origin of the story
Walking along the river one day in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, Ningyi Sun caught sight of these muscular silhouettes diving from canoes into the wide Oubangui Ubangi River. Locally known as Tombutu, these men sometimes descend 40 feet to scoop up sand and ferry it to shore. They sell this natural source to construction managers, among them Chinese immigrants. “This scene playing in front of me reminds me of an age-old Chinese saying, Chi Ku. It refers to tolerating some agony (both physical and mental) to achieve personal success and provide a better life for the family,” remembers Ningy, who knows too well what it means to leave her Chinese motherland to seek a better future abroad.
“During this walk, something hit me. Despite the fact that more than a million Chinese have come to Africa to work, films tend to stereotype Chinese immigrants and their relationships with Africans. In the Western media, the Chinese only care about themselves and do not mingle with locals.” I wanted to explore the human side of the interactions between the two communities by telling personal stories about a Chinese worker and a local sand laborer, and to ask what global migration and modernization means for both the Chinese and the local family,” explains Ningyi.
“I shared this idea with Steve Dorst, an executive producer based in DC, who introduced me to Mathieu Faure, a French producer. Mat and I hit it off right away. We agreed that this story would not be complete without bringing on board a second director who comes from Bangui,” recalls the first time filmmaker. “That’s how I met Pascale, an experienced Central African director who had a solid reputation in Bangui and who, in her work, strives to give voice to the voiceless,” concludes Ningyi.
“I did not hesitate one bit when Ningyi pitched me,” remembers Pascale with a smile.
“Eat Bitter” is timely. Despite colonial exploitation and decades of post-independence misrule, civil war and economic crisis, Bangui is experiencing a building boom, to which the Chinese expatriates contribute significantly. However, this modernization doesn’t come without sacrifices and suffering. Behind this so-called progress, no one looks at the chain of exploited local workers who sacrifice their relationships, mistreat their bodies, and endanger their health, day after day, to make our city more beautiful,” insists Pascale.
“Besides the fact that this story would be directed by two women with a genuine connection to their respective communities, what convinced me to produce this documentary was the fact that Eat Bitter would be a character driven film, captured in a verité style, with universal layers, featuring elements that connect us all,” concludes Mat.
Why these two characters, Thomas BOA and JIANMIN Luan?
“Thomas was an introvert at first, and would not share much in conversation. But then he was never shy when someone asked him to sing about his daily life and hopes for his country,” notes Pascale. “On our first canoe ride, he sang about how difficult it is to dive in this murky water, how friends of his have drowned doing this job and how people would look down on him because sand workers have a bad reputation” adds Pascale.
Spending time with Thomas, the director soon understood that he was not like any other traditional men. At home, he was a single father, trying to figure out how to raise his children on his own after his ex-wife left him for good” explains Pascale. “He would do anything to make money to feed his children, even diving in a zone controlled by armed forces. I knew that Thomas should be our subject: A complex man, facing challenges he has never experienced before,” says Pascale.
One of the production challenges, according to Mat, was that “there were days and weeks when Thomas just disappeared, whether pursuing a new love interest or escaping the pressure of his life as a single father: we would go to shoot and he’d be nowhere to be found.”
“Our solution was that the minute we found him, we stuck with him! The crew slept in the same house with him, so that we were sure we would not miss him the following day!” Pascale recalls, laughing. “Our cinematographer Orphée Bamoy and Aaron Koyassoukpengo, our sound engineer, are both Central Africans. They understand Central African culture, language and values. I give our local crew and Ningyi so much credit for the incredible access we’ve obtained and sustained,” says Mat.
Ningyi had also to persevere to identify her main character. "There were about 150 Chinese who direct and manage major construction projects in Bangui. But I just didn’t have the feeling that I had found ‘the one’!” she remembers, “until I met Jianmin Luan, also known as CC at work. ‘CC’ is so Chinese but also not that Chinese,” Ningyi says, paradoxically. “He works around the clock and takes deadlines very seriously. But meanwhile, he has a sense of humor and would mingle with locals, speaking in a mish-mash of Mandarin, English, French, and Sango (local language)! He misses home like every Chinese immigrant chasing opportunity and fortune in a strange land, myself included. Once I met him and watched him at work, I just knew he was ‘the one’ for our film,” exults Ningyi.
“And we were sold on CC before we even talked to his incredible wife who became an important part of the film,” notes Mat.
Filming in a hostile environment
Life in Bangui can be full of distractions and unforeseen events; from cutoffs of water and electricity to epidemics of malaria and typhoid, from car and motorcycle accidents to resurgence of civil war. For filmmakers as well as laborers and construction managers, the CAR is a stressful and complicated environment to inhabit and to navigate.
To film securely in this still unstable country, Pascale shuttled between authorities and different entities to obtain site and filming permissions. Nevertheless, such permits don’t guarantee safety while filming. During production, local attitudes toward foreign visitors became a serious consideration when shooting in public.
“To many in the CAR, I’m seen as white, and associated with the ugly, enduring history of European colonial exploitation that’s made such difficulties in this country and neighboring ones. At times, my presence could be a source of unwanted attention, even controversy,” sighs Ningyi.
“Gradually, on construction sites run by the Chinese, I supervised most of the filming; but in the crowded neighborhoods and at the Ubangui River, it was Pascale directing, with me often collaborating out of sight and at a distance,” adds Ningyi describing their discretion in public.
A couple of months in, the production of the film took a very dangerous turn. On Christmas Eve of 2020, Pascale was arrested for filming on the street and threatened with punishment by death.
It was the lead-up to the presidential elections. Tensions inside the country erupted and rumors about rebels attacking the capital spread out in Bangui. The president put the city under curfew and government forces on alert.
“I was on the boulevard with my telephone, when I was detained by members of the presidential guard. They thought I must be a spy, and so I was taken to the Presidential Palace. They did not give me food or water, nor could I sleep. They seized my phone and roughly interrogated me, threatening my life, not allowing me to call anyone or communicate. It was terrifying, especially the threats of sexual assault.” Pascale remembers.
“I was calling from New York with Ningyi daily,” Mat recalls, “We lost touch with Pascale for 36 hours. We were just beside ourselves with worry. We only knew she had been detained, but where and for what?” “I was talking to our local cameraperson Orphee all the time. Fortunately, he located her and ultimately, secured her release. Pascale was shaken, but unhurt, mostly. I’m still in awe of her courage and resilience after those hours under arrest,” Ningyi shares.
“Ningyi and I were prepared to halt production: perhaps the risks were just too high for us to make this film at this time. We asked Pascale what we should do?” says Mat.
“I was frightened and terrified, but ultimately I told the team that I wanted to make this documentary. My ordeal isn’t going to stop the project,” affirms Pascale. “It was awful—I was frightened and terrified, but ultimately, this is my country and I want to make it better than it has been. Understanding what’s going on in our economy and culture as we finally interact with the wider world, that’s important. I told Ningyi and Mat, I want to make this movie. My ordeal isn’t going to stop the project,” proclaims Pascale.
“We are definitely proud of what we have accomplished with this film. I could not be more proud of our team. ‘Nothing is impossible’ became our motto. We started with a 20,000 dollar budget, and we had to work hard to convince organizations to trust us. And when we didn’t feel supported, or every time we were overwhelmed by the reality of this project and of the challenges in a tough industry, we pushed ourselves, and sacrificed even more to prove people wrong,” says Ningyi. “Yes, just like our characters, we ‘eat bitter,’” adds Pascale.
“Let’s put it that way: Aaron, Orphee, Pascale, Ningyi and I became the five musketeers. We all have learned so much throughout these two and a half years of hard work and indestructible friendships,” wraps Mathieu.
PRODUCED BY
Kea-Kwis Productions
Oaz Picture Entertainment
Perpetuo Films
MJagger
