The first documentary ever selected in competition for the prestigious Cannes Critics’ Week, and winner of its Grand Prize, MAKALA is a tender cinematic ode to humanism. 28-year-old Kabwita is a Congolese charcoal maker who dreams for a better future for his loved ones, despite the Sisyphean efforts he has to make in order to trade the charcoal he makes. The camera follows Kabwita’s arduous journey—more than 50 kilometers on foot on dangerous and wearisome roads—with devastating immediacy, capturing the endless toil of poverty, indifference, and despair. In spite of his predicaments, Kabwita is a luminous presence that captivates and enchants in Emmanuel Gras’ brilliant and devastating documentary.

In Swahili and French with English subtitles.