General information

Call No.:

350-3-2:13/1

Part of series

HU OSA 350-3-2 Records of the International Monitor Institute: Africa: Sierra Leone

Located at

BetaSP NTSC #13 / No. 1

Digital ver. identifier

HU_OSA_00009785

Original Title

Mobutu, roi du Zaire

Date of production

1999

Date

1999

Level

Item

Primary Type

Moving image

Language

French, English, English

Duration

1 hour 16 min.

Notes

Quality becomes increasingly poor from minute 49' of the film. The tape continues with 18' of unrelated BBC material.

Content

Form/Genre

Documentary film

Contents Summary

“Mobutu, King of Zaire” is a documentary film about Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, the former President of Zaire who held onto power for more than 30 years, from 1965 to 1997. Using extensive archival footage and interviews, the film offers a detailed account of Mobutu’s private and political life. The archival footage in the film includes, among others, the capture and maltreatment of Patrice Lumumba (Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1960); the repression of the student protest that took place in Kinshasha in June 1969; Marie-Antoinette Mobutu’s 32nd birthday party and images of Mobutu’s mistresses; scenes from parades praising Mobutu as well as demonstrations against him; and ceremonial meetings between Mobutu and several leaders of the world, including President Richard Nixon, President George H.W. Bush, Chairman Mao Zedong, Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu, and King Baudouin I of Belgium. The film features interviews with Patrice Lumumba (Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1960), Mobutu Sese Seko (the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Zaire for much of his reign, from 1965 to 1997), Larry Devlin (CIA Chief, Congo), Aubert Mukendi (Mathematician), Sakombi Inongo (Minister of Information), Nimy Mayidika (Security Chief), Colonel de Tenbossche (President’s Paymaster), Lye Mudaba Yoka (Playwright), Pierre Janssen (President’s son-in-law), Alfred Cahen (Belgian Ambassador), Colonel Mallants (President’s Advisor), Gilles Sambwa (Governor National Bank), Kin-Kiey Mulumba (Minister of Information), Hugues Leclercq (Economic Advisor), Étienne Tshisekedi (Opposition Leader), Laurent Kabila (Rebel Leader), and Nelson Mandela (President of South Africa).

Context

Associated Names

Denselow, Robin (Creator/Author, Narrator)

Michel, Thierry (Director)

Les Films de la Passerelle (Producer)

Image Creation (Producer)

Les Films d'Ici (Producer)