00:00In Kinshasa's limited district, toxic waste lines the streets and cloaks the waterways.
00:06A lot of it ends up in the Njili River, the city's main source of drinking water.
00:11Now the river is so full of waste it spills over, cutting off roads and disrupting daily
00:16life for residents.
00:18In the middle of this chaos sails a local legend, Mitsukilomboshi Lukumbi Henok, better
00:23known as Pap Noir or the Black Pope.
00:26Like a Congolese Jack Sparrow, he navigates the mocky waters of Njili as an artist on
00:31a mission.
00:32From his boat, he shows us the creative resistance emerging from a community drowning in waste.
00:38My name is Pap Noir, I'm a plastic artist and I live in the Limete commune in the Ndano
00:45Industrial District.
00:48This commune is called Limete Industrial because of all the industries that produce biscuits,
00:53candies, soap, beauty milk and paper are located here in Limete Industrial where I live.
01:04After each rain, rising waters flood these riverside dwellings.
01:08Pap Noir treads through the water on his way back as he shares the history of his neighbourhood.
01:13Back then, there were fields here.
01:17We grew rice because here it's a marshy area.
01:21It was only in 1982 or 1983 that disaster victims, originally from Kingabwa neighbourhood
01:28and victims of floods, asked former President Mobutu for permission to settle here.
01:34With little help from the government and toxic pollution from nearby factories, the neighbourhood
01:41is struggling.
01:42Yet new families keep arriving.
01:45With no space below, people are forced to live on rooftops.
01:48Faced with this reality, Pap Noir chose art as a means of expression.
01:53Through bold, provocative art, he exposes the harsh realities of life in Limete to demand
01:58change for the community.
01:59I live next to an iron bar production company.
02:04Often, they buy end-of-life cars.
02:07They only recover the iron from the vehicles.
02:10The rest of the waste, like plastic, is thrown into the street.
02:14When it rains, this waste obstructs the flow of water in the sewers and gutters, thus preventing
02:20its normal drainage.
02:22That's where I got the inspiration to create my first costume.
02:25Pounding drums draw the attention of curious crowds passing by.
02:32Pap Noir and his crew are using street performance as a form of protest.
02:37Their art is a bold statement against the unchecked dumping of waste.
02:45This work is unique and wearing it gives me the feeling of transforming myself in the face
02:49of the current problem that makes us suffer.
02:54For his next performance, Pap Noir draws inspiration from his ancestors.
03:00His performance is a window into the ancestral strength and way of life of our ancestors.
03:04Ngola is the white paint applied to the body, formerly used as a remedy to beautify the skin.
03:10It was also used during ancestral ceremonies.
03:14Today, this practice is neglected, which explains current problems such as pollution, a consequence
03:19of disrespecting ancestral values and practices.
03:29The impact is immediate.
03:31Residents stop to watch.
03:33Some take photos.
03:34With all eyes on him, Pap Noir ceases the moment to share his message.
03:39As a people, let's not throw our waste in the street.
03:44Let's not throw plastic in landfills in order to protect our environment.
03:48To my fellow artists, I can only encourage them to persevere in their denunciation.
03:55Whatever the obstacle is, a solution will eventually emerge with God's help.
04:04The road to clean streets and waterways is long, but not impossible.
04:09Bold artists like Pap Noir remind us that the future of our cities, rivers and communities
04:15is in our hands.
04:16Art has sparked the conversation.
04:19Now, it's up to the people to carry it forward.
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