Congolese filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi has said that the Cannes film festival is an important platform for the visibility of African cinema. He was speaking as a member of the 2025 jury in an interview published on the festival’s website.
“Cannes is a great platform, it’s a great festival, in the sense that from the moment you are there, you’re invited, whether as a member of the Jury, or as a filmmaker with a film to present, even from countries like mine, where cinema is still at an early stage, it helps give more visibility to what we do.”
Some of that visibility Cannes gives to filmmakers came Hamadi’s way, when, in 2020, his documentary Downstream to Kinshasa was screened at the festival, becoming the first Congolese film to be thus showcased at the famous French event. “It was an important moment for me, but also for many many Congolese,” he said.
Having participated in several juries previously, Hamadi noted that the Cannes experience is unique, allowing him to interact with fellow jurors and share perspectives. “I’ve already participated in several other juries, but nothing like what I’m discovering here in Cannes,” he said. “I was able to speak with other members of the jury, it went pretty well and the pressure dropped a bit, because we got to know each other.”
When asked about his expectations from the festival, Hamadi highlighted the importance of discussing cinema, films, and the state of the world. “To talk about cinemas, discuss the films, and also to find out about the state of the world, as cinema is used for that too. That means that in the end, we will all agree on the film of the year because it will have dazzled us all, blown us all away, touched us, had an impact on us.”
Currently working on a series for Canal+ in Africa, Hamadi said he hoped to find inspiration through the films he will discover during the festival. “I’m finishing a series for Canal+, in Africa, for Congo, and I’ve been working on this project for two years. So, I’ve just had a lot of questions on my mind, and I think, or hope, I can find some answers through all the films I will discover, thanks to my participation as a member of the Jury.”
