You are here:
Makala

Makala

2017

Director

Emmanuel Gras

Runtime

97 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Kabwita, a young man living with his wife and daughters in Kolwezi, a town in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, dreams of buying land to build a house. To do so, he produces charcoal (makala), extracted from the ashes of a mighty hardwood tree. Carrying the sacks of charcoal on the back of his bicycle, he embarks on a dangerous journey to sell them on the market.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.9/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film does not feature LGBTQ+ characters or narratives centered on non-heteronormative identities. The focus remains on the socioeconomic and familial structures of the environment.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative highlights the agency of individuals navigating gendered economic roles. It avoids the trope of the passive victim, presenting characters as active participants in their own survival.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film achieves exceptional representation through an authentic, non-white majority cast. It provides a rare, unmediated look at Black agency and communal life within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The film presents a sophisticated view of survival-based ethics over Western-centric legalism. It focuses on the informal economy rather than ineffective traditional or formal institutions.

Disability Representation

Fair

There are no prominent characters defined by specific disabilities. The film captures the invisible toll of systemic poverty but lacks depictions of neurodivergence or physical impairment.

Strengths

  • Exceptional racial and ethnic authenticity through a non-white majority cast.
  • Deeply rooted cultural critique of formal capitalist structures and global economic systems.
  • Avoids Western-centric storytelling tropes by prioritizing local agency and identity.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of explicit representation for LGBTQ+ characters or non-heteronormative identities.
  • Absence of specific depictions regarding physical disabilities or neurodivergence.

AI Analysis

Makala is a powerful observational documentary that succeeds by centering the lived experiences of its Congolese subjects. It avoids the Western gaze, opting instead for a hyper-local specificity that treats the regional identity as the film's driving force. The film's greatest strength is its refusal to romanticize or oversimplify African urban life. By focusing on the informal economy, it provides a granular look at how systemic failures shape individual agency and communal survival. While the film excels in racial and cultural authenticity, it lacks specific representation regarding LGBTQ+ identities and physical or neurodivergent disabilities. The narrative remains strictly focused on the immediate socioeconomic realities of the protagonists.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.