Kana Kassy / Niet huilen

On 11 May 2026, it will be 20 years since Oulematou Niangadou and Luna Drowart were murdered in Antwerp city centre. This racist attack left scars in families, communities and far beyond. 

Theatre maker Aminata Demba, who also lost her parents at a young age, is a relative of Oulematou Niangadou. The horrific event affected her profoundly, and it still does. As an 18−year−old, she drew hope from the shared grief that she believed she saw in the community around her. Until, suddenly, it disappeared. 

With a deep desire to make that connection felt again, Demba decided to work with the author Annelies Verbeke and SKaGeN actor Clara van den Broek, who are also familiar with early loss. Their conversations with the victims’ families turned into an intense search that inevitably included their own stories.