Kinshasa and its inhabitants are in darkness. They wait and struggle to get access to light. Between hope, disappointment and religious faith, Rising Up At Night is a subtle and fragmented portrait of a population that, despite the challenges, is sublimated by the beauty of Kinshasa's nights.

Dir. Nelson Makongo | 96min | 2024 | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar

"community spirit shines bright in Kinshasa’s shadows...Religion and collective resilience are beacons of hope in an electricity-deprived DRC in this otherworldly documentary debut" - Guardian

"A formally bold approach that captures the uneasy sense of unseen dangers" - Screendaily

"beautifully shot and observed documentary ‘Rising Up at Night’ captures the darkness of Kinshasa along with the resilience of its people" - The Film Verdict

"It constitutes the living and powerful portrait of a community standing, exhausted, in the dark, doing the best in a doubly submerged world – under water or in the twilight.” - Le Polyester

“an almost ethereal experience through editing, gorgeous cinematography and an intuitive, haunting score" - Business Doc Europe

“a film which rises to the challenge of filming darkness, without ever losing sight of the daily resistance and resourcefulness of a population facing a truly difficult situation” - Visions Du Reel, Special Jury Award