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The Story of Ne Kuko
The Story of Ne Kuko
The Netherlands | 2023 | 25 min | Documentary
Director: Festus Toll
Screenplay: Festus Toll
Cinematography: Festus Toll
Synopsis
The story of how the power statue of Chief Ne Kuko was stolen should not be forgotten. This nkisi stands, trapped behind glass, in a European museum. The history behind this mysterious statue connects restitution activist Mwazulu Diyabanza to the small village of Kikuku in the mountains of Boma, Democratic Republic of Congo. In a vitrine at the Africa Museum in Tervuren stands the nkisi of Ne Kuko, far away from his Congolese home in the mountains of Boma. This mysterious power statue was looted from its community and has been on display and trapped behind glass for more than 100 years. In The Story of Ne Kuko, the voice of an ancestor brings the nkisi’s past to life. He describes how the land of Boma, ruled by nine chiefs until the 19th century, changed radically in a short time with the arrival of the first Europeans. The film shows the mission of present-day restitution activist Mwazulu Diyabanza to get African objects held in European museums returned to their homeland. He believes that change should not have to wait any longer and hopes his actions will spark discussion on the restitution of colonial heritage. Ne Kuko’s story takes Mwazulu to highlands of Boma. The true meaning of Ne Kuko’s statue unfolds. The Story of Ne Kuko is part of a documentary series on the Ten Commandments, created by Doxy Films and EOdocs.
About the director
Festus Toll graduated from AKV St. Joost in Breda in 2017 with his film We Will Maintain, a personal documentary about his family, his origins and Dutch society. The film was selected for IDFA 2017, received a nomination for the Pathé Tuschinski Award and the Special Jury Award, and won the TENT Award 2017. With his short documentary When You Hear the Divine Call (2020), a film about what “home” means and about where your roots are, Festus won the VERS Film Award 2021.