Maxime Jean-Baptiste

Kouté vwa (Listen to the Voices)

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Director Maxime Jean-Baptiste Composer Mayouri Tchô Nèg, Josy Masse, Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, London Symphony Orchestra (lso) Cast Melrick Diomar, Nicole Diomar, Yannick Cébret

Fact vs Fiction Belgian Cinema Today New Voices Docs Explore Zone Veerkracht

4.5/5

Edition 2024

Official Selection

76' - 2024 - Docudrama, Family, Documentary, Youth / Coming-Of-Age - Format: DCP - Dialogue: French

Can making a film help heal decade-old wounds? Kouté Vwa (Listen to the Voices) is director Maxime Jean-Baptiste’s heartfelt attempt in the memory of his murdered cousin Lucas. Awarded twice in Locarno, this gripping docu-fiction searches for answers in Lucas’s French-Guyanese birthplace, to the rhythm of his family and its mourning community.

"We'll never forget you!" So read the posters in Lucas's hometown of Mont Lucas, on the outskirts of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana. Ten years after the tragic death, his 13-year-old nephew Melrick is spending the summer holidays with his grandmother in the violence-ridden neighbourhood. Like his uncle, the drumming teenager has music in his blood. The docu-fiction Kouté Vwa explores what Melrick's presence does to the neighbourhood, and in particular to Lucas' best friend Yannick. The title is French-Guyanese Creole for 'listen to the voices' and that is what director Maxime Jean-Baptiste, who is also related to Lucas, does. He listens to how his spirit lives on in the hearts and drums of the entire community, trying to help them through the long mourning process. At Locarno, this poignant yet serene debut feature was awarded a jury prize and a special mention.