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

  • The Last Picture Shows

    The Last Picture Shows

    Rustin Thompson
    United States, 2026, 78 min.

    Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip,... more ›

  • LONELY TROJAN - too young for the first wave... too old for the second

    LONELY TROJAN - too young for the first wave... too old for the second

    Chris Carlone
    United States, 2026, 86 min.

    Lonely Trojan - too young for the first wave… too old for the second is a story about friendship and pursuing your dreams. The movie... more ›

  • No Baby on Board

    No Baby on Board

    Julia Kots
    United States, 2025, 79 min.

    When the filmmaker tries to donate her frozen eggs, she delves into a hilarious and heartbreaking debate about why women are opting out of motherhood... more ›