Portal:African cinema/Selected film/23

Viva Riva! is a 2010 Congolese crime thriller film written and directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga. The film received 12 nominations and won 6 awards at the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards, making it the most awarded film in the history of the AMAA's up to that date. Its awards included Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Production Design. Viva Riva! also won at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards for Best African Movie.

The film takes place in Kinshasa during a fuel shortage crisis. Riva (Patsha Bay), a small-time thug arrives in his hometown with a truckload of fuel he has stolen from Cesar (Hoji Fortuna), an Angolan gangster who is hot on his trail. Riva's troubles only intensify when he falls for Nora (Manie Malone), the girlfriend of a local gang lord.

Wa Munga explained in an interview, “I wanted to make a genre film, because that made it easier for the audience to get into." "Also, the genre film or the noir film has the advantage that you can talk about the social context, you can raise political issues, but at the same time I'm not preaching."

Reviews from critics were largely positive, including from international media such as the New York Times,The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Le Figaro, and Le Monde. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 87% based on reviews from 60 critics. Widely available on streaming platforms, Viva Riva can be watched for free on Tubi.