Jean-Michel Tchissoukou's The Wrestlers is one of the few feature films made in Congo-Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo). It has long been unavailable, and was mostly forgotten until the Portuguese based distributor Marfilmes restored and released it last year. The Wrestlers is a mix of documentary and drama; part anthropological study, part slice of life story, part sports movie. In the village of Dongou, the community is preparing for the upcoming carnival in a neighboring town. As part of the high school's program to educate students in their African heritage, a traditional pongo wrestling contest is being held, and a French wrestler has been giving the job of coaching the town's teenage males to be the best fighters out there. One wrestler in particular has fallen in love with a shy young woman who loves to draw, but their relationship is a complicated one. Meanwhile there are various other townsfolk all with their own stories. The Wrestlers is a film of visual beauty, shot in rich color, Tchissoukou took advantage of the gorgeous Congolese scenery. Sadly, the film does not live up to its potential; The Wrestlers is more of a pleasant National Geographic documentary (albeit without the western gaze) than it is an engaging film. A great deal of beautiful scenery, some nice traditional music, men throwing each other to the ground, but not a lot in the way of actual narrative. It feels as if the narrative elements were just tacked on, though there are moments of genuine pathos, it was quite underdeveloped. With some of the characters and situations that pop up throughout the film, one has to wonder why these threads were not pursued further. The dynamics between the various members of the community, their quirks, and relationships were far more interesting than documentary footage. It is very much worth watching for the peek it gives into Congolese society, but leaves one wanting more.
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