On 8 October, FOMU and Cinema Soleil are hosting a screening of the animated film Allah n’est pas obligé. Before and after the film, you can take part in Reading or Relax Sessions, alongside a performance by Abigaille & Issa Ndour.
Step into the world of Allah n’est pas obligé on Thursday 8 October. The animated film brings to life the cult novel of the same name by Ahmadou Kourouma (1927–2003), one of the most important Ivorian writers of the twentieth century.
Program
18:00–18:50 – Reading Session with mobile library
18:50 – Start Relax Session
19:00 – Live performance Abigaille (voice) & Issa Ndour (kora)
19:45 – Film: Allah n’est pas obligé
21:10 – second Relax Session with Ampomah Secure
23:00 – End
SYNOPSIS
Birahima, a Guinean orphan boy of about ten, leaves his village to cross the border and find his aunt in Liberia. He follows in the footsteps of Yacouba, a smooth-talking man who poses as a leader. But along the way, an encounter with child soldiers changes his fate forever. Forcibly recruited, Birahima finds himself on the path of war—what awaits him in this world of chaos and violence?
"Allah is not obliged to be just in all of his doings down here." This line runs through the film as its leitmotif. Birahima repeats it throughout his story. Not as an excuse. As a survival strategy.
LIVE PERFORMANCES & RELAX SESSION
Abigaille Vungu
Abigaille Vungu, better known as Abigaille, is a singer-songwriter with a deep love for soul, R&B, jazz, and gospel. With her warm, expressive voice and passion for storytelling, she brings every song to life in an honest and personal way.
In addition to her original songs, Abigaille also enjoys putting her own spin on music that inspires her. With genuine emotion, musicality, and an intimate stage presence, she aims to move and connect with her audience.
Issa Ndour
Issa Ndour is a flutist, kora and djembe player, born into a griot family. Tradition runs through his hands, but he does not stop there. Issa blends Afro-rhythms with blues and jazz, playing traditional West African instruments such as the fula flute, kora and djembe. He constantly reexamines and questions these instruments, and keeps searching for new crossings with other influences and sounds.
Ampomah Secure
Ampomah Secure is een verborgen parel die de laatste tijd stevig doorbreekt in de Antwerpse muziekscene. Bekend om zijn dynamische selecties en aanstekelijke energie, mixt hij moeiteloos Afro House, Deep House, Afro Tech, 3-Step, Highlife en Gqom tot sets die je meteen omhoog tillen.
Ritme en beweging vormen de kern van zijn werk. Ampomah Secure bouwt muzikale ervaringen die mensen samenbrengen en de dansvloer omtoveren tot een plek van viering, verbinding en vreugde. Zijn talent om soulvolle melodieën te versmelten met krachtige percussie maakt elke set energiek en onvergetelijk.
Cinema Soleil
Cinema Soleil focuses on Afro-perspectives and stories, presenting a carefully curated selection of short films and concerts. The evening provides a platform for films that rarely get the spotlight within the traditional film circuit, but that excel in expressiveness, emotion, and visual imagination. To round out the evening, the films are accompanied by live concerts themed around that day’s topic. The program gives space to voices that move, challenge, and connect.
In addition to the screenings, filmmakers and musicians engage in conversation with the audience. Themes such as identity, creation within a diaspora context, personal narratives, and the power of storytelling are central to this open discussion. The evening invites encounter, dialogue, and inspiration.
Read & Relax
Read & Relax is an Antwerp-based literary community and nonprofit organization that makes reading appealing, social, and accessible again by bringing people together around books, stories, and cultural experiences.
