Katika Bluu – Cancelled

Katika Bluu (National Competition)

Stéphane Vuillet & Stéphane Xhroüet

01.07 UGC De Brouckère 19:30 TICKET

02.07 UGC De Brouckère 22:00 TICKET

Fiction/Drama . . Belgium, Congo . 2024 . SW / ST : FR/EN/NL

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, September 2022. BRAVÓ, 16 years old, is exfiltrated from an armed group by the team of the CTO (Transit and Orientation Centre) in order to be reintegrated into society. But the young man, who has only known war and fighting, does not submit to the rules of the centre. As a lieutenant in the forest, Bravo refuses to be treated like the other children and does not want this new place he is being offered. However, secretly he only dreams of one thing, to find his family…

For reasons beyond the festival’s control, both screenings of Katika Bluu are cancelled.

STARRING

Baraka

Moïse

Paul

Jackson

Clément Busimba

Katy Byamungu

Mary Getraco

DIRECTOR’S

Stéphane Vuillet & Stéphane Xhroüet

WRITER

Stéphane Vuillet, Stéphane Xhroüet & Pierre Penneman

PHOTOGRAPHY

Kinan Massarani

MUSIC

Thomas Faure

SOUND

Tavis Kakule Muhesi

Virginie Messiaen

Vincent Maloumian

Paul Heymans

EDITOR

Jeanne Plassier & Matyas Veress

PRODUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL SALES

Hélicotronc

BELGIAN DISTRIBUTION

Libérations Films

Stéphane Vuillet & Stéphane Xhroüet

Stéphane Vuillet

Self-taught, in 1996 he started writing and directing
short films: LE SOURIRE DES FEMMES (20’-35mm) and
TERRE NATALE (8’-35mm). In 2004, he completed his
first feature film: 25° EN HIVER with Jacques Gamblin
and Carmen Maura, produced by Man’s films. The film
was selected in the official competition at the Berlinale,
released in 15 countries and won numerous awards
at festivals. In 2007 he directed 6 episodes of the TV
series 7ÈME CIEL produced by RTBF. In 2020 he directed
his first documentary LES TERRES D’ICI (52’) produced
by Need Productions. In 2021 he directed JE NE SUIS
PAS TON PAUVRE (80’) a “commando” fiction produced
by Lesterfilm (released directly on the internet). He
is finishing the post-production of KATIKA BLUU (80’),
a drama about and with child soldiers, produced by
Hélicotronc. He is currently writing a comedy with Flora
Krivine, SEPARONS NOUS, a comedy series, COMMUNAUTÉ
MON AMOUR ! with the collective 12 comme les doigts de la
main, and L’HOMME AU CHAPEAU developed by Velvet Fims

Stéphane Xhroüet

Born in Liège (Belgium) in 1969, Stéphane Xhroüet
studied cinema at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion.
After graduating, he wrote and directed his first fiction
short film, LES ENFANTS MODÈLES. The film was an official
selection at the 1996 Venice Film Festival, as well as
numerous international festivals. This was followed
by a second short film, L’HOMME DU SUD, which won the
Grand Prix at the Brussels Film Festival and the Prix
du Public at the Algarve Film Festival. His passion for
teaching led him to set up a film workshop for teenagers,
which he ran for many years. For a year, Stéphane
Xhroüet followed, with his camera, the daily life of the
birth of a radically different school: Pédagogie Nomade.
Pupils (teenagers) and teachers explore the bush
paths of knowledge, without the authority that usually
constrains it. Pédagogie Nomade offers students the
chance to learn about freedom and autonomy. On its
release, this feature-length documentary, LE GAI SAVOIR,
caused quite a stir, particularly in the educational and
institutional sectors. After opening a film school in
Goma, Congo, he was invited by UNICEF to run a film
workshop for children emerging from armed groups.
This workshop led to the production of a feature-length
fiction film with these children playing themselves: KATIKA BLUU…