The Benevolent Dictator

"A benevolent dictator under these circumstances," says Norbert Abeles, protagonist of the eponymous documentary, "is the best thing. He uses the reigning conditions for the benefit of the people." What conditions are they? Conditions like those that prevail in Malawi, where Abeles has lived for more than thirty years: primarily a vicious circle of intense poverty and little opportunity for education. Conditions produced by colonialism, which persist as its legacy even after the country´s liberation.

What makes Abeles´ statement so remarkable is that it comes from someone who himself had to flee from a dictator. As the child of Jewish parents, he was brought to Great Britain by the so-called "Kindertransports" in 1938. He left his mother behind in Vienna (she was later deported by the Nazis and murdered), his father had already committed suicide one year earlier. In 1956 Abeles came to Africa as a colonial official in the British Colonial Service. He now resides in Nkhotakota on Lake Malawi, where he lives with his wife and a staff of ten.

Is Norbert Abeles the prototype of that benevolent dictator announced in the film´s title? He is, because he isn´t: he pays his staff the legal minimum wage, which he says is not enough for either school payments or daily bread. No wonder that his staff is dependent on him, owes him money. But in return, he treats them "in certain respects" like family members. Nonetheless: his action is not motivated by the welfare of the "people," but his own advantage. The camera shows us what everyday life might look like under these neo-feudal conditions: Malawian men and women who tend to the garden, clear the table, care for chickens, guard the house, and in doing so, refrain mainly from one thing: speaking. (Vrääth Öhner)

Translation: Lisa Rosenblatt

Orig. Title
The Benevolent Dictator
Year
2016
Countries
Austria, France
Duration
35 min
Category
Documentary
Orig. Language
German
Subtitles
English, french
Credits
Director
Albert Lichtblau, Martin Hasenöhrl, Bernhard Braunstein
Cinematography
Martin Hasenöhrl, Bernhard Braunstein
Editing
Lucile Chaufour, Martin Hasenöhrl, Bernhard Braunstein
Sound
Bernhard Braunstein
Production
Schaller08, Supersonicglide
Interviews
Albert Lichtblau
Supported by
Land Salzburg, Stadt Salzburg, Nationalfonds Rep. Österreich für Opfer des Nationalsozialismus, Zukunftsfonds Republik Österreich
Available Formats
DCP 2K flat (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,85
Sound Format
Dolby 5.1.
Frame Rate
25 fps
Color Format
colour
Digital File (prores, h264) (Distribution Copy)
Sound Format
stereo
Frame Rate
25 fps
Festivals (Selection)
2016
Paris - Cinéma du Réel
Jihlava - East Silver Market
2017
Lissabon - Indielisboa Int. Film and Videofestival
Tel Aviv - DOCAviv Documentary Film Festival
Freistadt - Festival Der Neue Heimatfilm