Viva Riva – An award-winning film from the Congo

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | July 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment

‘Viva Riva‘ is a raw look at modern Kinshasa, showing the sides we know, and the ones we might not be so aware of. Riva (Patsha Bay) is a young man who has come back to town after being away for 10 years. He is glad to be back and eager to spend the money that he has in his pocket. Unfortunately the money belongs to his old boss in Angola who is in active pursuit of him. He goes to the club and is enamored by Nora (Manie Malone), the kept woman of a local gangster.

Determined to have her, he throws caution to the wind and pursues her. His former boss is on his tail, leaving a trail of bodies and mayhem behind him. Nora’s boyfriend is also after Riva, determined to defend his honor. Riva’s night starts to look more like a nightmare as he deals with all the people trying to find him.

Tags: , African Movie Academy Awards, Djo Tunda Wa Munga, Pan African Film Festival, viva riva

‘Viva Riva’ and ‘Sinking Sands’ lead 2011 AMAA nominations

Written by Ameyaw Debrah | February 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Jimah-proposes-to-pabi1 For the second year running, Ghanaian film maker, Leila Djansi made a huge impression on the Africa Movie Academy by receiving multiple nominations for the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Unlike the previous year when she topped the list of nominations; this year, she comes a close second to Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s ‘Viva Riva’ from Congo. Leila’s widely acclaimed ‘Sinking Sands’, a psychological drama about a love affair that turns into a relationship full of abuse, received 9 nominations including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography and others.