Décolonisations (2020)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Décolonisations is a French documentary film divided into three parts which premiered in 2020.

 

In 2023, it was shown on French and German television (arte).

 

The focus is mostly on French colonies and the decolonization of the French Empire, but events in British colonies (such as India and Kenya) are also covered.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Directors: Karim Miské and Marc Ball

** Writers: Karim Miské, Marc Ball, and Pierre Singaravélou

** Narrator of the French Version: Reda Kateb

** Narrator of the German version: Sebastian Kowski

** Run time: 53 + 54 + 55 minutes = 162 minutes

 

The film is divided into three episodes. While focusing on several colonies, the story follows a (more or less) chronological line from the beginning of the first episode to the end of the third episode.

 

The film covers the colonial history of the following locations: Algeria, Congo, India, Kenya, Senegal, and Vietnam.

 

Here are the titles of the three episodes:

 

# 1. Biding their Time

# 2. Liberation

# 3. The World is Ours

 

How do the directors approach the topic?

 

They alternate between two angles:

 

** The first angle is the macro-perspective. Here they offer a general history of a colony.

** The second angle is the micro-perspective. Here they offer information about an individual person in a colony.

 

The combination of these two angles (macro-perspective and micro-perspective) works very well.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 80 percent, which corresponds to a rating of four stars on Amazon.

 

In my opinion, this rating is too low.

 

The decolonization of the French colonial Empire is an important topic. The story deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done very well.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

The Routledge Companion to Decolonization

By Dietmar Rothermund

(2006)

 

Decolonization and the Cold War

By Leslie James and Elisabeth Leake

(2015)

 

Decolonization:

Unsung Heroes of the Resistance

By Pierre Singaravélou, Karim Miské and Marc Ball

(Penguin Random House) (2022)

This book is a companion to the documentary film

 

# 2. Film and video

 

Du sang et des larmes: la décolonisation

** Director: David Korn Brzoza

** Writers: David Korn Brzoza and Pascal Blanchard

This film is divided into two episodes:

** Part one = 1931-1954 (90 minutes)

** Part two = 1954-2017 (90 minutes)

(2020)

 

*****

Decolonization:

Unsung Heroes of the Resistance

By Pierre Singaravélou, 

Karim Miské and Marc Ball

(Penguin Random House)

(2022)

*****

 

Blood and Tears:

The Decolonization

A documentary film 

(divided into two parts)

which premiered in 2020

*****