Bois Noir is a unique Mahala project that aims to shine a light on the dark heart of Africa.
JR, Montle and McGee are three broke Jozi-based creatives with big dreams and empty wallets. Driven to despair photographing, reporting and participating in South Africa’s street culture scene they hatch a simple plan. Leveraging off JR’s family connections to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruling elite, the self-described Good Time Mafia of South African youth culture plan to make some hard cash by establishing a photographic studio and media shop in Kinshasa. Lord help them.
Bois Noir (Black Wood) is a unique creative multi media project presented by Mahala, that aims to document the lives and experiences of three of South Africa’s freshest talents, as they struggle to establish themselves, and their business, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In so doing, they will act as the crowbar that lifts the lid and exposes the culture, politics, society and creative industries of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through photographs, video clips, interviews and the written word, published online with weekly video blogs, in print and in film, the Bois Noir crew will allow audiences to track their daily exploits: triumphs and failures and journey with them as they try to make art, and their fortunes.
Imagine Creme Cartel meets Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness at a Bush Meat barbecue Big Space is behind the decks, JR is amping the vibe and McGee is shooting the pics and drinking the tequila out the bottle. It’s a story that cuts to the heart of the crisis of being young, creative and broke – set in a truly African paradigm and providing insight into the cultural workings of Africa’s sleeping giant.
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