1181665
1181665

The Importance of Being Elegant

2004-08-14 fr 70m
Documentary
Set to the soundtrack of Papa Wemba's extraordinary music, this outrageous, funny and eye-opening film depicts the underground world of a flamboyant African cult. Papa Wemba is a well-known Congolese singer. He is also a big cheese in Le Sape, the Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants, which translated into English means a society of people who spend huge amounts of money on designer clothes with the motive of making themselves as conspicuously elegant as possible. The film is a splendid evocation of Papa Wemba's music, but it is also an unusual insight into what it means to be an immigrant in contemporary Europe. The sapeur have borrowed from our own culture, creating something rich and strange and wholly Congolese. Don't miss the scene where they try on fur coats.

Executive Producer

Laurent Bocahut

Director

Cosima Spender

Line Producer

Askia Traoré

Editor

Valerio Bonelli

Director

George Amponsah

Executive Producer

Tom Roberts

Status

Released

Budget

$250,000

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Companies

  • October Films
  • Dominant 7