dieter Diependaele, Bram Van Paesschen. Production: Savage Film. Producer: Bart van Langendonck. Length: 77 min. International Sales: CAT & DOCS

  • Monday
    05/07/12
  • 21:30
  • Carl-Amery-Saal, Gasteig