Léonie Abo, Pierre Mulele's wife, talks about her childhood in the village, the colonial school, the traditional marriage. Then her awareness during the five years inside the maquis. All African women will recognize themselves in this testimony. The peasant uprising in Congo-Zaire in 1963-1968 shook the whole world.
Never had a voice from within reached us. Leonie Abo is the only person alive to have attended the maquis from the first to the last day. Unforgettable scenes make us grasp the suffering of the villagers and the barbarity with which Mobutu's army mutilated and massacred them.

A former maquisard, Léonie Abo recounts with modesty how her life was intertwined with great history. Her testimonies are accompanied by the voice of the Malian singer Oumou Sangaré and by Bijou Ilonga, Congolese theater actress, percussionist, TV Host and dancer.

Wassis Hortense Léonie Abo (known as Léonie Hortense ABO) is the widow of Pierre Mulele (1928-1968) who was one of the leaders of the Kwilu rebellion (1963-1968) and opponent of Mobutu; he was assassinated in October 1968. Founding member and secretary general of the PSA (African Solidarity Party), Pierre Mulele was former Minister of Education in the Lumumba government and ambassador of the Stanleyville government in Cairo.

Léonie ABO is herself a veteran; she underwent "the commissioning" (torture). Born in 1945, she joined the anti-colonial struggle against the Belgians at the age of 14. She provides essential testimonies on the colonial period and the insurrection in Congo DRC from 1963 to 1968.

starring /avec
Léonie Abo, Oumou Sangaré, Bijou Ilonga

a film by / un film de
Mamadou DJIM KOLA

Mali / France / Belgium, 1998, Documentary, 52 mins, Portrait / Politics, BEtacam SP

Original Title / Titre original : Abo, une femme du Congo
International Title / Titre International (English / Anglais) :
Type / Type : Feature documentary / Moyen métrage Documentaire
Genres / Genres : Portrait, Politics / Portrait, Politique
Language / Langue de tournage : Unkown / Inconnue
Subtitles / Sous-titres : Unkown / Inconnus
Year of production / Année de production : 1999
Year of Release / Année de Sortie (Première) : 1999
Runtime / Durée : 51'40'' (51 mins 40 secondes)
Shooting Format / Format de tournage : Vidéo (Bétacam SP), en PAL
Film Colors / Couleurs : Color / Couleur
Country of Production / Pays de Production : Mali, France, Belgium / Mali, France, Belgique
Filmmaker's Country / Pays des Réalisateur : Burkina Faso
Country of Filming / Pays de tournage : Congo DRC / Congo RDC
Budget / Budget : Unkown / Inconnu
Tags / Thèmes : Congo, République démocratique du Congo (RDC), Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), Status of Women, Condition de la femme, Famille, Family, Women, Femmes, Histoire, History, Société, Society, Film containing archival footage, Film contenant des images d'archives, Broadcast, Diffusion à la télévision


PARTICIPANTS
Wassis Hortense Léonie ABO (aka Léonie ABO)................. Herself / Elle-même
Oumou SANGARÉ......................................................... Herself / Elle-même
Bijou ILONGA.............................................................. Herself / Elle-même

DIRECTOR / RÉALISATEUR :
Mamadou DJIM KOLA

Screenwriter / Scénariste :
Ludo MARTENS

Screenplay from the book / Scénario tiré du livre : Une Femme du Congo, Bruxelles: EPO, 1991, 272p. ISBN: 2 87262 046. (Auto)biographie, by Ludo Martens. Ce livre a été lancé à l'occasion de la 12 ème édition du Festival Panafricain du Cinéma de Ouagadougou (FESPACO) en 1991.

ADAPTATION / ADAPTATION :
Jan Vromman

Cinematography / Image :
Patrick BERNARD
Soumala OUÉDRAOGO
Johnny HUYSSER

COMPOSER / COMPOSITRICE :
Oumou SANGARÉ

Editing / Montage :
Johnny HUYSSER

Production :
REGARDS CROISÉS (France)
VIDÉOCAM (Belgique)
ORTM (Mali)
VALPARAISO

SUPPORT / SOUTIEN
Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF)

DISTRIBUTION
Circuit de distribution : institutionnel

Our Sources / Nos Sources :
https://aflit.arts.uwa.edu.au/AboLeonie.html
https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb42677249t
https://twitter.com/giressbaggothy/status/1350843521268387840
Beïda Chikhi, Marc Quaghebeur, Peter Lang - Les écrivains francophones interprètes de l'histoire: entre filiation et dissidence. 2007, 561 pages (pp. 315-317)
Ludo Martens - Une Femme du Congo. Bruxelles: EPO, 1991. (272p.) ISBN: 2 87262 046. (Auto)biographie.
Ludo Martens - Abo. Une femme du Congo. Bruxelles/Paris: éditions EPO/L'Harmattan, 1995