Sponsored by Department of Anthropology and Geography

In a vitrine at the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium stands the nkisi of Ne Kuko, far away from his Congolese home in the mountains of Boma. This mysterious power statue was looted from its community and has been on display and trapped behind glass for more than 100 years.

In The Story of Ne Kuko, the voice of an ancestor brings the nkisi’s past to life. He describes how the land of Boma, ruled by nine chiefs until the 19th century, changed radically in a short time with the arrival of the first Europeans.

The film shows the mission of present-day restitution activist Mwazulu Diyabanza to get African objects held in European museums returned to their homeland. He believes that change should not have to wait any longer and hopes his actions will spark discussion on the restitution of colonial heritage. Ne Kuko’s story takes Mwazulu to highlands of Boma. The true meaning of Ne Kuko’s statue unfolds.