Director

Djo Tunda Wa Munga

Cast list

Patsha Bay:  Riva
Manie Malone:  Nora
Hoji Fortuna:  César
Marlene Longange:  La Commandante
Diplome Amekindra:  Azor
Alex Herabo:  J.M.
Angelique Mbumb:  Malou
Nzita Tumba:  Mére Edo
Romain Ndomba:  G.O.
Jordan N’Tunga:  Anto
Thomas Bie:  Jorge
Davly Ilunga:  Joaquin
Bavon Diana Landa:  Pé’re Gaston
Sephora Francoise:  Mére de Riva
Joseph Kashala:  Pé’re de Riva

Synopsis

Riva is an operator, a man with charm and ambition in equal measure. Kinshasa is an inviting place. With petrol in short supply in DRC’s capital, he and his sidekick pursue a plot to get hold of a secret cache – barrels of fuel they can sell for a huge profit. Of course they’re not the only ones who want the stuff. Cesar is a ruthless, sharply dressed foreigner thriving in Kinshasa’s lawless streets. A female military officer joins the fray. Even the church will betray its tenets for a piece of the action. But Riva’s main nemesis is Azor, a crime boss in the classic style: big, decadent and brutal. He’s not a man to mess with, but his girlfriend, Nora may just be the most seductive woman in all of DRC. Riva catches sight of her dancing at a nightclub and it’s not long before Nora matches the fuel cache as a coveted object of his lust.

Reviews

“Viva Riva! Movie Review”, Roger Ebert

“Viva Riva! – review”, Andrew Pulver

“Viva Riva!”, Jeannette Catsoules

“Report on Film Africa: Celebrating African Cinema”, 3-13 November 2011 by Lindiwe Dovey, Journal of African Cultural Studies, Vol. 24, No. 1 (June 2012), pp. 113-120