Congo Tales is a photo series book of Congolese from the Mbomo District acting out their mythologies in the Odzala Kokoua National Park.[1] It was published by Prestel Publishing (a division of Random House) in the United States on November 15, 2018, and in the UK on July 9, 2018 (ISBN 978-3-7913-5789-8).[2]
The book was photographed by Pieter Henket, and it was edited by Eva Vonk and Stefanie Plattner[3] of Tales of Us in Berlin.[4] The Congolese mythology in the book was adapted by Congolese philosopher S. R. Kovo N'Sondé[5] and author Wilfried N'Sondé.[6] Congo Tales is the first in a series of productions by Tales of Us.[7] The project includes a short film directed by Stefanie Plattner based on one of the Congolese myths in the book called The Little Fish and the Crocodile.[8] The third project from Tales of Us is Tales@Home, a free online education program that introduces children to ecological wonderlands -- and the culture of the people who live there -- from around the globe. The first installment -- Akesi and the Congo River -- is based on Congo Tales.[9]
Tales Of Us is an ongoing multimedia series that offers a new approach to communicating the urgency of protecting the world's most powerful and fragile ecosystems and the people who call them home.[10] Congo Tales and The Little Fish and the Crocodile are its first such projects.[4]
The project includes a short film based on one of the Congolese myths in the book called The Little Fish and the Crocodile.[8] The film was directed by Stefanie Plattner and produced by Eva Vonk.[4] It won at several major film festivals, including Best Live Action Short at the 35th Chicago International Children's Film Festival.[11]
Tales of Us' follow up project is Tales@Home, a free online education program that introduces children to ecological wonderlands -- and the culture of the people who live there -- from around the globe. The first installment -- Akesi and the Congo River -- is based on Congo Tales.[12]