Dieudo Hamadi (born February 22, 1984) is a Congolese filmmaker and producer. He is known for documentaries that portray the struggles of ordinary people facing conflict, corruption, and social challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Early life and education Hamadi was born in Kisangani. After starting medical studies in 2005, he eventually turned to filmmaking after participating in two workshops held in Kinshasa in 2007, one led by fellow Congolese Djo Munga. He went on to graduate from the INSAS film school in Brussels.
Career Hamadi initially directed music videos and commercials before turning to documentary filmmaking. His first short documentary film, Ladies in Waiting (Dames en attente), won the Pierre et Yolande Perrault Grant for an emerging filmmaker at the Cinéma du Réel film festival in 2010.Siegfried Forster, "La traversée du réel". Radio France Internationale, March 30, 2010. The film was part of Congo in Four Acts, an anthology of four short films by emerging Congolese filmmakers, which also included his short film,Tolerance Zero.
In 2013, his feature film (Town Criers) won the Cinéma du Réel festival's Joris Ivens Prize for Best First Film.Antoinette Delafin, "RDC: «Atalaku» ou l’urgence du témoignage". Radio France Internationale, April 10, 2013. In 2014, he won the same festival's Potemkine and Société civile des auteurs multimédia awards for (National Diploma),Patrick Kiamini, "Cinéma du réel : le film « Examen d’État » a remporté deux prix". Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale, April 10, 2014. and in 2017 he won the festival's Grand Prize for Mama Colonel.Fabien Lemercier, "Mama Colonel emerges triumphant at Cinéma du Réel". Cineuropa, April 3, 2017.
In 2017, he founded his Kinshasa-based production company, Kiripifilms.
In 2018, his film Kinshasa Makambo won the Tim Hetherington Award at the 2018 Sheffield DocFest,Ben Dalton, "'The Silence Of Others' takes top Sheffield Doc/Fest prize". Screen Daily, June 13, 2018. and the True Vision Award at the 2018 True/False Film Festival."Congolese filmmaker to receive True Vision Award". Columbia Missourian, February 6, 2018.
His 2020 film Downstream to Kinshasa (En route pour le milliard) was named an Official Selection of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, the first film from the Democratic Republic of the Congo ever nominated.Christopher Vourlias, "‘Downstream to Kinshasa,’ First Congolese Film in Cannes Official Selection, Honors Resilience of War Victims". Variety, June 26, 2020. Mostly known only in his own country until then, Downstream brought Hamadi to the attention of a global audience. Due to the cancellation of the festival in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in France, it was not screened at that time; however, it was given an online screening for distributors as part of the Marché du Film.Elsa Keslassy, "Cannes’ Virtual Marché du Film Unveils Expanded Cannes Docs Lineup". Variety, June 10, 2020. It had its public premiere in September 2020 as part of the Planet Africa program at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival,Jeremy Kay, "TIFF adds special events including new edition of Planet Africa, live talks series". Screen Daily, August 25, 2020. where it received an honorable mention from the jury for the Amplify Voices Award.Daniele Alcinii, "TIFF ’20: “Inconvenient Indian” takes People’s Choice Documentary Award". RealScreen, September 21, 2020.
He next co-directed Lumumba: Return of a Hero (Lumumba, le retour d'un héros), a 2023 documentary about the return of Patrice Lumumba's remains to the DRC from Belgium.
In 2024 he wrote and produced Life is a Railroad (La Vie est un chemin de fer) a feature film combining four short films by Maria Donda, Okoko Nyumbaiza, Moimi Wezam et Michael Bauma.
As of June 2026, Hamadi is in post-production on a 6-episode Sci-Fi-Fantasy series, Milimo, Les âmes errantes de Kinshasa, which he is producing and directing for Canal +.
He served as a member of the main Competition jury for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. At the same festival, Hamadi joined fellow Congolese in founding the Okapi Film Collective, an initiative to strengthen the Congolese film industry through international collaboration.
Filmography Hamadi's films include: Year Film Genre Role Duration (min) 2010 Ladies in Waiting(Dames en attente) Short documentary on a maternity ward Co-director with Divita Wa Lusala 24 m 2013 (Town Criers) Drama feature on Congo's 2011 presidential election Director, screenwriter 62 m 2014 (National Diploma) Documentary feature on Kisangani students Director, screenwriter 90 m 2017 Mama Colonel(Maman Colonelle) Documentary on a female police officersupporting victims of sexual abuse Director, screenwriter 72 m 2018 Kinshasa MakamboSteve Macfarlane, "“You Must Be Reactive in the Face of Danger”: Dieudo Hamadi on Kinshasa Makambo". Filmmaker Magazine, March 13, 2018. Documentary on Joseph Kabila's third term Director, screenwriter 75 m 2020 Downstream to Kinshasa(En route pour le milliard)Jonathan Romney, "‘Downstream To Kinshasa’: DOK Leipzig Review (Cannes Label)". Screen Daily, October 27, 2020. Documentary on war invalids Director, screenwriter 90 m2023Lumumba: Return of a Hero (Lumumba, le retour d'un héros)DocumentaryDirector, screenwriter86 m2024Life is a Railroad (La Vie est un chemin de fer)Feature filmProducer, screenwriter90 m2025Les âmes errantes de KinshasaTelevision seriesProducer, directorPost-production
Awards Hamadi's films obtained 16 awards and 23 nominations, including: Film Festival Award Atalaku(Town Criers, 2013) Cinéma du Réel 2013 Prix Joris Ivens du Meilleur Premier film (National Diploma, 2014) Cinéma du Réel 2014 Cinéma du Réel SCAM Award2014 Cinéma du Réel Potemkine Award,(Prix des éditeurs) Mama Colonel(Maman Colonelle, 2017) Berlin International Film Festival 2017 Winner Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Downstream to Kinshasa(En route pour le milliard, 2020) Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2020 Winner Amplify Voices Award Special mention idem Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival 2021 Winner Silver ApricotFeature Competition idem International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights 2021 Winner Gilda Vieira de Mello Award idem War on Screen 2021 Winner International Jury Grand Prize
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