Segment 1

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Why Democracy?

SIGN

Free Marie-Theresa!

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Hello Carine :)

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Hi Teboho, my aunt Marie-Thérèse has just been arrested! She is accused of trying to overthrow the government. She was a presidential candidate during the recent elections, our first elections since independence. I have started an internet campaign to spread the word.

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Ok. I will pass on the message…

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Kinshasa 2.0

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Congo River, DRC.

TEBOHO EDKINS

Carine's internet campaign seemed to have worked. After five months in Kinshasa's worst prison, Marie-Thérèse was finally released. All charges against her were dropped. She is now in Belgium getting medical treatment. I decided to go and visit Carine and her family in Kinshasa.

CARINE NGUZ [Marie-Thérèse Nlandu's niece]

My aunt's just been arrested and this, and you know we're still, what's like, one, two days afterward ... I think, I think my aunt's daughter sent the email first and then my brother. So, the whole point was to spread out the word. I wanna do something for the people who actually do something, you know. This is what can happen and, I mean, it just happened now and she just got released now, so ... I don't know if she's gonna take up ... she's gonna keep doing what she's doing, and being in the opposition.

DENNIS NLANDU [Marie-Thérèse Nlandu's sister]

My sister loves her country, but the treatment she received ... It was wrong. That's all I can say. One can't say more than that. It wasn't right. I have to restrain myself. Our father fought for this country. He crossed the Congo River by canoe, to fetch Maître Croqué, in 1959, who then negotiated independence for our country.

CARINE NGUZ

Here in Kinshasa it's strange because my aunt is not here and, because of what happened to her, everything is a bit uncertain. For example, now it's difficult for me to phone my aunt straight from a phone in Kinshasa because the lines are all tapped. So the only way we can communicate is through the internet

CARINE NGUZ

Aunt Marie-Thérèse, I hope your health is better.

MARIE-THERESE NLANDU

Thank you my dear, I am doing much better.

CARINE NGUZ

A friend of mine is here, I am helping him make a short film.

MARIE-THERESE NLANDU

I am surprised he even got permission to film.

CARINE NGUZ

Yes, but everybody feels scared to be filmed, few are willing to talk freely. There are soldiers everywhere ... we are always being watched.

VOICE 1

Some other people once tried to film here.

VOICE 2

Will you be working this evening or will someone else take your shift?

MAN 1

A thousand for each?

MAN 2

That's four thousand.

MAN 1

No, how many are there?

MAN 2

There are four.

MAN 1

That's fine.

MAN 2

How much is it in total?

BEA [member of the Marie-Thérèse Nlandu's household]

If I meet a soldier, I have to hide or run away. Because, if he catches you, he will search you. If he finds a phone, he will take it. Money, he will also take. He might rape you or even kill you. A soldier represents a danger to me. It's a danger.

CARINE NGUZ

Marie-Thérèse told me when she was arrested they had planned to kill her that evening. But a general called her to his office and then left, leaving her alone. In that time he saved her life.

LOURDS BUZANGU [owner of internet cafe]

If I speak in front of your camera, tomorrow they will arrest me. I would speak if I were in some other place. We know lots of stories, but we are stuck here. Instead of calling it a democracy, one should change the term. We aren't democratic, beginning with those that govern us. They don't have the spirit of democracy. You can't criticize them, or tell them the bad things they have done. How will we ever progress?

CARINE NGUZ

Dear Marie-Thérèse, terrible news! This evening the arrest warrant has been reissued by the state. It's not safe for you to come back, you have to remain in exile. Warrants for certain members of your household have also been reissued. They will have to go into hiding!

BEA

What do these warrants mean for us? Why are they doing this?

JEANINE [Marie-Thérèse's household staff]

I don't know.

BEA

They should let us be. Carine, you have studied well. You also have it; you have politics in your blood.

JEANINE

It's in your family.

BEA

Whether or not you'll get into politics.

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Marie-Thérèse's extended family

SINGING

Independence cha cha / We conquered it.

MAN

You know, we still aren't independent.

WOMAN

Independence in name only. After almost 50 years of independence, directed by the men, our country is actually regressing.

MAN

Is that the men's fault, or the women that give us bad advice?

WOMAN

It is because of the men. Fifty years after independence, you can't say it's a traditional problem. It's a structural problem. Congolese women are well educated, they have important positions all over the world. But what happens to them here?

CARINE NGUZ

Auntie Marie-Thérèse. Look, I brought you a video. We had a family dinner last Saturday.

MARIE-THERESE NLANDU

So good to see you all, even if only here in cyberspace. I have been receiving emails of support from the Congo. But I am really worried about the others. I wonder if things will ever get better?

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All animation was filmed in Second Life, an internet-based virtual chat platform.

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[end credits]