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International Disruptors: Congolese Rumba Star Fally Ipupa & Writer-Director Hamed Mobasser Talk Importance Of Portraying Congo “In A New Light” For ‘Rumba Royale’
Fally Ipupa and writer-director Hamed Mobasser discuss making 'Rumba Royale', a 1950s Congo-set story set against the backdrop of Congolese rumba
“One of the main reasons I was drawn to this movie is because of the story and how it represents Congo and portrays rumba music,” Ipupa tells Deadline of his first film role. The plot unfolds through the lives of four central characters, each woven into the fabric of a city on the brink of change: Daniel (Ipupa), the bohemian photographer yearning for recognition; Olive (Melanie Bokata), the vivacious waitress caught between dreams and harsh realities; Sese (Patrick Kabundi), the jovial manager of the Rumba Royale; and Amandine (Cécile Djunga), the seemingly discreet figure orchestrating both the music and struggle for independence. When Mobasser was stationed at the Belgian embassy in Kinshasa from 2020 to 2024, he met a variety of different artists in the region and ended up making a short film, an experience that gave him exposure to the local, burgeoning industry.
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