La Belle at the Movies (2015) is a documentary film exploring the rise and fall of the movie house in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is home to 10 million people but does not have a single movie theater. However, this was not always the case; in the 1960s, American cowboy films were hugely popular, and people even dressed up in the style of John Wayne. Today, a love of the movies is still alive and well in Kinshasa—it just takes different forms. The film is a poignant reflection on the enduring allure of cinema across cultures and times.



This is the concluding film in the series African Cinema, 1966 to the Present, which explores representations of African identity in cinema. The series is organized in conjunction with the new installation of the Laura and James J. Ross Gallery of African Art.