Bangui, Central African Republic. 17-year-old Robert dreams of a career in music, but civil war is tearing the country apart. When both his parents are thrown into prison, he is left to look after his four younger siblings on his own, juggling daily life, odd jobs, school exams and concert stages, determined to follow his dream.

“I’m a Congolese refugee who came to the Central African Republic
as a child. CONGO BOY is my story told through fiction – through the character of Robert, played by Bradley Fiomona. It’s the story of the year my parents went to prison – the year I found myself alone with four younger siblings and forced to find a way to survive. The year music became my lifeline. Everything that happens in the film really happened to me.” (Rafiki Fariala)

Rafiki Fariala, born as Fariala Alolea Albert in 1997 in Uvira/Democratic Republic of Congo, arrived as a young child in the Central African Republic, where his parents had sought refuge due to the war. In 2013, he recorded his very first track, “Je Suis Élève”, which became a hit, and adopted his stage name: Rafiki – Rh2o. In 2017, he discovered filmmaking during a documentary course in Bangui. Alongside his economics studies at the University of Bangui, he directed WE, STUDENTS!, a feature-length documentary which won numerous festival awards. CONGO BOY is his first feature film.

Filmography (selection): 2022 WE, STUDENTS!, 2026 CONGO BOY

Awards: Award for Best Actor in the section “Un Certain Regard“ (Cannes International Film Festival, France 2026)