Lumumba (2001): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Lumumba is a 2001 biographical drama directed by Raoul Peck, starring Alex Descas and Eriq Ebouaney. It runs 1 hour 55 minutes and earned $352,296 worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best International Film at the Spirit Awards 2002. Critics gave it 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 55m (115 min)
- Director
- Raoul Peck
- Original language
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French - Studio
- Zeitgeist Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Lumumba About?
The premise of Lumumba without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Following Congo's independence from Belgium, charismatic leader Patrice Emery Lumumba becomes Prime Minister, quickly earning a reputation as a skilled and engaging politician. His progressive policies and nationalistic fervor spark both admiration and fierce opposition, leading to political turmoil and threats to his leadership. Facing betrayal and complex international pressures, Lumumba's brief time in office becomes a dramatic struggle for Congo's future, revealing the challenges of establishing a new nation.
Lumumba Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- deception
- belgian history
- chopping up a corpse
- patrice lumumba character
- reference to patrice lumumba
- intrigue
- assassination
- congo
- murder
- military
- political crime
- zaire
+38 more Show fewer
- violence
- unity
- rebel
- prison
- prime minister
- president
- politician
- political plot
- pilot
- paratrooper
- national congo movement
- mutiny
- massacre
- katanga
- justice
- gun
- government
- friend
- envoy
- election
- diplomat
- death
- congolese war
- congolese soldier
- congolese history
- congolese army
- colonist
- civil war
- charisma
- burning corpse
- brutality
- brussels belgium
- blood
- airplane
- airfield
- 1950s
- politics
- political activist
Lumumba Cast
Alex Descas leads the cast, with Eriq Ebouaney. Directed by Raoul Peck.
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Director Raoul Peck
More from Raoul Peck
More films directed by Raoul Peck, best-rated first: I Am Not Your Negro, Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5, Silver Dollar Road and Orwell: 2+2=5.
Lumumba Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Lumumba 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78 on Metacritic.
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Rotten Tomatoes 81% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 83%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 78 Metascore
User score 3.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
Lumumba Plot Summary
What happens in Lumumba from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with a stark montage of Lumumba and his allies Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo being driven to their executions, followed by a brutal sequence where their bodies are exhumed, dismembered, and burned on the orders of Mobutu Sese Seko. The viewpoint then flips back to the late 1950s, centering on a heated debate in which Lumumba squares off with Moïse Tshombe and Godefroid Munongo, rival leaders from the pro-Western CONAKAT party. His bold Pan-Africanist ideals spark fury in Tshombe and Munongo, setting the stage for a long, turbulent struggle for power and independence.
Full summary
The whole story of Lumumba, scene by scene
Lumumba Box Office
Lumumba grossed $352,296 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$352.3K
- US & Canada
- $352.3K
Lumumba Awards & Nominations
Lumumba earned 1 award nomination, including Best International Film at the Spirit Awards 2002.
1 nomination1 ceremony
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Spirit Awards 2002 1 nomination- Nominated Best International Film
Lumumba Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Lumumba.
How Well Do You Know Lumumba?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In the film, what was Patrice Lumumba’s occupation before becoming a political leader?
Cars in Lumumba
35 cars on screen, including the 1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille and the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.
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1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role -
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Important role -
1945 Willys Jeep CJ-2A Important role -
AVM-DAF Minor role
Seen Lumumba?
Movies Like Lumumba
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Lumumba: Death of a Prophet, Black Jesus and Kinshasa Makambo.
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Lumumba: Death of a Prophet 1991 -
Black Jesus 1968 -
Kinshasa Makambo 2018 -
Mobutu, King of Zaire 1999 -
This Is Congo 2018 -
Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death 2003 -
The Siege of Jadotville 2016 -
Congo 1995 -
White King, Red Rubber, Black Death 2005 -
Congo Crossing 1956 -
Sambizanga 1972 -
Dark of the Sun 1968
Lumumba FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Lumumba, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Lumumba?
Lumumba runs 1 hour 55 minutes (115 minutes).
When was Lumumba released?
Lumumba was released on June 27, 2001.
Who directed Lumumba?
Lumumba was directed by Raoul Peck.
More films by Raoul Peck Who is in the cast of Lumumba?
Lumumba stars Alex Descas and Eriq Ebouaney.
How much did Lumumba make at the box office?
Lumumba grossed $352,296 worldwide.
How is Lumumba rated?
Lumumba has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
Was Lumumba nominated for any awards?
Lumumba received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does Lumumba have a post-credit scene?
No. Lumumba has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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