Browse films

City of Joy

Madeleine Gavin
Congo, 2016, 75 min.

In English, French, Swahili with English subtitles.

AIFF Award Winner:
Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking

A tale of hope and restoration unfolds in CITY OF JOY, a film that follows the first class of students at a revolutionary leadership center in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Director's Statement

Devastated by 20 years of violence, the eastern part of The Democratic Republic of Congo is often referred to as "the worst place in the world to be a woman." This film brings a different story from the region. A film about the profound resilience of the human spirit, CITY OF JOY witnesses Congolese women's fierce will to reclaim hope, even when so much of what was meaningful to them has been stripped away.

Category: Documentary, Award Winner.
Themes: Africa, Abuse, War, Women, World Cinema.

More in Documentary

  • Sunday Mornings at the Beach

    Sunday Mornings at the Beach

    Tim Reid
    United States, 2025, 10 min.

    When heading to the oceanside, one might expect to see surfers, joggers, and sunbathers... but not this. Each Sunday, a quiet yet powerful ritual unfolds as... more ›

  • Children of the Mountain

    Children of the Mountain

    Ryan Flynn
    United States, 2025, 8 min.

    The artistic vision behind Children of the Mountain explores the sacred Indigenous tradition of the sweat lodge. With the permission of Ron Six Bears... more ›

  • My Grandmother is a Skydiver

    My Grandmother is a Skydiver

    Polina Piddubna
    Germany, 2025, 13 min.

    In 1960s Tajikistan, a skydiver gets a call from her granddaughter in 2022 Ukraine, sparking an intergenerational journey through trauma, memory and identity... more ›