The New Brunswick Arts Board is an arm’s length arts funding agency with a legislated mandate to facilitate and promote the creation of art as well as administering funding programs for professional artists in the province.
Written by Nyassa Munyonge
ZOOMBA! is an eight-episode web series following the intertwined lives of two childhood friends and roommates, Nyota and Lau, as they navigate their messy transition into adulthood in the vibrant and multicultural neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal. The series blends comedy and drama to examine how two young women face changes in their identities, friendships, and personal lives, all against the backdrop of a Zumba class that brings together diverse characters.
ZOOMBA! demo poster 2023
Director/Writer: Nyassa Munyonge
Directors of photography: Louka Hogue, John Cumberland Sound: Anthony Buckley
Editing: Jeremy Hughes
Actresses: Parfaite Moussouanga, Frédérique Cyr-Deschênes Production: A PAS PEUR INC.
Photo credit: Nicolas Morin
Exploring the Human Experience through Storytelling
With ZOOMBA!, I explored the complexities of identity, particularly how race, queerness, and cultural heritage shape how people see themselves and relate to others. As a queer, second-generation Congolese immigrant, I’ve often struggled with reconciling different parts of myself, feeling like I belong everywhere yet nowhere. These themes are reflected in Nyota, a character who faces similar challenges as she grapples with her identity and what it means to be a Black, queer woman in Quebec.
Through this project, financed in part by artsnb with a Creation grant for writing the scripts, I honed my artistic practice by digging deeper into these personal and social questions. ZOOMBA! influenced my creative process by encouraging me to embrace vulnerability, to lean into the discomfort of self-reflection, and to craft stories that resonate with others on an emotional and intellectual level. Writing this series helped me realize the importance of creating art that speaks to the marginalized, those at the intersection of multiple identities, and those whose voices are often overshadowed by more dominant narratives.
The Birth of ZOOMBA! and the Power of Community
When I first conceptualized ZOOMBA!, it was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series began as a way for me to channel the uncertainty and loneliness I felt, while also exploring the bonds that hold us together in times of crisis. Nyota and Lau’s relationship, strained and co-dependent, mirrors the challenges many of us face in holding on to connections, even when they no longer serve us.
The Zumba class setting became a metaphor for movement —literal and metaphorical— shaking up life as Nyota and Lau know it. It symbolizes both the joy and chaos of trying to find your place in a world that is constantly shifting. What fascinates me most about this project is the potential for humor and drama to coexist, allowing for an authentic portrayal of messy, imperfect people trying to navigate a world that often feels foreign.
Behind the scene of ZOOMBA! 2024. Photo credit: Nicolas Morin.
The Rewarding Aspects of Creation
The most rewarding aspect of working on ZOOMBA! has been watching the characters come to life and evolve throughout the writing process. It is exciting to see how my creative decisions affect the story, but even more interesting is the series’ potential to resonate with other facets of my life, particularly Nyota’s journey of self-discovery and belonging. Representation in media matters and being able to contribute to that through storytelling has been a powerful experience.
Behind the scene of ZOOMBA! 2024. Photo credit: Nicolas Morin
The Importance of Art and Storytelling for New Brunswick
Being an artist from New Brunswick, where my roots lie, has deeply informed my approach to storytelling. Although ZOOMBA! is set in Montreal, my experience of growing up in a rural, predominantly white community influences how I view identity and community. Art plays an essential role in providing a voice for those who feel like outsiders, and that’s why being an artist is so important to me. It’s about creating spaces for those who are often left out of the conversation.
An important milestone in this journey was being a finalist in the Créateurs en série competition in 2023 and 2024, which enabled me to produce two demos for ZOOMBA! that received invaluable feedback, as well as being the recipient of the 1st prize in Main Film’s PRISME training pitch competition in 2024. The artsnb Creation grant has allowed me to fully immerse myself in the creation of ZOOMBA!, and I’m excited to see how this project continues to evolve.
A screenwriter of Congolese origin, Nyassa Munyonge wrote and directed four short fiction films in her native New Brunswick, presented at the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie, CinéRelève, Silver Wave Film Festival and Acadie Rock. After completing a bachelor’s degree in screenwriting and creative writing, she was a finalist in the Cours écrire ton court competition in 2022 and was part of the 2023 Being Black in Canada cohort, during which she directed her short documentary Fille de son père. She presents her webseries ZOOMBA! at the 2023 Pitch des scénaristes, a project for which she receives a Creation grant from artsnb to support its development.
