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

  • Rebel with a Clause

    Rebel with a Clause

    Brandt Johnson
    United States, 2025, 86 min.

    One fall day in 2018, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away,... more ›

  • The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt's Monument to Ida B. Wells

    The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt's Monument to Ida B. Wells

    Rana Segal
    United States, 2024, 66 min.

    This feature documentary weaves together sculptor Richard Hunt’s process and life story, with that of civil rights crusader, suffragist and anti-lynching... more ›

  • Wonders of The Universe

    Wonders of The Universe

    Bruna Benčić
    Croatia, 2024, 5 min.

    At first we wanted to make a film only about the solar system, but we expanded the subject a bit. Approximately to the whole Universe. In the film, we... more ›