Documentary backdrop image for Spectres (2011)

Documentary backdrop image for Spectres (2011)

2011102 minPGdocumentary

8.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Spectres

2011102 minPGdocumentary

8.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Jacques Brassinne de La Buissière revisits historical sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reflecting on the political turmoil following Patrice Lumumba's 1961 assassination.

Genres

Director

Sven Augustijnen

Synopsis

Jacques Brassinne de La Buissière revisits historical sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reflecting on the political turmoil following Patrice Lumumba's 1961 assassination.

People

Sven Augustijnendirector

Synopsis

Jacques Brassinne de La Buissière revisits key historical sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reflecting on the aftermath of Patrice Lumumba's assassination in 1961. As the first democratically elected prime minister, Lumumba's death marked a significant turning point in the nation’s history. Brassinne, a former high-ranking civil servant, addresses the political and humanitarian crises that followed the rapid decolonization of the Congo, questioning the motivations behind these events and their enduring effects on the country.

Awards & Festivals

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Echoes from a Sombre Empire (1990)

Echoes from a Sombre Empire

1990•1h31m•★7.2TMDB

A chilling look at Bokassa's brutal reign in the Central African Republic.

Echoes from a Sombre Empire

Congolese Tin: At the Heart of the New Scramble for Africa (2007)

Congolese Tin: At the Heart of the New Scramble for Africa

$2 million worth of cassiterite is pillaged weekly from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, fueling ongoing violence and exploitation.

Congolese Tin: At the Heart of the New Scramble for Africa

Perpetual Violence and Warfare in the DRC (2018)

Perpetual Violence and Warfare in the DRC

Two million people have died as a result of the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with multiple rebel groups fighting for control.

Perpetual Violence and Warfare in the DRC

King Leopold II & Colonialism in the Congo Documentary (2024)

King Leopold II & Colonialism in the Congo Documentary

An estimated 10 million people died under King Leopold II's rule in the Congo due to murder, starvation, disease, and reduced birth rates.

King Leopold II & Colonialism in the Congo Documentary

The Undemocratic Republic of Congo - Congo (2008)

The Undemocratic Republic of Congo - Congo

In Sept 2003, Congo seeks to unify and restore peace after years of hostilities and struggles.

The Undemocratic Republic of Congo - Congo

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo (2021)

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo

The Congo River, a vital waterway in Africa, serves as the final barrier between Anthony Bourdain and his flight home after a chaotic nine-day trip.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo

Congo's War from All Sides (2008)

Congo's War from All Sides

Around 4 million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to a war fueled by the demand for minerals like cassiterite and coltan.

Congo's War from All Sides

Mobutu - Congo's Infamous Despot (2024)

Mobutu - Congo's Infamous Despot

Joseph Désiré Mobutu, born on October 14, 1930, in Lisala, ruled the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 until his ousting in 1997.

Mobutu - Congo's Infamous Despot

Shadow Work (2015)

Shadow Work

Laurent Gbagbo's manipulation of the electoral process in Ivory Coast, alongside Charles Ble Goude's strategic influence, highlights the complexities of the nation's democracy.

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition (2020)

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition, initiated by Catholic Monarchs Fernando and Isabel, targeted Conversos in a brutal campaign against perceived heresy and treachery.

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans (2023)

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans

In January 1815, American forces under Andrew Jackson killed or wounded more than 2,000 British soldiers in just 30 minutes during the Battle of New Orleans.

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans

Faces of colonialism: the story of an imperialist propaganda (2023)

Faces of colonialism: the story of an imperialist propaganda

Robert Lohmeyer took the first color photographs of Africa between 1907 and 1909, documenting German colonies and shaping European perceptions of the continent.

Faces of colonialism: the story of an imperialist propaganda

Explore Spectres

Awards Topics FAQ

Browse more like this

Echoes from a Sombre Empire (1990)

Echoes from a Sombre Empire

1990•1h31m•★7.2TMDB

A chilling look at Bokassa's brutal reign in the Central African Republic.

Echoes from a Sombre Empire

No digital watch option in your country

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo (2021)

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo

The Congo River, a vital waterway in Africa, serves as the final barrier between Anthony Bourdain and his flight home after a chaotic nine-day trip.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Congo

No digital watch option in your country

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition (2020)

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition, initiated by Catholic Monarchs Fernando and Isabel, targeted Conversos in a brutal campaign against perceived heresy and treachery.

Convert Or Burn: The Brutal Reality Of The Spanish Inquisition

No digital watch option in your country

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans (2023)

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans

In January 1815, American forces under Andrew Jackson killed or wounded more than 2,000 British soldiers in just 30 minutes during the Battle of New Orleans.

1815: The Battle Of New Orleans

No digital watch option in your country

Lumumba: Death of a Prophet (1991)

Lumumba: Death of a Prophet

1991•1h9m•★6.7TMDB

Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Congo, was assassinated in 1961, with archival footage and personal stories detailing his leadership.

Lumumba: Death of a Prophet

King Leopold's Ghost (2006)

King Leopold's Ghost

2006•1h42m•★8.0TMDB

Over 10 million Congolese people suffered under the brutal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium from 1885 to 1908 as he exploited the region's resources.

King Leopold's Ghost

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (2024)

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

2024•2h30m•★7.7TMDB

Sixty protesters clashed with guards at the UN Security Council in February 1961, denouncing the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death (2003)

Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

2003•1h24m•★7.4TMDB

Over 10 million Congolese people died under King Leopold II's rule from 1885 to 1908 due to forced labor and violent exploitation.

Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

Totems and Taboos (2018)

Totems and Taboos

2018•54m•★7.0TMDB

A renovation project at the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Brussels aims to address the colonial legacy of King Leopold II and his genocidal rule.

Totems and Taboos

Mobutu, King of Zaire (1999)

Mobutu, King of Zaire

1999•2h15m•★7.1TMDB

Over 950 hours of archival footage and interviews form the basis of a detailed examination of Mobutu Sese Seko's rule in Zaire.

Mobutu, King of Zaire

Empire of Silence (2022)

Empire of Silence

2022•1h50m•★7.8TMDB

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, have been victims of a 25-year conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, largely ignored by global media.

Empire of Silence

Colette and Justin (2022)

Colette and Justin

2022•1h29m•★5.5TMDB

Alain Kassanda examines his family's history in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the effects of Belgian colonization on national identity.

Colette and Justin

Stop Filming Us But Listen (2022)

Stop Filming Us But Listen

2022•1h15m•★7.0TMDB

Goma, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, becomes a platform for local filmmakers Bernadette Vivuya and Kagoma Twahirwa to reclaim narratives and amplify Congolese voices.

Stop Filming Us But Listen

Kisangani Diary (1998)

Kisangani Diary

1998•52m•★8.3TMDB

Eighty thousand Hutu refugees from Rwanda, living in famine and disease, are discovered along a railway line south of Kisangani, Zaire, in 1997.

Kisangani Diary

A Provincial Town (2017)

A Provincial Town

2017•1h28m•★5.0TMDB

Colón, a town two hours north of Buenos Aires, presents vignettes of its residents' daily lives and interactions.

A Provincial Town

Indisch Zwijgen (2022)

Indisch Zwijgen

2022•32m•★7.0TMDB

Three young artists confront the silence surrounding their family histories linked to the Dutch East Indies in a 32-minute documentary.

Indisch Zwijgen

Browse more by Sven Augustijnen

View all films →

National Pride: From Jericho to Gaza (2025)

National Pride: From Jericho to Gaza

2025

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →