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The Importance of Being Elegant (2004)

Directed by George Amponsah, Cosima Spender

Documentary · 1h 10m

Set to the soundtrack of Papa Wemba's extraordinary music, this outrageous, funny and eye-opening film depicts the underground world of a flamboyant African cult. Papa Wemba is a well-known Congolese singer. He is also a big cheese in Le Sape, the Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants, which translated into English means a society of people who spend huge amounts of money on designer clothes with the motive of making themselves as conspicuously elegant as possible. The film is a splendid evocation of Papa Wemba's music, but it is also an unusual insight into what it means to be an immigrant in contemporary Europe. The sapeur have borrowed from our own culture, creating something rich and strange and wholly Congolese. Don't miss the scene where they try on fur coats.

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Cast

Papa Wemba Self
A
Anti-Gigolo Self
A
Archibishop of La Sape Self
M
Mere Malou Self
M
Minister of the Budget Self
M
Minister of the Attack Self
P
Poison Papa Wemba's bodyguard

Crew

Director
George Amponsah, Cosima Spender
Editor
Valerio Bonelli
Producer
George Amponsah

Details

Release date
2004-08-14
Runtime
1h 10m
Genres
Documentary
Original language
FR
Spoken languages
French, Lingala
Countries
United Kingdom
Production
October Films, Dominant 7
Budget
$250,000