Zion (2025)

Zion is a celebrated, music-driven Guadeloupean drama, as part of the Caribbean focus of the Africadelic Festival 2026! With an introduction by Sandra Roberts.

Zion (2025), directed by Guadeloupean filmmaker Nelson Foix, follows Chris, a young man navigating a precarious life in the port city of Pointe-à-Pitre. Caught between petty crime, fast living, and limited prospects, his life takes an unexpected turn when a baby is left at his doorstep just as he’s pulled into a risky drug job. Suddenly faced with responsibility, Chris is thrust into a tense journey that forces him to confront questions of survival, masculinity, and change.

Beyond its gripping story, Zion is considered a landmark in Caribbean cinema. Shot largely in Guadeloupean Creole, it offers an authentic portrayal of local language and culture, while challenging stereotypical “postcard” images of the Caribbean. Instead, it foregrounds urban realities such as inequality, youth unemployment, and social marginalization. Featuring many non-professional actors from local communities, the film deepens its social realism and sense of ownership over Caribbean storytelling. 

Zion is also very much a music-driven film, using its soundtrack and sound design as key elements in shaping the film’s realism, emotional tone, and cultural specificity. Rooted deeply in Guadeloupean life through its use of Creole language, perspective, and culture, the film integrates music by Antillean artists to ground its world sonically. Through its collaboration with local musicians, Zion creates a rich sensory immersion, where sound becomes central to experiencing the rhythms of Guadeloupean life. 

Zion has seen strong success, particularly in the Caribbean, drawing large local audiences even before its wider French release. Praised for its resonance and authenticity, Zion is part of a growing wave of Caribbean films gaining international visibility while staying rooted in their communities.

Melkweg often hosts different types of programmes at the same time, such as concerts, club nights and films. Please note that there may occasionally be some noise pollution from other programmes during the screening.