BAS Film Club: Echoes of Empire - Congo Screening & Fundraiser

Join us for an engaging evening at the BAS Film Club focused on the Congo, featuring the screening of The Tree of Authenticity (2025) directed by Sammy Baloji. This event is particularly significant as it shines a light on the pressing issues surrounding the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, urging global awareness.

For generations, Congo has suffered from cycles of foreign intervention, militia violence, war, and mass displacement. These challenges cannot be viewed in isolation from a deeper legacy of colonial exploitation and the continuous extraction of resources fueling the global economy. From rubber and copper to cobalt and coltan, the systematic stripping of Congolese land persists today.

🌍 Despite its significance, Congo often remains marginalized in global conversations, with violence normalized and the human cost obscured. This program aims to confront that silence, linking the issues of colonial legacy, ecology, capitalism, and racial violence.

🎥 About The Tree of Authenticity (2025)
Set against the backdrop of the lush Congo rainforest, the film reveals the ruins of a former tropical agricultural research center, symbolizing colonial burdens and their connections to contemporary climate change.

After the screening, engage in a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Barly Tshibanda and Joël Mulongo Mwimbi. Additional panelists may join, providing insights into the global complicity that sustains these extractive systems and addressing topics of consumption patterns, capitalism, and the ongoing violence rooted in colonial mentality.

🟢 About BAS Film Club:
The BAS Film Club elevates Black voices from Africa and the diaspora, showcasing independent filmmakers and artists outside mainstream cinema. Through the series Echoes of Empire, we aim to reflect on the legacies of imperial violence and their impact on Black and Brown communities globally.

💖 This spring, in solidarity with communities affected by imperial violence, Echoes of Empire will also serve as a fundraiser for Sudan, Congo, Palestine, and Haiti. All surplus proceeds after screening costs will be donated directly to Friends of the Congo to support urgent local needs in Goma, DRC.

🎟 Get your tickets here: Purchase Tickets
For further support, visit Friends of the Congo: Support Here
Event coordinated by: Maïmouna Fischer
Graphic Design: Linda Hallstan
Location: Friisgatan 19C, SE-214 22 Malmö, Sverige
Date & Time: Sunday, 29 March 2026, at 15:00
Learn more here: Event Link