10 · 19 · 14

Hubert Sauper Presented his Documentary We Come as Friends

The feature length documentary We Come as Friends (2014) by Hubert Sauper, Special Guest at the 12th FICM, premiered on the third day of the festival activities.

The Austrian-born director became known for his famous documentary film Darwin’s Nightmare (2004) that shows the social and ecological effects caused by the fishing industry in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. The film was awarded the Europa Cinemas Label at the 61st Venice International Film Festival.

We Come as Friends, Sauper’s latest work, portrays the African conflict as Sudan breaks into two states. The documentary reveals the thoughts and dreams of the people involved in the conflict: Chinese workers in the oil fields, UN peacekeepers, Sudanese army chiefs, U.S. evangelists and locals living there. The film participated in the 64th Berlin International Film Festival and the 30th Sundance Film Festival, among others.

In the Q & A session at the premiere screening of We Come as Friends, the director made the following comments:

Hubert Sauper on the contribution of the film to social transformation:

“If I suggest a film like this, it doesn’t mean I have solutions. The solutions proposed for this terrible situation we are experiencing only work if we ask the right questions.”

Hubert Sauper on the problems of our civilization:

“If we think a lot about the what and the why of our civilization, we could reach a very simple origin. However, there is a phrase that someone imagined having heard from a god: ‘submit yourself to the earth and multiply.’ Our civilization was founded on this phrase, and with it we have tried to control and destroy nature.”

Hubert Sauper on what it is like to film in Africa:

“Making a film is the same anywhere, whether it is Africa or not. The main thing is how you address and approach people. What you receive is a reflection of the approach you had with the people.”

Hubert Sauper on the people portrayed in his documentary:

“In this case, there are two kinds of people, those who have power and those who are oppressed by power. You have to direct yourself to the two types of people in different ways: We must honor the people in the villages and the dispossessed, whose children are dying because of contaminated water, and give them a voice. But, at the same time, we must also give a voice to dictators and warlords.”

Hubert Sauper on the most difficult and important moments during the shoot:

“The hardest thing was to spend a lot of time with people in uniforms in the militarized climate of North Africa. We were arrested and harassed several times. In order to get out of this difficult situation, it occurred to me, as a solution, the best idea of my life: to dress up like an airline captain. At that moment, I had a lot of respect for the captains. It was foolish, I felt like a clown. Then, the trick became more constant and throughout the film we were being transformed into colonial people. In addition, one of the constant themes of the film are the uniforms.”

Hubert Sauper on the excitement of showing the film:

“The most rewarding moments are those like these, where one can make a film and share it. After six years of anxiety, fear, hope and confusion, it is wonderful to come, share it and show it, all in two hours.”

Hubert Sauper will present We Come as Friends again at the Cinépolis Centro on Wednesday, October 22, at 1:15 pm. In addition, he will participate in a roundtable discussion moderated by renowned English film critic, Nick Roddick, on Thursday, October 22, at 4:15 pm in the Teatro Rubén Romero.