Name: Screening of "La vie est belle" by Benoît Lamy and Mweze Ngangura
Start: 2026-03-11T18:00:00+00:00
Location: West Parliament Square, EH1 1 Edinburgh, United Kingdom

$Screening of "La vie est belle" by Beno\u00eet Lamy and Mweze Ngangura$

"La vie est belle" is a 1987 musical comedy directed by Mwezé Ngangura and Benoît Lamy. The film revolves around the vibrant music scene of Kinshasa and tells the rags-to-riches story of a poor rural musician played by legendary Congolese musician, Papa Wemba, the “King of Rumba Rock”, who seeks fame in the big city. The film was considered a major turning point in film production in the DRC with its more artistic approach. Unlike many African films of the time that concerned themselves with the effects of colonialism, "La vie est belle" celebrates Congolese culture, music and the lives of Kinshasans. The film score features Congolese music from artists Tshala Muana, Klody, and Zaiko Langa Langa, a Congolese soukous band co-founded by Papa Wemba.