The Tree of Authenticity (L’arbre de l’authenticité)

SAMMY BALOJI

Genre: Documentary

Country: Belgium/RDC

Year: 2025

Length: 89’

Language: French and Dutch. VOSE.

 

Directed by: Sammy Baloji

Script (voice overs): Ellen Meiresonne, David Van Reybrouck, Thomas Hendriks

Voice overs: Edson Anibal, Diederick Peeters

Cinematography: Franck Moka (C)

Editor: Luca Mattei

Sound:  Chris Watson, Laszlo Umbreit

Production: Rosa Spaliviero

Synopsis

In the heart of the Congo’s equatorial rainforest, the remains of a research center dedicated to tropical agriculture reveal the burden of the colonial past and its inextricable links to contemporary climate change. This three-part essay, winner of the IFFR 2025 Special Jury Prize, is a powerful analysis of Belgium’s colonial history, the consequences of which are still felt today.