Viva Riva!

Patsha Bay (Riva). [Photo courtesy of http://www.musicboxfilms.com/viva-riva.]

By Shannon J. Effinger

Viva Riva!, the new thriller from writer/director Djo Tunda Wa Munga, is an enthralling ride from start to finish. Set in Kinshasa, Congo, we meet Riva (Patsha Bay), a small time hustler who comes into a large fortune of stolen fuel and lives each day as though it were his last.

His appetite for food and women are equally voracious. As Riva wildly tears into huge chunks of meat with his teeth, he frequents the local brothel in the same unbridled manner. In the midst of his bacchanal, he sees the seductive Nora (Manie Malone) as she dances at a nightclub. However, we soon learn that Nora is the girlfriend of a local gangster. And while all of this is happening, César (Hoji Fortuna), a crime kingpin from Angola, along with his men, are now searching for Riva and the stolen fuel.

Antoine Roch’s cinematography captures both the dark, grittiness of Riva’s nightlife and the lush beauty of Kinshasa and its people. And while the fast-paced action of the storyline will entertain you, there are also subtle messages along the way about what is most valuable.

In Viva Riva!, Munga does not idealize Africa nor does he try to gloss over its problems. With fully developed characters and solid writing, he instead gives you slight yet effective touches of the Congo’s poverty and political climate. Munga’s Viva Riva! will surely do for the Congo what City of God has done for Brazil.

Viva Riva! was an official selection of the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. And be sure to catch it at the New York African Film Festival starting today at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center.

Check out my interview with the star of Viva Riva! Patsha Bay here:

SHAE talks with Patsha Bay by shannon-j-effinger

To learn more about this wonderful film, visit http://vivariva.com/.