TIFF Preview: Rebelle

Daniel Janvier No comments

Rebelle looks to be one of the most daring stories of TIFF 2012, coming from one of our own directors, Montreal’s Kim Nguyen.

Synopsis

Rebelle takes place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the film’s protagonist is abducted into a rebel army after the invasion of her small village. Komona (Rachel Mwanza) is then forced to kill her parents before being inducted into the brutal life of a child soldier. During her vicious training she is visited by an apparition of her parents, who warn her of the coming danger. Komona finds herself as the only survivor of a raid, which earns her the title of “War Witch” from the War Lord Great Tiger. While some privileges come with the title, the punishments that follow any mistake lead to her attempted escape of the army. With her lover Magicien, Konoma finds the war goes ever on and is constantly at her heels in this tale of survival.

Why should you see it?

Nguyen has been developing Rebelle for the past decade, using the stories of actual of actual child soldiers and shooting with non-professional actors entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Winning the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival, Mwanza has garnered a lot of attention for her honest, heartfelt performance.

Screening Times

You can catch Rebelle on

Friday, September 14, 2012 at 9:00 pm at the Visa Screening Room, and
Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox 2.

Trailer

Production Gallery

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Daniel Janvier

Daniel is a graduate of the University of Guelph’s theatre studies program. Having performed Shakespeare in drag once, Daniel attempts to sound unique and mysteriously cool when speaking with woman in bars. He then proceeds to take over the dance floor, performing a rendition of Thom Yorke’s dancing in Radiohead’s Lotus Flower video as performed by a geriatric. Who is suffering. A lot apparently. He is also allergic to cats, the villainous harbingers of apocalypse and the odour of kitty litter – which is a stupid name for a toilet.