The Empire in Africa (2006)
-
67% of critics liked it
(9 reviews) -
63% of users liked it
(712 ratings)
Located in Western Africa, Sierra Leone is a nation caught in a struggle between extreme poverty and extreme wealth; while diamond mining provides the bulk of the country's income, most of its people struggle to survive by raising their own crops. In 1991, a civil war broke out in Sierra Leone,… More Located in Western Africa, Sierra Leone is a nation caught in a struggle between extreme poverty and extreme wealth; while diamond mining provides the bulk of the country's income, most of its people struggle to survive by raising their own crops. In 1991, a civil war broke out in Sierra Leone, with a rebel group called the Revolutionary United Front taking on government forces in a bid for a more just economy and an end to hunger. However, the forces behind Sierra Leone's mining interests were more interested in protecting their investments than changing the economy, and both the nation's military and the RUF fell into indiscriminate violence against all parties involved. In all, 70,000 people lost their lives in the nearly 15 years of fighting, while millions lost their homes and many thousands were maimed. Filmmaker Philippe Diaz took a camera crew into Sierra Leone in the midst of the fighting to document the bloodshed and tell the story behind the brutality; The Empire in Africa is the result, which incorporates interviews with politicians and military figures with footage of the mayhem. The Empire in Africa received its North American premiere at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Philippe Diaz
- Genres
- Documentary, Special Interest
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Dec 8, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Cinema Libre
Critic Reviews
-
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times
That Empire lacks clear-cut heroes and villains is not necessarily a fault, but the movie's muddle too often comes across as an attempt to avoid assigning responsibility where it belongs.
-
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Philippe Diaz's tumultuous documentary is a noble but failed attempt to explicate the tragedy of Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war.
-
Joe Leydon, Variety
Filmmaker Philippe Diaz makes a strong case for blaming the international community in general, and the United Nations in particular, for the needless protraction of a conflict that left 70,000 dead and millions displaced.
-
Kam Williams, AALBC.com
Highly recommended as a sobering companion piece to Hollywood's relatively-sanitized version of the same subject-matter in Blood Diamond.
-
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
There are images in "The Empire in Africa" that I wish I'd never seen, but it's worth enduring them to hear a side of the story that the media and Hollywood overlooked.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Michel Piccoli
as Narrator
- Pavol Zatko
- Richie Havens
