We Come as Friends

The director of returns to Africa to paint a picture of contemporary colonialism. He flies around South Sudan in his self-built prop plane to hear local people’s stories. While this brand-new country led by the feared President Omar al-Bashir slowly but surely enters war under the pretext of bringing civilization, a procession of foreign investors explore opportunities for exploiting the territory. Sauper visits a Chinese oil company whose drilling activity is polluting the water supply. In another village, Texan missionaries have taken the local people under their wing and persuaded them to wear clothing. For a traditional dance at the opening of a new power station, attended by the American ambassador, the female dancers wear modest brassieres as well as grass skirts. One of the older tribe members explains how he sparked fury among his fellow villagers when he signed away 1.5 million acres of land to Americans. The honest stories from Sudanese people at the micro-level combine with encounters with U.N. staff and other “benefactors” to create a shocking impression of modern colonialism and the impact of Western intervention on this part of Africa.