Who Is Djo

Tunda Wa Munga and What Is He Known For
Djo Tunda Wa Munga is an award-winning film producer, director, screenwriter, and entrepreneur best known for his work on the cult classic Viva Riva! (2010). He was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and studied literature and film at the University of Kinshasa before moving to Belgium in 1997 to attend the film academy in Brussels.
Wa Munga quickly emerged as a major figure in Central and West African cinema, winning multiple awards for his films. His debut feature-length film Viva Riva!, which he wrote, produced and directed, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010 and was the highest-grossing Congolese movie of all-time. The film centered on the illegal fuel trade in his home country and tackled the issues of corruption with a soundtrack featuring Congolese rumba and soukous.
In addition to Viva Riva!, Wa Munga has directed several short films, music videos and television series. In 2017, he directed and produced his second feature-length film, She is K.I., which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film chronicled the struggles of a Congolese woman living in Paris who gets embroiled in the underground world of human trafficking.
Wa Munga’s work has earned him several accolades from the international film community, including the Citizen of Honor award from the International Festival of Black African Cinemas in 1994 and the Amiens International Film Festival Prize in 2011. Recently, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Luxor African Film Festival.
Wa Munga is a supporter of the Congolese film industry, which he believes can help break stereotypes and promote change in the region. He is currently the Director of the African Film Institute and is the founder of the Kinzonzi Collective, a production fund to support independent films by local African filmmakers.
In 2016, Wa Munga made history by becoming the first African to produce an Oscar-winning film, receiving the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary for the movie Watani: My Homeland.
In conclusion, Djo Tunda Wa Munga is one of the most acclaimed figures in African cinema and a champion for the independent film industry in his homeland. From powerful films such as Viva Riva! and She is K.I. to his award-winning work in documentaries, Wa Munga is respected throughout the international film community and continues to be an influential voice in the industry.