L'Afrique en morceaux
La Tragédie des Grands Lacs
Jihan El Tahri, Peter Chappell, Hervé Chabalier
2000 - 100 min - Beta digital - Couleur - France

April 1994 : genocide in Rwanda. 800,000 dead.
Africa reached the end of the century left to its own devices, forgotten by the major powers, which were too preoccupied with post-Communism and the return of nationalism in the former Eastern bloc nations. It provided the opportunity for some leaders to break loose and upset the old order. A new Africa sought to be born in pain and convulsions.
The film relates the history of this passionate and dramatic birth complete with acts of treachery, alliances, gambles, hatred and revenge. A history of tragedy and glory with a cast of characters that include the powerful, the ambitious and the treacherous, the reluctant heroes and the fallen despots. A dreadful history because, behind the stakes and the personal destinies, each decision, each error, each strategy immediately exacted a high price : hundreds of thousands of Africans perished, starved to death, deported or massacred.
This reportage takes us behind the scenes of the tragedy that has scarred the Africa of the Great Lakes region since 1994. The first-hand accounts of those who started it, lived through it or suffered because of it reveal the complexity and the stakes both on the regional and international level.