State Research Bureau

  • State Research Bureau
Genre : Thriller
Type : Fiction
Original title :
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv
Year of production : 2010
Format : Short
Running time : 80 (in minutes)

State Research Bureau is a story about an epoch in Uganda's turbulent past. It recounts what took place in the safe houses of 1970s and 1980s, bringing back the memories of what happened to one once arrested at the dreaded road blocks mounted by the security forces of the time.

Summary for official catalogues


Set in 1985, a family tries to flee the troubled country because the Uganda National Liberation Army, the force that ousted Idi Amin Dada had also turned onto the civilians, killing them without trial in the guise of supporting the National Resistance Army (NRA) rebels, who were fighting Milton Obote, whose UPC government was being accused of rigging votes.
 

In the movie, a couple that escapes a brutal massacre of civilians in Arua town miraculously reaches Kampala, and attempts to flee to Kenya. On their way through Jinja, they are intercepted at a road block mounted by men of the notorious Captain Yusuf, who runs a National Security Agency (Nasa) unit in Jinja. However, Capt. Yusuf, whose relatives perished at the hands of agents of Nasa's predecessor, the State Research Bureau (SRB) during Idi Amin's regime, is not impressed by the new name and wants to run "an improved version of the State Research Bureau". He carries out the most ruthless arrests, and is not interested in finding out the truth but the exploitation of suspects, from whom he obtained monetary bribes or got sexual favours in exchange for freedom.

SRB is a story of undisciplined, corrupt, brutal, inefficient, and cowardly soldiers who killed civilians at will, raped women, took bribes, and did not care about the security of their countrymen, but their own indulgences. At his safe house, Capt. Yusuf is the law, the prosecutor, and judge. He has right over life - and of anyone under him. However, even people like Capt. Yusuf can lose their power when the oppressed study their weak points and exploit it. In the movie, the captain has a soft spot for women, so, the prisoners use it to their advantage.

 

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

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