Vive La Sape

Synopsis

Vive La Sape follows the transformative journeys of an aspiring Sapeur and Sapeuse from Kinshasa and its opposing city Brazzaville, as they learn the fundamentals of la Sape, fight against entrenched gender stereotypes and prepare to compete at Congo’s most renowned annual dance of designer labels competition. As their parallel narratives unfold, we are drawn deeper into the mesmerising and raw world of the Sapeurs: examining how they deal with the adversity of extreme poverty, women’s rights and homophobia in a country devastated by civil wars that is currently experiencing an epidemic of sexual violence against women.