The Congolese Salon d’exile en Rio de Janeiro

Using the motif of seven haircuts, a new film gives voice to Afro-Brazilian migrant stories and the similar inequalities in the two continents. The background is neo-colonialist exploitation by multinational companies, and privatizing Petrobras was also on that agenda. Like Europe, Brazil is racist, "but we don't lock up refugees''.

The history of slavery in what became the USA, and the subsequent racism are well-known, but it is estimated that 40% of African slaves were taken to Brazil, and only 5% to the US.

Luciana Bezerra, Gustavo Melo and Pedro Rossi are the directors of "7 Haircuts in Congo", which was shown recently at the DocLisboa film festival. With producer Isabel Joffily they made this documentary about a Congolese barber shop in Rio de Janeiro where the owner Pablo Mupapa does much more than cut hair.

The film began 12 years ago when Pedro was in Angola and the neighbouring DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) was going through a political crisis. Returning to Rio he met Pablo, and his previous film script gave way to a new take on Afro-Brazilian history. Brazil is similar to countries like the DRC and Angola, both through the neo-colonial influence of multinational companies based in the North, and huge degrees of inequality, yet little of Brazil's foreign history is taught in its schools.

Leaked documents have suggested that the huge Operation Car Wash corruption case was used as a tool of US influence in Brazil.

The film won prizes at the Festival Olhar de Cinema and the International Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro. It will be shown during Black Consciousness Week(Semana da Consciencia Negra) this month.I spoke to Pedro Rossi by Zoom for The Prisma.

The interview can be read in full with links and film stills here: https://theprisma.co.uk/2022/11/07/the-congolese-salon-dexile-in-rio-de-janeiro/