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Under the motto ‘a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down’, several Belgian missionaries made educational films for Congolese audiences. The Matamata & Pilipili series by Albert Van Haelst CICM is loosely tailored on Laurel & Hardy. The comic duo became immensely popular among colonial audiences. In the 1970s, a comic strip about Matamata & Pilipili was made by Mongo Sisé.

Most films made in Belgian Congo were aimed at Belgian or international audiences. They were made for propaganda purposes to raise money and create public support for the colonial effort. In the 1950s film became an missionary instrument in another respect. Several missionaries started making films for the indigenous populations. Comment embellir notre foyer (How to decorate our home by Albert Van Haelst CICM) is an