Jean-Bédel Bokassa | The State as a Man

In the late twentieth century, an empire was declared without a people’s mandate.Jean-Bédel Bokassa ruled first as president, then as emperor—asserting that the state and the man were one and the same.This episode follows Bokassa’s rise through a military coup, the consolidation of absolute power, and the imperial spectacle that exposed the nature of his rule. It concludes with exile, trial, and death, shaped not by rumor, but by testimony and record.For a more exhaustive cinematic version with archival imagery and documents, listen on the official YouTube channel, Empty Night.