In a world haunted by wars, crises, and violence, the literatures of the world —and theatre in particular— cannot remain silent. Since 2013, Ça va, ça va le monde ! has given voice to French-language dramatic writings from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Arab world. Through RFI’s cycle of readings, these texts, deeply rooted in the social and political realities of their regions, find a space for resonance and sharing.
تامزلأاو بورحلا هدوست ملاع يف ةصاخو ،يلماعلا بدلأل نكمي لا ،فنعلاو ماع ذنم .اتماص ىقبي نأ ،حرسلما Ça va, ça va le جمانرب حنم ،2013 ةيحرسلما تاباتكلل اتوص !monde يبيراكلاو ايقيرفإ نم ةيسنرفلا ةغللاب تاءارق ةرود للاخ نم .يبرعلا ملاعلاو هذه دجت ،(RFI) ةيلودلا اسنرف ويدار عقاولا يف ةقيمعلا روذجلا ،صوصنلا ةحاسم ،اهقطانلم يسايسلاو يعامتجلاا .اهادص ددرتي ثيح ةكراشملل
Silence
by Israël Nzila – Democratic Republic of the Congo
From the window of her apartment, a woman, Makeda, watches another woman across the street. She studies her face. It doesn’t move.
She imagines her. Imagines a life for her.
It is a terrifying world, where fears and nightmares blend together, trapping her in a strange fusion with that face — a face that may well be the reflection of herself, of her deepest anxieties, and of the uncertain future of the child she carries.
Israël Nzila is a Congolese playwright living and working in Lubumbashi. His work focuses mainly on space: the way space shapes the destinies of those who inhabit it.
He published his first play, Objection, Your Honor!, with Éditions Calures in 2023. His second, Silence, was a finalist for the RFI Théâtre Prize and won the 2024 Récréâtrales Prize during the festival’s 13th edition in Ouagadougou.
Supported by the Institut Français in Kinshasa.
Distribution
Reading directed by Jean-Paul Delore
The Ça va, ça va le monde ! series is created and coordinated by Pascal Paradou
Production
Co-production by RFI and Compagnie [e]utopia
With the support of the Institut français, SACD for its cultural radio initiatives, and Wallonie-Bruxelles International
In partnership with the École du Nord, Higher Professional School of Dramatic Arts