synopsis
Five actors search for a playwright in an ironic, essayistic exploration of the influence of the wealthy West on the African continent. The film introduces us to a situation in which the five actors gather in the garden of a colonial villa to rehearse a play set in an alternative reality, in which all international organisations and non-profit initiatives have abandoned East Africa. However, the play’s director has not turned up. The actors’ wanderings, interspersed with shots of deserted exteriors, are accompanied by a narrative voice-over which introduces us to a series of absurd twists and turns concerning the theatre project, but above all the current situation in Africa itself.
“A young man named Mahoro, which means ‘peace’. He is only a fiction, an invention of the director, and should not possess will nor power of his own. But this man of peace has driven the director to the brink of madness.“
biography
Philipp Fröhlich (1986) was born in East Berlin. His artistic creation and various research projects focus on the impact of global institutions on everyday life. He has also been in-volved in a number of collaborative film and visual art projects.
film details
| director: | Philipp Fröhlich |
| cast: | Régine Yera, Christophe Armel Arakazandoruwanka, Paulin Ndayishimiye, Claudia Munyengabe, Valérie Christie Akamba, Joyeux Nstinzi, Star Rugori, El Malove Mwarimu |
| producer: | Diane Kaneza, Adonaëlle Ishaka, Philipp Fröhlich |
| script: | Francine Munyana, Philipp Fröhlich |
| photography: | Philipp Fröhlich, Richard Malikonge |
| music: | Vivy Muyomba, Linah Blanche, Maxine Maxine, Wardah Assadullah |
| sound: | Krazzi Bright, Aaron Hassan Mikobi |
| co-producer: | Adonaëlle Ishaka, Philipp Fröhlich |
contact
Philipp Fröhlich
contact@codependent.info
Film at festival
| premiere type: | World Premiere |
| festival edition: | 2026 |
| section: | First Lights |
| language: | Kirundi, French |
| subtitles: | Czech, English |
| colour: | Colour |
Info
| director: | Philipp Fröhlich |
| original title: | After the Rehearsal |
| country: | Burundi, Germany |
| year: | 2026 |
| running time: | 67 min. |