Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy

(Hissein Habré, une tragédie tchadienne, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Chad/Senegal/France 2016, 82 min., DCP, French and Arabic w/subtitles)

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Rochester Premiere. In 2013, former Chadian dictator Hissein Habré’s arrest in Senegal marked the end of a long combat for the survivors of his regime. Accompanied by the chair of the Association of the Victims of the Hissein Habré Regime, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun goes to meet those who survived this tragedy and who still bear the scars of the horror in their flesh and in their souls. Through their courage and determination, the victims accomplish an unprecedented feat in the history of Africa: that of bringing a head of state to trial.

“Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun captures the stirring and disturbing testimony of a handful of survivors who lived through Habre’s dictatorship. By allowing them to tell their stories, Haroun is helping his country to finally mourn its own tragedy, while his warm and understanding approach offers up what feels like a path toward appeasement.” – The Hollywood Reporter