The Importance of Being Elegant
2004 · 70 min · Documentary
Set to the soundtrack of Papa Wemba's extraordinary music, this outrageous, funny and eye-opening film depicts the underground world of a flamboyant African cult. Papa Wemba is a well-known Congolese singer. He is also a big cheese in Le Sape, the Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants, which translated into English means a society of people who spend huge amounts of money on designer clothes with the motive of making themselves as conspicuously elegant as possible. The film is a splendid evocation of Papa Wemba's music, but it is also an unusual insight into what it means to be an immigrant in contemporary Europe. The sapeur have borrowed from our own culture, creating something rich and strange and wholly Congolese. Don't miss the scene where they try on fur coats.
- Directors
- Cosima Spender, George Amponsah
- Released
- August 14, 2004
- Language
- French
Cast
Where to watch in the US
No US streaming, rental or purchase options listed right now. Check TMDB's watch page
Streaming data from JustWatch, via TMDB.