Kinshasa Symphony - Classical Music in the Congo

In utter darkness, two hundred musicians are playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – Ode to Joy. A power cut occurred just a few measures before the final phrase came to an end. No big deal for the only symphony orchestra in Congo. Since it was created fifteen years ago, this orchestra has lived through two coups d’état, several crises and a civil war. Luckily, there is passion for music and hope in a better future. Kinshasa Symphony accompanies men and women who are experimenting a complex system of collective life – a symphony orchestra –, in one of the most chaotic big cities of the world. This film portrays Congo, inhabitants of Kinshasa and love for music.