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Congo: White King
Red
Rubber, Black Death
A Belgium King’s Sins Revealed in Film
Who were the most brutal wielders of machetes
in African history responsible for the amputation of thousands
of human hands?
Under-age black combatants looking for
revenge and survival by joining militia groups in unstable
economies?
No. They were greedy Europeans who wanted
easy fortunes derived from the sale of rubber for tires for the
new auto factories that sprang up at the turn of the twentieth
century.
By the time the Europeans were finished with
the economic subjugation of the part of Africa called the Congo,
an estimated 13 million Africans had been killed—more than
twice the deaths attributed to Adolph Hitler during the World
War II era.
This little known and often concealed
genocidal fury is brilliantly explored in the film, Congo:
White King, Red Rubber, Black Death, which will have its
first major theatrical screening in the New York City area from
October 21-28 at the Quad Cinema at 34 West 13th St. Five
showings are scheduled each day, starting at 1 p.m. to 10:55
p.m. to accommodate varied audiences.
Frederick Hudson, marketing consultant for
the distributor, Artmattan Productions, noted that – the
distributors view this film not as a commercial enterprise, but
as a mission, a calling for the exploration of the genesis of
the African continent’s current woes. Previous screenings of
the film in small venues were extremely well received and the
community called for the messages to be shared with all sectors
of the community. Schools, churches, human rights groups are
encouraged to take advantage of group rates to see this
historical expose.
Leopold of Belgium was considered to be one f
the first genocidal rulers of Africa. His devastation set into
motion a shadow of colonialism which still casts darkness on the
richest continent in the world in terms of natural resources.
Audience members in the past saw many current parallel with the
global crises that challenge our world today.
By the same token, there is a message of
redemption of the human spirit in the movie when the human
rights movement began in Belgium in response to journalists’
dogged determination to tell of the horrors that came from one
man’s desire to degrade mankind.
Ticket information and travel information can
be obtained at 212-255-8800. For group sales reservations, call
877-378-7109.
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Read
also Esther Iverem's Revealing
Africa’s Hidden Genocide
posted 21 October 2005 |
