The king, the cow, and the banana tree

1994 1h 3m FR

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 1

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mweze Ngangura takes us to his native region, Ngweshe, one of he six Bushi kingdoms in the province of Kivu, in Eastern Zaïre. In this region of the Great Lakes, wealth is mesured in heads of cows and in length and breadth of banana plantations. Intermixed with commentaries of the director, are those of the King, Mwami Pierre Ndatabaye Weza III, divulging the daily realities of this traditional African kingdom as it confronts the modern world. The third narrator, Makura, is a storyteller. This guardian of traditional knowledge and collective memory teaches the children the proverbs, customs and mythologies of the region. « The King, the Cow and the Banana Tree » sheds light on the dramatic events unfolding in neighbouring Rwanda, particularly in a prophetic sequence where a seer predicts calamities that will take place in the countries surrounding Ngweshe.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mwezé Ngangura
Writers: Mwezé Ngangura
Countries: Belgium, Congo

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

WORLD

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International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Congo.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marie-Hélène Mora shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0261244 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mwezé Ngangura directs. Marie-Hélène Mora cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Belgium, Congo.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
232 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Congo.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Editor Marie-Hélène Mora shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6IMDB entry: tt0261244 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.