# Congo Boy

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**Congo Boy** is a 2026 [musical drama](/source/Musical_film) directed by [Rafiki Fariala](/source/Rafiki_Fariala), co-written with Tommy Baron and [Boris Lojkine](/source/Boris_Lojkine). Fariala co-wrote wrote the music with Lillo Morealle. It stars Bradley Fioma Dembeasset, Christy Djomanda Louba, Pétruche Mbomba, Rosiana Kotozia and Gloria Ambacko.

The film had its world premiere at the *[Un Certain Regard](/source/Un_Certain_Regard)* section of the [2026 Cannes Film Festival](/source/2026_Cannes_Film_Festival) on 15 May,[1] where Dembeasset won the section's Best Actor prize.[2]

## Premise

Set in [Bangui](/source/Bangui), [Central African Republic](/source/Central_African_Republic), the coming-of-age story follows Albert, a 17-year-old Congolese whose family are displaced by war in the neighboring [Democratic Republic of Congo](/source/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo). With both his parents in prison for falsifying their passports, Albert struggles to balance caring for his younger siblings, keeping up with school, and pursuing a budding musical career as a rap artist. [3][4]

## Cast

- Bradley Fioma Dembeasset as Robert[5]
- Christy Djomanda Louba as Espérance
- Pétruche Mbomba as Daniel
- Rosiana Kotozia as Aurélie
- Gloria Ambacko as Jacqueline
- Dieufera Sana as César

## Production

*Congo Boy* follows writer-director Rafiki Fariala's debut documentary [*We Students!*](/source/We,_Students!) (2022), which became the first feature from the [Central African Republic](/source/Central_African_Republic) to screen at the [Berlin International Film Festival](/source/Berlin_International_Film_Festival). The project was unveiled at the Atlas Workshops of the [Marrakech International Film Festival](/source/Marrakech_International_Film_Festival), where it was presented as part of its development slate.[6]

*Congo Boy* is a co-production between companies from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and France. It is produced by Vicky Nelson Wackoro for Makongo Films, with co-producers [Dieudo Hamadi](/source/Dieudo_Hamadi) for Kiripi Films and Caroline Nataf for Unité.[6]

## Release

*Congo Boy* had its world premiere in the *[Un Certain Regard](/source/Un_Certain_Regard)* section at the [2026 Cannes Film Festival](/source/2026_Cannes_Film_Festival) on 15 May. It was one of three African films in the festival's official section.[7]

## References

1. ["The Screenings Guide of the 79th Festival de Cannes"](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2026/the-screenings-guide-of-the-79th-festival-de-cannes/). *Festival de Cannes*. 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

1. Ross, Rafa Sales (2026-05-22). ["Sandra Wollner’s ‘Everytime’ Wins Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes"](https://variety.com/2026/film/markets-festivals/cannes-un-certain-regard-winners-2026-1236756757/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2026-05-22.

1. Klashorst, Marc van de (2026-05-15). ["Cannes 2026 review: Congo Boy (Rafiki Fariala)"](https://icsfilm.org/festivals/cannes/2026-cannes/cannes-2026-review-congo-boy-rafiki-fariala/). *International Cinephile Society*. Retrieved 2026-05-22.

1. ["“CONGO BOY”: Rafiki Fariala, an alumnus of Ateliers Varan, selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival - Ateliers Varan"](https://www.ateliersvaran.com/en/article/congo-boy-rafiki-fariala-alumnus-ateliers-varan-selected-cannes-festival-2026__29654). *www.ateliersvaran.com*. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

1. ["CONGO BOY"](https://cinemadedemain.festival-cannes.com/en/f/congo-boy/). *Festival de Cannes*. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

1. Hopewell, John & Keslassy, Elsa (2022-11-16). ["‘We Students!’ Rafiki Fariala Preps Marrakech Buzz Project ‘Congo Boy’ with Makongo, Kiripi, Unité (EXCLUSIVE)"](https://variety.com/2022/film/global/rafiki-fariala-congo-boy-atlas-workshops-1235434251/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

1. Lasisi, Seyi (2026-04-15). ["Three African Titles Selected for 2026 Cannes Un Certain Regard"](https://culturecustodian.com/three-african-titles-selected-for-2026-cannes-un-certain-regard/). *The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.)*. Retrieved 2026-05-08.

## External links

- [Congo Boy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41592086/) at IMDb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Congo Boy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Boy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Boy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.