Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.

See what’s playing
Echoes from a Somber Empire
Echoes from a Somber Empire
8.0
/10
262 Ratings

ECHOES FROM A SOMBER EMPIRE

Echos aus einem düsteren Reich

Directed by Werner Herzog
France, Germany, 1990
Documentary

Synopsis

South African journalist Michael Goldsmith presents Jean-Bédel Bokassa, dictator of the Central African Republic from 1966 to 1979, through eyewitness testimony.

Synopsis

South African journalist Michael Goldsmith presents Jean-Bédel Bokassa, dictator of the Central African Republic from 1966 to 1979, through eyewitness testimony.

Our take

Echoes From A Somber Empire will be somewhat surprising to those familiar with Werner Herzog’s documentary technique. In fact, for this account of Jean-Bédel Bokassa’s dictatorship, he does without his own voiceover narration, giving space to the witnesses of this stirring and timely story.