OMEN

ABOUT THE FILM: 

In French with English subtitles

Koffi is a Congolese expat living in Belgium who is preparing to return home to present his pregnant girlfriend Alice to his family; the two will have to endure traditional rituals as well as the paying of a dowry to Koffi’s family. However, Koffi’s departure from his homeland was not a happy one—taunted as someone who bears the mark of the devil due to his birthmark, Koffi is ostracized and demonized in equal measure by his community. One small act of kindness will cause his family to spiral out of control, bringing into the fray his sympathetic sister Tshala, his mother, and a young gang leader Paco. A collision is inevitable.

Winner of the New Voice Prize at Cannes Film, OMEN blends magical realism with impressive fantasy sequences, weaving in multiple narrative threads that look at superstition, witchcraft, and other worlds through a visually arresting and impressive scope. Blessed with eye-popping cinematography and a depiction of Congo hitherto not yet seen in modern cinema, the film is an arresting fairy-tale that will enrapture and capture any that dares to meet its gaze. A truly explosive debut that demands and deserves the big screen experience.

– Program notes by Evrim Ersoy

FORMAT: DCP

DISTRIBUTOR: Belgium, Netherlands, The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, France, South Africa

COUNTRY: UK