Lumumba: Death of a Prophet

The 1961 assassination of Zaire's prime minister Patrice Lumumba is the subject of this modest documentary. Raoul Peck directs this unique look at a tragic time in African history, where the one man who seemed poised to finally speak up for the black population of the Congo was brutally killed before his goal of equality could be completely achieved.

Peck, who intertwines bits of his own childhood into the mix to establish the period, uses little music to help establish the somberness of the subject. The result is a worthwhile documentary, especially to those interested in African history. Peck, who also narrates, directed the 2001 narrative film on the same subject entitled "Lumumba."