MABOUNGOU: Being in the World (2023)

This 48-minute-long documentary delves into the resonant universe of Montréal-based dancer, choreographer, and philosopher Zab Maboungou, of Franco-Congolese origin. For over thirty years, the artist has galvanized the contemporary dance scene with her radically regrounded conception of time, the body, and the self. Maboungou masterfully transforms sites of identity and being, observing and altering the timeless moments that define our place in the world. Her personal and political history, her artistry, and her pioneering research of rhythm cultures are acts of empowerment that have created a sense of place for other African dance artists in Canada and abroad.

Directors: Marlene Millar and Philip Szporer
Choreographer, Dancer, Composer: Zab Maboungou
Cinematographers: Michael Wees, Peter Krieger
Writers: Marlene Millar, Philip Szporer, Dr. 'Funmi Adewole Elliott
Editor: Mark Durand
Animator: Kara Blake
Original Music Composition: Judith Gruber-Stitzer
Sound Designer: Judith Gruber-Stitzer
Music and Recording Mixer: François Arbour
Dialogue Editor: Daniel Toussaint
Researcher: Lucy Fandel
Visual Researcher: Siam Obregón
Online Editor: Tony Manolikakis (Rev13 Films)
Narration: Dr. 'Funmi Adewole Elliott, Philip Szporer
Producers: Marlene Millar and Philip Szporer (Mouvement Perpétuel)

Press Quotes

“Directed by Mouvement Perpetuel (Philip Szporer and Marlene Millar), the documentary’s poetic approach lends itself to Maboungou’s brilliant philosophies on society, individuality, democracy, and time that flow from her relationship to dance. Growing up in Congo-Brazzaville during the country’s fight for independence from colonialism, Maboungou’s family fled to France and she later settled in Montreal. The film opens like a myth. Narration written by dance scholar Dr. ‘Funmi Adewole Elliott lends timelessness to Maboungou’s deeply personal history as a girl of mixed European-African heritage growing up in Central Africa during a period of social and political upheaval. Archival footage captures the liveliness of village dance circles that Maboungou participated in as a child, which became central to her understanding of the world. In Maboungou’s words, “dance was part of the revolutions, dance is processing history.” Sequenced with environmental shots of Montreal through the seasons, the documentary posits what it might mean to exist at the confluence of two cultures (French and Congolese), between tradition and colonialism, and to be rooted in Central Africa while living in Canada.” - Jo Minhinnett, Fjord

Film Festival Screenings

Symposiums/Conferences

Directors’ Note

This first-ever documentary on Zab Maboungou’s life and times is anchored in the philosophy embedded in the dance that she creates and the aesthetic of her personal trajectory. As filmmakers, we see Maboungou as a profound and engaged artist pushing forward the art of dance, all the while respecting the rigour of her technique and conveying the richness of its roots. We are drawn to her ability to work at the forefront of current expression, inherently challenging the norms and preconceptions surrounding African dances, always embracing a constantly evolving culture.

Our scope of work in dance-media is often conceptually cross-cultural, infusing hybrid content and form, and we continually want to open ourselves to a dialogue on layered authenticities.