Echoes from a Sombre Empire

Former Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa of the Central African Republic guides a film crew through the physical ruins of his regime. He narrates the story of his palaces and prisons, his coronation that consumed the nation's annual budget, and the massacre of students. The camera captures him amidst the hollowed-out halls of his imperial residence, in the office where death warrants were signed. Testimonies from survivors of his brutal rule intersect with the dictator's own justifications, forging a bizarre and chilling dialogue between past and present. The documentary maps a journey across both geographical and psychological landscapes scarred by absolute power.