Transcription
"Empire of Dust" is a 2011 documentary directed by Braham van Pesion, which is a fascinating and amusing film I love rewatching. It covers the Chinese presence in Africa, specifically the Congo in this case, and their building of local infrastructure. The documentary is about a Chinese Railway company's attempt to build a 300 km road connecting Czi with the Kananga province's capital, Lum Bashi. The company, CREC, or Chinese Railway Engineering Company, has just set up camp near the remote mining town of Czi.
Lao Yang, a Chinese man who is head of logistics, is responsible for the building materials, equipment, and food, mainly chickens, to arrive in the isolated Chinese prefab camp. His interpreter is a Congolese man named Eddie, who is fluent in Mandarin and acts as an intermediate. Eddie works with Yang as they are forced to leave the camp and deal with local Congolese entrepreneurs because, without the construction materials, the road works will cease. The film depicts the cultural differences between the Congolese and the Chinese, which make cooperation almost impossible. The Chinese workers are dissatisfied with the lack of communication among the native workers, which they see as essential for productivity. What follows is an endless, harsh, but absurdly funny roller coaster of negotiations and misunderstandings as Lao Yang learns about the Congolese way of making deals.
The first time I watched this documentary was in, I believe, 2015, as I was seeing a lot of content at the time covering China's growing involvement in Africa by developing these nations and forming alliances. I was interested in the way China was aiding many of these African states and how they differed from previous European attempts and the way they were succeeding at building important infrastructure for these countries.
Now, this documentary, for most who know about it, became popular because of two things: a short clip near the end of the film where Lao Yang gives a "hard truths" conversation to Eddie about how the Congo has failed to develop properly, create a functioning society, and not maintain much of the infrastructure built for them by the Belgians. There are so many copies of this scene that have gotten tens of thousands of views on YouTube. The other way people have become aware of the documentary is through the meme, "It's also tiresome," where Yang is expressing his frustrations at how difficult it can be to contact a local Congolese businessman just so they can obtain necessary gravel for the road project.
While I am glad that people are becoming aware of this documentary through that specific scene mentioned and the meme, I feel, though, now looking back on the film, there's so much more to cover and analyze. I have a greater appreciation for the documentary more than a decade after it came out, especially with the current political and demographic changes that are happening within China. But I will get into that in a little bit.
Firstly, the best part of this documentary is the work relationship we see on screen between Lao Yang and Eddie. While the documentary gives us only a few scenes of other Chinese and Congolese workers, the film is mainly focused on the conversations and work done by Yang and Eddie. The two characters work well off each other as we see a sort of onscreen "Odd Couple" as they put up with, at times, issues with getting the job done. They bicker and converse with each other as Yang constantly points out the basic issues with the country as compared to China. I feel this is actually what makes the documentary stand out, as instead of looking at larger forces at work, which many other reports and other documentaries tend to focus on with this subject, we really are seeing the perspective of two men and their experience with the development of a part of the Congo and how insanely difficult it is to get the project done.
Eddie is quite an interesting and likable character, as he is fluent in Mandarin and also speaks a number of languages quite well. He has the annoying job of being the interpreter, as many times he often has to explain to the other Congolese workers why the Chinese need them to be punctual, diligent, and able to consistently work hard, as the road needs to be completed within a certain amount of time. Eddie also has to negotiate with other Congolese businessmen and entrepreneurs for materials, specifically gravel, that are essential for the job to be done. There are several scenes where we see the individuals they are dealing with are trying to either scam them or sell materials to them at inflated prices. These are the predicaments he's in, all while also having to put up with Yang being grumpy most of the time as he pushes Eddie to better translate and negotiate for him about the materials or food needed. Eddie, though, has put up with Yang's attitude before, as he has become accustomed to him and doesn't take his grumpiness too seriously. He most of the time shares the frustrations Yang has as they deal with quite a lot of scummy Congolese businessmen and incompetent workers.
In one scene, Eddie has to explain to many of the newer workers that their pay will be deducted if they lose, sell, or damage important equipment or work clothing. In another scene, Eddie talks to a Kenyan driver who has miscounted the number of metal pipes needed to be delivered. He is quite irritated at the incompetence of the driver and the waste of time it has been to deal with this preventable problem. He tells the worker that due to his actions, his pay will be cut, and it is necessary for him to learn French, being that he is working in the Congo.
Then there's Lao Yang, the important character of the documentary. Lao Yang, as I stated previously, is the head of logistics and has a number of responsibilities with obtaining materials and food for the Chinese camp. Due to the pressures he deals with that I have gone over, it's understandable that he will express his issues with the workers and the fact that the job require has gone on for so long. Grumpy and irritating, Yang will complain most of the time to Eddie about the Congo, as this is really the only African he can complain to in Mandarin. He'll nag Eddie about his lack of knowledge he has about his own country or that Eddie is lazy and only willing to do his job of being an interpreter. To be honest, these scenes I find the most entertaining, as we come to understand the type of relationship there is between Eddie and Yang. We also understand the different work ethic and culture Yang has, as he will make comments and observations that are also made by other Chinese workers. They are alone in this prefab camp in a vast, untamed country with mounting pressure as their superiors and native Congolese have certain expectations of them.
While it'd be easy to write off Yang as just whiny or ignorant, considering the job he has and the environment he is working in, you see the struggles he and the other Chinese workers go through dealing with these people and their alien culture. But Yang also recognizes, in one scene, how the harsh environment and conditions have made the Congolese people the way they are and understands why they haven't truly been able to grow as a modern society. While showing some level of sympathy to the people, we also see him admit that there will be a need for a Chinese presence in the Congo for a long period of time for it to develop. In this specific case, he is pointing to the necessary maintenance of the road for years to come, demanding a significant Chinese presence. This, to me, is a very important mission made within the documentary.
We have seen so much news come out of China's efforts to colonize much of Africa, but it's hard for me to see the immediate threat China has to Africa, as there is so much misinformation out there and fear-mongering about China's involvement in the continent. Now, the Congo, in this case, has such a long history of exploitation from foreign and domestic powers and also so many civil wars that ravaged the nation and continued to leave the people without an ability to create a truly advanced or safe country. Of course, we have the horrific examples of King Leopold's Congo Free State, where millions of Africans were enslaved, mutilated, and murdered in such great numbers that contributed to an overall decline in population. Decades later, with the independence of the Congo from Belgium, there then came the Congo Crisis, with the end result of an authoritarian president, Mobutu Sese Seko, coming into power and the renaming of the country to Zaire. There were numerous rebellions and then two brutal Civil Wars, one of them being considered the deadliest conflict since World War II, with possibly over 5 million people dying. So, with all these wars, rebellions, famines, and mass slaughters occurring in this country within a short period of time, it is no surprise that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest places on Earth.
Therefore, I understand that the Congo and many other African nations would need help from other, more economically developed nations by having them come in and build infrastructure. China has been presented as the villain for years in the West, understandably so, in that their ventures into Africa are seen as an example of neocolonialism. But to be honest with you, from many of the reports and documentaries I've been seeing, it seems that China is just trying to create alliances with these nations so that they can mutually benefit. Now, I'm not saying exploitation isn't happening, but many of the projects done in these countries, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, seem to be a general improvement upon their societies overall. I found this clip, which is actually very helpful in explaining the issue, in that Yanis Varoufakis, a notable Greek economist, talks about how China is helping Africa better than the European countries did in the past and that they differ from the old form of colonialism as we understand it.
Now, I'm not trying to spread any pro-China or pro-CCP propaganda. China, while able to help these nations, is still an authoritarian regime with a very modern and pervasive surveillance state. We already know about the restrictions on speech going on in the country, the persecution of religious groups, and the insane level of atrocities committed that are going on in western China towards the ethnic Uyghur population. Also, Xi Jinping really wants China to become a regional military superpower and has his sights set on Taiwan, as he really wants to invade and reunify the country in the future. With that said, though, I have to be realistic and also point out the good being done by many Chinese companies being involved in Sub-Saharan Africa. This documentary showcases that fact, as we understand that the Congo desperately needs help and will take any support from those who are willing to build up their nation from the extremely poor hellhole that it is.
Now, there is another documentary that the director, Braham van Pesion, has made, but I have been having a difficult time finding it. Having come out in 2017, "I'm New Here" seems to be a documentary following the lives of African migrants living in China and the problems that come with the interactions between the two cultures. The only problem, though, is I can't find a good link to the documentary, as the one that is provided is pretty dead. If anyone has a link or a copy of this documentary, please send it to me, as I would love to watch and review it. Just by judging the trailer for the documentary, it looks very fascinating, as it covers the issues of African migrants being in China.
While we see in "Empire of Dust" an example of Chinese operations in the African continent, we're also seeing a significant growth of Africans migrating to China. Large numbers are moving to Guangzhou, and we have seen many times the issues that have occurred between these two communities, especially during the pandemic. We have seen that many Chinese have had continued negative feelings towards large numbers of migrants entering into their country to take their blue-collar jobs, spread diseases, and sell drugs. The problem, though, is China has now been experiencing a demographic decline. As of the making of this video, India has surpassed China as the most populous country in the world, as it seems the Chinese have overcounted their shrinking population. China, with a combination of its one-child policy, rising cost of living, and high unemployment, has forced many young Chinese people to delay starting families or even abandon the idea of having children and instead just live with their parents. Of course, there are other factors involved, but overall, China is an aging nation where, in the future, there will begin to have a shortage of reliable workers. Real Life Lore does a fantastic video covering this issue in greater detail, where he explains the reasons for this population decline and China's possible future. Link in the description below.
So, with its shrinking population, many now feel the only way forward for the nation is to allow more immigrants into their country to work those jobs that many Chinese refuse to do. This, of course, is a hugely controversial issue, as many Chinese still feel they should continue to keep a somewhat closed, homogeneous society. I can't really comment further, as there are many other better channels who have extensively covered this subject. I think Peter Zeihan and, as I stated, Real Life Lore are great to seek out, as they provide better insight than what I can provide in this video.
With that said, though, "Empire of Dust" still holds up as a documentary. Again, the advantage of this film is we are getting a perspective from two individuals on a Chinese infrastructure project in the Congo instead of a documentary that tries to cover this subject like a report. While I like reports that are on YouTube, this type of film with two main characters just sticks out in my mind more, as it's quite memorable. We see the goofy personalities on display from Lao Yang and Eddie and see their type of work relationship they have developed. While Yang seems to be grouchy throughout the documentary, I feel he has Eddie's best interest at heart and is just trying to do his best in giving useful advice to him and is trying to help the other Congolese workers.
If I were to critique the documentary, I would say it feels quite short, to be honest. I would almost want an entire series as we see the progression of the road works in the Congo and the multitude of issues both Yang and Eddie continue to face as they deal with an inefficient government and lack of reliable resources at times. But I guess this documentary suffices. I hope both Eddie and Yang are doing well in the world wherever they are and that maybe we can get an update someday from the director. I actually don't know much from the director other than the scant information on him on IMDb. There is an interview with him in French, but considering the fact that I don't speak French and the video has no closed captions, I can't really get much from it. If anyone has any updates on the director or where his other documentary is, please comment down below.
If I were to give this documentary a Rotten Tomatoes-style score, I would give it a 96%. Very engaging and entertaining, and you stay quite interested with the individuals on screen. I'll link the two free versions of the documentary in the description below. Just be aware that the quality isn't the best, as I could only find videos in 360p.
So, I'll end this video off with some questions that I hope people will be able to respond to in the comment section down below: Are the Chinese actually helping these African nations in any meaningful way? Is China just engaging in a new form of colonialism? And with a shrinking population, should China change their policies on immigration and let more skilled migrant workers in? I hope everyone enjoyed my brief video on this great documentary. Please help me out by liking and subscribing, and thank you, and like always, have a wonderful day. Ciao!