Documentary film on the transcontinental collaboration of GROUP50:50
In November 2023, the members of GROUP50:50 met in Berlin for a week to reflect on their collaboration and, in particular, on the process of creating the post-documentary musical theatre «The Ghosts are Returning». The group consists of artists from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Switzerland and Germany. They thematise colonial crimes and neo-colonial mechanisms of exploitation in their work. Half of the positions are always filled by people from the DR Congo, the other half is made up of members from Germany or Switzerland.
What kind of tool is it?
The reflection process was documented in short interviews with the participants. These were edited into a ten-minute film that gives viewers an insight into the advantages and pitfalls of transcontinental cooperation. It also explores how the week of reflection unfolded. A central theme of the week of reflection was collaboration within an asymmetrical distribution of resources, which remains clearly apparent even when the group demographics (in this case, consisting of Congolese and European members) are balanced.
The short film, which consists of excerpts from the interviews, aims to encourage
other groups to address the entanglements between personal and structural conflicts that can occur in heterogeneous groups. Unravelling these misunderstandings, inequalities and injuries takes courage and time. By sharing their – sometimes very personal – insights, GROUP50:50 wishes to highlight that these negotiation processes are worth the effort.
Impressum
Authorship: GROUP50:50
Cinematography & editing: Franck Moka, Joseph Kasau,
Voiceover & surtitles: Luca Maier
Published 13.3.2026