On Sunday, 21 April, Congolese-born Belgian musician, director, and artist Baloji presents his debut film Augure (2023), which won the New Voices Award at the 2023 Cannes Festival.
The screening is followed by a conversation between the director and Alessandra Speciale, Venice Film Festival consultant and FESCAAAL artistic director.
The event is part of #Anteprima, revealing unreleased films before their Italian theatrical launch
BIOGRAPHY
Born in 1978 in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo) and living in Belgium, Baloji is an award-winning musician, filmmaker, and eclectic artist. The meaning of the name Baloji refers to occult and malevolent forces; in Swahili it originally meant “man of science,” but in colonial times it morphed into “man of occult/witchcraft sciences.” This attribution influenced all his work and shaped his vision with imagery suspended between dreamlike and magical realism. In 2023, he made his feature film directorial debut with Augure (New Voice Award, Cannes Film Festival 2023), an unprecedented and fascinating film accompanied by an enthralling four-part soundtrack that he composed inspired by the different personalities of the four main characters. As a musician, Baloji has released two albums and two critically acclaimed EPs, most recently Avenue Kaniama for Bella Union Records.