Terre de lait, terre de miel

Following on from her memorial work, Gosette Lubondo is here focusing on the patrimonial legacy of Gbadolite, Mobutu's native village in the north of the DRC.

More than a thousand kilometres from Kinshasa, Mobutu set up an urban construction project there and hoped for it to be "an African version of Versailles". Once a city of sumptuous palaces, built in the middle of the equatorial forest according to the sole will of the President, Gbadolite was sacked when Mobutu fell in 1997 and the palaces were looted. Today, the town is nothing but ruins.

As an introduction, Lubondo invites viewers to witness a ceremony inspired by political entertainment shows, involving singing and dancing to the glory of Mobutu.

But in light of the derelict nature of the place, the brightly-coloured costumes and rhythmic choreography of the dancers give way to contemplation and meditation.
The title of the series, Terre de lait, terre de miel (in Lingala Tango nde Mokonzi, an expression taken from Leviticus: "I will give you this land flowing with milk and honey...", a promise made by God) refers to the desire that presided over the creation of a city built from nothing: the promise of a place where nothing was too luxurious nor too beautiful.