Mobutu’s Game

Mobutu’s Game is a political documentary-thriller about the Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. A child of both Belgian colonialism and the Cold War, Mobutu played a complex political game for 32 years. He ingeniously tried to simultaneously preserve national unity and serve the geostrategic interests of the West, particularly by forming a dam against communism in Africa and safeguarding access to the inexhaustible plethora of Congolese natural resources.

For a long time, Mobutu was seen as a mere puppet of the West, but in this documentary series, we discover how he developed into a brilliant political strategist who often knew how to turn the tables and play the Western powers. This took a heavy toll on the Congolese populace, which suffered under the terror of a bloody dictatorship and lived in poverty, while Mobutu and his supporters pillaged the country and institutionalised corruption. As if that wasn’t enough, the people were expected to worship Mobutu like a deity everywhere, all the time.

Using unique testimonies from both the opposition and Mobutu supporters, in an unusually thrilling way, Mobutu’s Game provides insights into a chilling chapter of world history, the consequences of which can still be felt in the Congo today.

Mobutu’s Game is a 4-part documentary by Wendy Bashi, Guillaume Graux and Joost Vandensande for Panenka, in co-production with VRT Canvas, RTBF, Les Films de la Passerelle and Proximus. The music is composed by Laryssa Kim.