BOKASSA THE FIRST, AN AFRICAN EMPEROR

A story of blood and megalomania

Synopsis

Jean-Bedel Bokassa, a former French army captain, became Bokassa Emperor of the Central African Republic after a lavish and indecent coronation applauded by France.

Was this man, who was the first in Africa to appoint a woman Prime Minister, anything but a sinister and bloodthirsty puppet? Without rehabilitating the dictator, this film takes a more nuanced approach with new testimonies. The man who was accused of cannibalism could sometimes be generous and human but more often ridiculous, cruel, and whimsical.

Above all, Jean-Bedel Bokassa is an extreme illustration of the excesses of the post-colonial relationship between France and its former African possessions.