The Benevolent Dictator
Synopsis
What kind of vision did a colonial civil servant have of Africa, politics, and democracy? Norbert Abeles speaks plainly about his life and the vision of the world he developed when had to leave Vienna in 1938 to flee the Nazis: you need to be tough to survive.
From one dictatorship to another, Abeles worked in the British colonial service, then, after decolonization, worked both for UNESCO and several African despots.
After sixty years living in Africa, married to an African woman whose children he adopted, Norbet Abeles talks about the ambivalence of his life's journey and career.
Credits
Production and distribution (3)
- Co-production : Supersonicglide
- Foreign production company : schaller08
- Film exports/foreign sales : sixpackfilm
Full credits (6)
- Directors of Photography : Bernhard Braunstein, Martin Hasenöhrl
- Editors : Bernhard Braunstein, Martin Hasenöhrl, Lucile Chaufour
- Sound Recordist : Bernhard Braunstein
- Camera operators : Bernhard Braunstein, Martin Hasenöhrl
- Sound editor : Margot Testemale
- Sound mixer : Fanny Weinzaepflen
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Type : Short film
- Genres : Documentary
- Sub-genre : Portrait
- Themes : Politics, Power, Violence
- Production language : German
- Coproducer countries : Austria, France
- Original French-language productions : Unspecified
- Nationality : Minority French (Austria, France)
- Production year : 2016
- Runtime : 35 min
- Production formats : Canon 5D
- Color type : Color
- Aspect ratio : 16/9
- Audio format : Dolby stereo
- Rating restrictions : None
News & awards
Selections (1)
IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival (Lisbon)
Portugal, 2017
Compétition internationale
Resources
Website(1)
Movies and programs to discover
MyFrenchShorts
Full movie to watch for free!
A Town Called Panic: The Christmas Log (2013), by Vincent Patar & Stéphane Aubier
The year’s end celebrations are coming. Christmas : the tree, the dinner, the presents. Indian and Cowboy are expecting their presents eagerly. Overexcited by the organisation of the celebration, they fight and destroy the Yule log on which Horse was putting the last touch. Horse is livid and cancels the gifts from Santa Claus. How will they win back the favours of Horse and The Old Bearded Man? How will they retrieve their gifts ? For Indian and Cowboy begins a long, very long Christmas Eve.
🎄🎁 This new episode of cult animated series ‘A Town Called Panic’ was selected for festivals around the world, and notable gathered the Audience First Prize at the Bologna
Future Film Festival in Bologna.
It was nominated for the 2015 César for Best Animated Short Film.
