In 1925, the poet and songwriter Ernest Genval goes on an official mission to the Belgian Congo. For about a year, Genval and his collaborator Victor Morin criss-cross the country in order to film its the economic progress and development. In this period they make a series of promotional documentaries for local enterprises, one of which is From Boma to Tshela. The film seeks middle-ground between a travelogue (including some phantom ride shots) and a propaganda film for the cocoa and palm oil trade.