THE STORY OF NE KUKO
Festus Toll | Netherlands 2023 | 25 Min. | Lingala, French, Kikongo with engl. Subtitles
Austrian Premiere
FRIDAY, 09.05. | 5 pm
Votiv Kino, Gr. Saal | TICKETS
Part of the Short Film Program IN FOCUS: HAUNTINGS
THE STORY OF NE KUKO is a 2023 short documentary by Festus Toll that examines the colonial theft of African cultural artifacts through the lens of Ne Kuko’s nkisi, a power figure stolen from the village of Kinkuku in Boma, Congo, more than a century ago. Now displayed in the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium, the nkisi’s removal disrupted the spiritual and social fabric of its community. The film follows restitution activist Mwazulu Diyabanza’s efforts to reclaim such looted artifacts and delves into the broader implications that colonial plundering has left on cultural identity and heritage. Through a blend of archival footage and contemporary narratives, it underscores the ongoing struggle for the restitution of African art and the enduring impact of colonialism.
Director: Festus Toll
Camera: Festus Toll
Editing: Festus Toll
Sound: Vincent Sinceretti
Production: Harmen Jalvingh, Janneke Doolaard
AWARDS & SCREENINGS (SELECTION)
2023 IDFA Official Selection
2024 HOT DOCS Official Selection
2024 DOC NYC Offical Selection
2025 FIFA Official Selection – Best Short Documentary Award
2025 ACT Colorado Official Selection
BIOGRAPHY
Festus Toll graduated from AKV St. Joost in Breda in 2017 with his film We Will Maintain, a personal documentary about his family, his origins and Dutch society. The film was selected for IDFA 2017, received a nomination for the Pathé Tuschinski Award and the Special Jury Award, and won the TENT Award 2017. With his short documentary When You Hear the Divine Call (2020), a film about what ‘home’ means and about where your roots are, Festus won the VERS Film Award 2021.
