Wi Da Monikongo
The name Wi Da Monikongo means “We Are Audiovisual Image”. It combines the ancestral Afro-descendant languages of Colombia: the Creole language of the Raizal communities (of Colombia’s San Andrés archipelago) in which Wi Da means We Are; and the Palenquera language of the town of San Basilio de Palenque (founded near Cartagena in colonial times by escaped enslaved people) in which Monikongo means Image/Audiovisual.
Wi Da Monikongo is a network which brings together into regional nodes the diverse Afro-descendant individuals and organizations from different regions of Colombia who work in cinema, as well as many other audiovisual forms and images. The network acts as a consultative body that connects people and media who share common goals. The network has various allies in the public and private sectors.
CARLA supported Wi Da Monikongo to curate a showcase of Afro-Colombian filmmakers whose works address issues of race, racism and racialization. The curation included providing sub-titles in English and Portuguese. The showcase was streamed open-access for one month from 13 June 2024 on Colombian community streaming platform, INDYON.TV, providing an important boost for Afro-Colombian film and enabling the filmmakers to promote their work on the international stage (e.g., in film festivals).
The stills on this page are selected from three of the works in the showcase: Reparaciones (Reparations) by Wilson Borja, La Lupa: racismo y desigualdad (The Magnifying Glass: Racism and Inequality) by Nemecio Berrio Guerrero, and La muñeca negra. Una historia basada en el libro de Mary Grueso (The Black Doll: a Story Based on the Book by Mary Grueso) by ángela jim cano valencia.
Access the showcase on INDYON.TV
Learn more about the filmmakers and other members of Wi Da Monikongo