Léa, Noëlle, Monique, Simone and Marie-José were born in the Congo, the daughters of a Black mother and a white father. When they were between 2 and 5 years old, they were taken away from their mothers by the Belgian colonial authorities as part of a systematic policy of racial segregation.

This animated documentary recounts their childhood memories and the trauma they experienced. The film uses live-action footage to report on the legal proceedings they have brought against the Belgian state for crimes against humanity.

MÉTISSES – CINQ FEMMES CONTRE UN CRIME D'ÉTAT – DIRECTED BY QUENTIN NOIRFALISSE AND JEAN-CHARLES MBOTTI MALOLO, FRANCE, BELGIUM, 2026, 1H 26M, IN FRENCH WITH DUTCH SUBTITLES
 

Acces Dialogue

The screening will be followed by a conversation led by psychologist Tania Nyanguile with researchers Pauline Malenga Mwanga and Chiaria Candaele, and artist and writer Jacques Albert, on identity, recognition and the lasting impact of historical injustice.

The stories of five women who, as children, were victims of Belgium’s colonial segregation policy form the starting point. Why is recognition so important? How does trauma persist across generations? And how do we, as a society, deal with painful histories? An open discussion with space for personal experiences and collective reflection.

Tania Nyanguile is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Vulnera platform. She works on wellbeing and structural inequality, drawing on an intersectional perspective and a strong belief in the power of vulnerability and community.

Pauline Malenga Mwanga is a researcher at the Department of History at the University of Antwerp, a speaker and a writer. Her work focuses on Belgian-Congolese history, cultural representation and identity formation, with a particular focus on the impact of colonial legacies on young people from the Congolese diaspora.

Chiara Candaele is a postdoctoral researcher at the Huygens Institute and the University of Antwerp. She is interested in the historical intersections between care and power, and conducts research into children in (post)colonial societies. Between 2020 and 2023, she was a research assistant at the State Archives and on the Resolutie-Metissen project.

Jaak Albert was born in Rwanda in 1952 to a Rwandan mother and a Belgian father. As a métis child, he was placed in a Save institution in 1958 and transferred to Belgium in 1960, where he grew up in a foster family. As a graphic artist and author, he has for many years been exploring and coming to terms with his personal history and that of the colonial métis children from Rwanda-Burundi, with a particular focus on identity, family reconciliation and recognition of the African mothers.
 

This program was curated by Sadjo Thiam of Acces in collaboration with Spreken is Goud by De Roma. Acces Dialogue is an interactive format developed by Acces that brings together diverse voices through carefully curated events designed to stimulate meaningful conversations and generate collective insights on contemporary social and cultural issues.