Surrounded by its grand French-style gardens in the Brussels’ suburb of Tervuren, the Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale is an impressive but little-known institution. And yet it is one of the largest museums in the world devoted solely to Africa. It is also an important centre for scientific research devoted to every aspect of the African continent. This film takes us inside the museum and gives us a glimpse of its history, its priceless collections, its fields of research and their application. And it asks what this gigantic data bank, housed in a European Capital, signifies for contemporary African societies.