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Gnassingbé Eyadema : Tirailleur, Général, Président
The ironic fate of Gnassingbé Eyadema, this 65-year-old giant, closely followed the ups and downs of the history of Togo, independent but still scarred by after-effects of colonialism: a former student of Protestant missionaries, he was 17 when he joined the colonial infantry during World War II, and later fought in Indochina and Algeria, from which we would return covered in medals. He took part in the putsch that would prove fatal to independent Togo's first head of state before replacing him in 1967. Always re-elected since, he survived five assassination attempts -a longevity unique in Africa. He is one of the emblematic figures of contemporary Africa. Though for many the archetype of the military dictator, others see him as the embodiment of an Africa we are unable to understand. In the portrait of this exceptional man there gradually transpires the ambiguous history of the torturous relations between France and its former African possession.
France - 2001 - 52 mn - Mini DV - Colour
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