07/02/2025 - Photographer and visual artist Sammy Baloji crafts a film essay that delves into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s colonial past and its ecological significance

True to tradition, IFFR continues to include film essays in its programming. One such title is Sammy Baloji’s The Tree of Authenticity [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which has had its world premiere in the Dutch gathering’s Tiger Competition.

Sammy Baloji is best known for his photography exploring Lubumbashi's 20th-century history, including Mémoire, the Album and the Kolwezi series. His body of work predominantly examines his native city’s colonial past under Belgian rule, from King Leopold II’s control to its later transfer to the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga.

The Tree of Authenticity is no exception. On this occasion, the photographer and visual artist crafts a film essay that delves into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s colonial past and its ecological significance. The feature opens with an article by environmental journalist Daniel Grossman, which tells of Ghent University biologist Koen Hufkens’ discovery of journals kept between 1937 and 1958. These records, originally compiled by researchers at the Yangambi Biological Station in the heart of the Congo Basin, document the jungle’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

Structured into three parts and voiced by Edson Anibal (playing Congolese agronomist Paul Panda Farnana, considered the country’s first intellectual), Diederik Peeters (Belgian agricultural engineer Abiron Beirnaert) and Pierre Van Steene (a tour guide), the picture weaves together personal testimonies and scientific analysis to trace the enduring effects of Belgian colonisation – not only on human lives, but also on the natural environment.

Sammy Baloji’s film essay is overall well assembled and quite a compelling experience when viewed on the big screen. However, it perhaps relies too heavily on shots depicting the landscape and an excessively contemplative pacing, which might at times hinder viewers’ engagement. In addition, it is not an easy piece to follow for those who do not have a fair knowledge of the Democratic Republic of Congo and its former Belgian rule. Some instances of on-screen text attempt to make this task easier, but it probably will not suffice for all.

Besides, a slightly more playful approach when it comes to making the voice-over narration and the images interact with each other would probably have been beneficial. A clearer – though not fully successful – attempt at achieving this is seen when, halfway through the movie, we listen to Beirnaert’s testimony, dating back to 1941. Beirnaert was the first director of the Oil Palm Division of Yangambi’s National Institute for Agronomic Study of the Belgian Congo. His speech touches on life in the colony, the exploitation of local resources and the theme of labour at large – here, Baloji tries to intertwine the engineer’s words with shots of material, images of contemporary workers and glimpses of wide industrial spaces.

All in all, The Tree of Authenticity emerges as a decent historical account of Belgian colonialism and a fairly well-crafted work, which mainly serves as a reminder of the consequences of failing to rethink our relationship with nature.

The Tree of Authenticity was produced by Belgian outfits Twenty Nine Studio & Production and Shelter Prod.