The Mercy of the Jungle

The Mercy of the Jungle (2017)
Long Fiction - 90 min' - En distribution

Directed by Joel Karekezi (Rwanda)

In the Kivu jungle in Congo, Sergeant Xavier, a Rwandese hero of war, and the young and unexperimented private Faustin are in enemy territory where they wage a blurry war.

When the two men lose their battalion, they are left alone without resources, lost in the inextricable Congolese jungle, known to be the widest, thickest and most dangerous in the continent. Caught between the raging fights where the enemies aren’t differentiated from the allies, they have no choice but to push deeper into the green hell. Searching for water, food and a way out, they are exposed to an omnipresent hostility. Alone, they must face their own demons.

Film about a war with an antimilitarist aim, The Mercy of the Jungle shows the open wounds left by the fights and questions the place of humanity in armed conflicts.

Credits: 

Directed by Joel Karekezi

Screenplay by Casey Schroen, Joel Karekezi 

Story by Casey Schroen, Joel Karekezi and Aurélien Bodinaux

Produced by Aurelien Bodinaux - Neon Rouge (Be)
Coproduced by Oualid Baha - Tact Production (Fr)

Distribution France Urban Distribution
International Sales Urban Distribution Intl
Distribution Belgium Bardafeu Distribution

Associate Producers Casey SchroenAlex Moussa SawadogoJoel Karekezi - Karekezi Film Production

With Marc Zinga
With Stéphane Bak
With Ibrahim Ahmed "Pino"
With Nirere Shanel 
With Abby Mukiibi
With Michael Wawuyo
With Joel Prynce Atiku Okuyo 
With Kantarama Gahigiri 
With River Dan Rugaju 
With Ronald Ssemaganda 

Produced with the support of EurimagesFédération Wallonie-BruxellesAide aux Cinémas du Monde - Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée - Institut FrançaisRégion de Bruxelles-CapitaleFonds Image de la FrancophonieCoopération Belge au Développement - DGDBerlinale World Cinema FundTax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge

In coproduction with TV5MONDEVoo et BetvCanal + International

In association with Take Five

Development Aid Institut FrançaisLa Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut Français

Developed with AfrikameraAtelier Grand NordDurban Film MartDurban International Film Festival, Forum de Production de NamurLocarno Open DoorsLuxor African Film Festival, Maisha Film Lab, Rencontres de Coproduction Francophone.

Line Producer Oualid Baha
Production Managers Oualid BahaMichael Wawuyo
Unit Production Manager  Kantarama Gahigiri 
Production Administrator  Laurent Louis-De Wandeleer 
Production Coordinator  Rhian Vialva 

1st AD Kantarama Gahigiri 
2nd Assistant Director  Patience Asaba Katushabe 
2nd 2nd Assistant Director  Davidson Mugume 
Script Supervisor  Ednah Nakakembo 

Director of Photography Joachim Philippe 
1st Assistant Camera Brice Dejardin 
2nd Assistant Camera Emmanuel Gashumba
DIT Antoine Donnet
Gaffer Emmanuel Gashumba
Key Grip Kenneth Ssentamu
Electrician Abdul Ssejombwe
Spark Electrician Emmanuel Nsubuga 
Best Boy Kalyango Med 
Generator Operator Michael Mujimba 

Sound Benoît de Clerck
Boom Operator Cedrick Mbongo Mbulu 

Production Designer Geneviève Leyh
Set Designer & Set Dresser Apollo Asea 
Assistant Set Dressers Humphrey AseaRonald Mutike 
Property Master Oscar Ssenyonga 
Assistants to Property Master Michael Wawuyo Jr.Oscar Kivumbi

Location Manager Michael Wawuyo
Assistant Location Manager  Maureen Jolly Nankya

Hair, Makeup, Costume Designer Shakira Kibirige
Key Hairstylist Shakira Kibirige
Key Makeup Artist Shakira Kibirige
Makeup Artist Nadeen Mateky
Special Effects Makeup Artist Shakira Kibirige
1st Assistant Makeup Artist Daphine Kateregga 
2nd Assistant Makeup Artist Rose Kebirungi 
Key Costumer Shakira Kibirige
Set Costumer Rose Kebirungi 
Assistant Set Costumer Henry Nsekero Mazinga 
Costume Buyer Nankya Sarah Sorea
Tailor Brenda Namwesezi
Soldier Uniforms Andrew Afande Kiyegga 

Casting Director Kadija Leclere
Casting Extras Sharon Gayita
Extras Casting Coordinators Igongo Assad, Joseph TalemwaSimeon Nuwaagba

Rain Effects Michael WawuyoMichael Wawuyo Jr.
Gunshots Nickson
Stunts Coordinator Michael Wawuyo 

Videographer, 'the Making of' Ali Musoke 
Behind the Scenes Photographer Cindy Sechet 
Editor, 'the Making of' Ali Musoke 

Transportation Captain Kigongo Moses 
Drivers Joshua AgabaHussein Nagembe RidgerOketcho LastoneIbrahim NamugeraAbdul KigunduAchileo SserugundaMoses Olwenyi 

Security Mutete WilberforceFarouk MasindeRamathan MpanguziGad KanyangyeyoAlbert Marahi 

Editor Antoine Donnet
Post Production Coordination and Planning Leslie FoubertKristof Thues 
Online Editor VFX  Niels Christensen 
Mastering  Robin Van Den Acker 
Compositor  Kenneth Dingens 
Colour Grading  Tom Mulder 
Main Titles  Robin Van Den Acker 

Music Composer Line Adam
Music Engineer Colin Burton
Singer, Songwriter Nirere Shanel
Musicians Line Adam, Hugo Pasqualini, Gauthier Lisein, Pascal Chardome, Hugo Adam

Technical Details: 

Genre Feature lengthFiction
Languages FrenchSwahili
Subtitles FrenchDutchEnglishSwahili
Format 2.39
Sound 5.1 Dolby Surround
Shot on Alexa Mini

Photos from the film:
Festivals: 

(tiff) Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada - 09/2018)
Discovery section

FIFF Namur (Namur, Belgium - 10/2018)
Nomination: Official Competition; The Cinevox Prize, The Critics Prize; The Junior Jury's Prize

Milano Film Festival (Milan, Italy - 10/2018)
Digital Award

54th Chicago International Film Festival (Chicago, USA - 10/2018)
Silver Hugo Award, New Directors Competition

Carthage Film Festival (Carthage, Tunisia - 11/2018)
Nomination: Official Competition Narrative Feature Films

Joburg Film Festival (Johannesburg, South Africa - 11/2018)

Afrikamera (Berlin, Germany - 11/2018)
Opening Night Feature

International Film Festival of India (Goa, India - 11/2018)
Nomination: ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal

Les Arcs Film Festival (Paris, France - 12/2018)
Hauteur Programme

Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga 
(Khouribga, Morocco - 12/2018)
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Rotterdam, Netherlands - 01/2019)
Bright Future Section

Göteborg Film Festival (Göteborg, Sweden - 01/2019)

Bengaluru International Film Festival (Bengaluru, India - 02/2019)
Contemporary World Cinema Section

Lumiéres du Sud - Rencontres Cinématographiques de Jacmel (Jacmel, Haiti - 01/2019)

FESPACO (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - 02/2019)
Etalon d'Or de Yennenga - Grand Prix
Meilleure Interprétation Masculine 

(FICCI) Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (Cartagena, Colombia - 03/2019)
World Fiction Section

AFI Silver New African Film Festival (Washington, USA - 03/2019) 

(FICBAQ) Festival Internacional de Cine de Barranquilla (Barranquilla, Colombia - 03/2019)
Blue Lobster Competition

Luxor African Film Festival (Luxor, Egypt - 03/2019)
Freedom Official Competition
Special Jury-Silver Tutankhamun Award

ATESIB! African Film Festival Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv, Israel - 03/2019)

Vues d'Afrique (Montreal, Canada - 04/2019)
Soirée d'ouverture

(AFFNZ) African Film Festival New Zealand (Auckland, New Zealand - 04/2019)

 

Festival Wallay Barcelona African Film Festival (Barcelona, Spain - 04/2019)
Spanish Premiere

Mooov Film Festival (Belgium - 05/2019)

FCAT Festival de Cine Africano (Tarifa, Spain - 05/2019)

African Film Festival New York (New York, USA - 06/2019)
Centerpiece Film

Seattle International Film Festival (Seattle, USA - 06/2019)

Nairobi Film Festival (Nairobi, Kenya - 06/2019)

FESTICAB (Bujumbura, Burundi - 06/2019)
Compétition, Long Métrage de Fiction

Ecrans Noirs (Yaoundé, Cameroun - 07/2019)
Ecran d'or

Congo International Film Festival (Goma, Congo - 07/2019)

Lake Como Film Festival (Como, Italy - 07/2019)

(TICAD) Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Tokyo, Japan - 08/2019)

Festival des Cinémas d'Afrique de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland - 08/2019)

Afrika Film Festival Cologne (Cologne, Germany - 09/2019)

 

Biennale de Luanda-UNESCO (Luanda, Angola - 09/2019)

Filmhuis Den Haag (Den Haag, Netherlands - 10/2019)
Opening Night Feature

Rwanda Film Festival (Kigali, Rwanda - 10/2019)
Best Long Feature Film

Africa in Motion Film Festival (Edinburg, Scotland - 10/2019)

FIF Tübingen (Tübingen, Germany - 11/2019)

(Viennale) Vienna International Film Festival (Vienna, Austria - 11/2019)
Austrian Premiere

Africa Academy Movie Awards (Lagos, Nigeria - 10/2019)
Winner: Best Film
Winner: Best Achievement in Make-Up
Winner: Best Achievement in Costume Design
Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marc Zinga)
Nomination: Best Director
Nomination: Best Achievement in Cinematography
Nomination: Best Achievement in Editing
Nomination: Best Achievement in Production Design
Nomination: Best Achievement in Soundtrack

Cinemania (Montréal, Canada - 11/2019)

Augen Blicke Afrika Festival (Hamburg, Germany - 11/2019)

(FICA) 10è édition du Festival international du cinéma d’Alger (Alger, Algérie - 11/2019)
Prix Spécial du Jury Fictions Award

African Film Festival of Verona (Verona, Italy - 11/2019)
Competition Panoramafica

AfryKamera (Warsaw, Poland - 12/2019)

Cascade Festival of African Films (Oregon, USA - 02/2020)

(PAFF) Pan African Film and Arts Festival (Los Angeles, USA - 02-2020)
Jury Best Feature Narrative Award

Le FrancoFilm Festival ((Abu Dhabi & Dubai, UAE - 03/2020)