★★★1/2

We often see films introduce us to victims of war, expressing their truth to a camera in most documentaries. Seldom do we see those victimized given such a unique platform to tell their stories. In Dieudo Hamadi’s latest film, Downstream to Kinshasa, amputees and those bound to wheelchairs present their stories both conventionally and unconventionally. As Hamadi follows nine individuals, not only do we see their advocacy on display for compensation long overdue to both them and additional survivors, we also see the use of theater and the performance stage as an additional outlet to allow their experiences to be heard.

Some context: In 2000, Ugandan and Rwandan military engaged in a series of battles in and around the town of Kisangani, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The brutal Six-Day War saw more than 1,000 deaths and many individuals maimed - many of which were civilians. Some 20 years later, some 100 or so victims travel to Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, by boat, to advocate for reparations for medical costs and other financial hardship incurred during the War.

Hamadi, born in Kisangani, has made a film that may challenge some viewers’ sensibilities with its poetic and almost abstract, artistic flourishes. The power comes in settling in and watching and listening to what Hamadi’s subjects have to share. They are bound collectively by the same ailments and maladies, inasmuch as their lives were irreparably changed with the War. They mourn those who lost their lives, as passionately as they advocate for the right to receive just and proper compensation and acknowledgment for all the suffering they have endured.

While something more straightforward and direct may appeal to wider audiences, those with an interest in artistic representations of real-world events, and films which think outside the box in a unique and intriguing way, will find a lot to like in Hamadi’s thoughtful and impassioned film.

Downstream to Kinshasa was screened virtually as part of the 47th Seattle International Film Festival. The film will be officially released by Icarus Films on April 23, 2021.