French-Belgian director Maxime Jean-Baptiste impresses with Kouté vwa, a poetic coming-of-age story about thirteen-year-old Melrick, who spends the summer with his grandmother in Cayenne, French Guiana. The film subtly interweaves fiction and documentary: Melrick’s family and friends play themselves, while the story delves deeply into grief, revenge and forgiveness after the tragic death of his cousin Lucas. Kouté vwa is primarily about indelible roots and connection to a community far from home.  

The film avoids sensational violence and instead opts for a gentle, empathetic look at life in a neighbourhood marked by the history of slavery and contemporary tensions. Through conversations with family members and friends, a personal and intimate atmosphere was created, in which Jean-Baptiste weaves the politically charged theme.