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Summary
The film Viva Riva! has an authentic story line which is captured in the lawless streets of Kinshasa. The hero Riva (Patsha Bay) is an operator who is charming and determined. Kinshasa is a beautiful, brutal, and restless city, where the vibrant night life can go on forever. Those who have nothing envy the few who have everything and everyone seems to dream about one thing; the chance of being the queens and kings of the night. Riva is one of those dreamers. He returns to his hometown of Kinshasa after his 10 year absence eager to offer. With the petrol shortage in Congo, Riva finds this as an opportunity to make a beneficial profit off of the barrels of fuel he transported from Angola. Unfortunately, little does he know Azor, an Angolan gangster who goes through the city causing panic is on the hunt for him. Nora, is a beautiful red headed women who catches Riva’s eyes. However, Nora belongs to a local guy by the name of Cesar. Cesar is a ruthless, sharply dressed foreigner thriving in Kinshasa's lawless streets. Riva does not seem to care: he needs this women. Does he have a chance? With Riva chasing after another man’s wife and making money off another man’s fuel his dreams become short lived. Riva ends up in a insalubrious corner of the city fighting for his life.

Critics
Viva Riva! was the first Congolese movie Roger Ebert has seen. According to Ebert the film is a slick, exciting, well-made crime thriller, dripping with atmosphere. Many critics have found the film to be a surprisingly fascinating given the fact that many films aren't made in Congo. In fact, according to Movie Examiner, Rick Marianetti Viva Riva! is the first film made in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in over two decades. Moreover, this African gangster flick has been compared to the crime saga from the 1983 film Scarface. "In other words": It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye." Kam Williams is a popular and top News Blaze reviewer, who gives his unvarnished opinion on movies, DVD's, and books. His opinion on the film is that Viva Riva! certainly manages to keep the audiences attention riveted to the screen. The film simultaneously serves up a compelling storyline and does a decent job of character development. First-time director Djo Tunda Wa Munga wrote, directed, and produced Viva Riva! The film received 12 nominations and won 6 awards at the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2011, including the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography & Best Production Design.

Box Office
Viva Riva! was released theatrically in North America on June 10, 2011. During its opening weekend, the film earned $10,314 from 3 theaters - an average of $3,438 per theater - ranking as the sixty-second highest grossing film of the weekend. Djo Tunda Wa Munga produced Viva Riva! with a limited budget and lots of help from the Congolese community. Despite all the positive reviews, the film only earned a total domestic gross of $61,759 and a worldwide gross of $170,759.