Eat Bitter: Striving for a better life in the Central African Republic - BBC Africa Eye Documentary

In the Central African Republic, one of Africa’s poorest countries, local sand diver Thomas Boa and Chinese construction manager Jianmin Luan struggle to improve their fortunes. They “eat bitter” today in the hope of a better tomorrow, but with no guarantees of what their futures may hold.

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Africa Eye brings you original, investigative journalism revealing secrets and rooting out injustice in the world’s most complex and exciting continent. Nothing stays hidden forever.

Credits:
Directed by - Pascale Appora-Gnekindy, Ningyi Sun
Producer - Mathieu Faure
Writers - Mathieu Faure, Ningyi Sun, Pascale Appora-Gnekindy
Executive Producers - Mathieu Faure, Steve Dorst
Co-producers - Ningyi Sun, Pascale Appora-Gnekindy, Orphée Zaza Emmanuel Bamoy
Director of Photography - Orphée Zaza Emmanuel Bamoy
Sound Engineer - Aaron Koyassoukpengo
Film Editors - Hannah Choe, Mathieu Faure
For the BBC:
Africa Eye Editor - Tom Watson
Head of Longform and Investigations - Liz Gibbons
Film Editor - Dickon Le Marchant
Executive Producers - Peter Murimi, Dickon Le Marchant
Online Editor - Chris Stott
Colourist - Boyd Nagle
Sound Mixer - Jez Spencer
Reversioning Producer - Anna Payton
Digital Producer - Tamasin Ford
Social Media Producer - Anusha Kumar
Production Manager - Simon Frost
Production Coordinator - Sarah Clarke

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#CentralAfricanRepublic #Documentary #Migrants #CAR #AfricaNews #investigativejournalism #investigations

[dimakatsodavid]

These men work so hard to feed their families they are the real heroes..

[MariaKimbowa]

Seeing the guy's happy face after purchasing the canoe melted my heart

[chikauzoekwe]

Why didn't we get to see the journalist who did this amazing job.
Thank you BBC. I didn't want to pause the video for one bit

[ntsika]

Unlike many African stories, this ended well. I wish all the best to these hard working man!

[dgrahamwithers]

Saw this film at Hot Docs in 2023 - such a beautiful, intimate and fascinating window to a rarely seen corner of our changing world. The artistic rendering of their stories from a Chinese as well as CAR perspective is a really nuanced gift. Thomas' songs & Jianmin's easy humour truly warmed my heart. Great to see it here.

[Syndicate_official]

The way that guy threw that sand back into the river 😭😡, after the guy spends so much time underwater fetching that sand..life is sure painfull

[ckordiolis]

This was one of the best BBC Africa documentaries!

[susanwaweru]

Even though the africans dont have money...even in deep struggle you cant beat their happiness!!!

[doreenasiimwe]

His starting song had me crying like a child 😢

[manofjinjacity]

" on this earth, you must struggle to survive" what a powerful message!!

[Yvopowerfitness]

May God help these young mens putting their lives on the line, just to be able to feed their families. This documentary made me appreciate what i have and where i am at.

[johnchimbani]

I don’t understand how a mother can leave her kids 😢

[bosirejoseph]

That young man is very hardworking. Always Appreciate what you have. I fear how his mum is sick at home not gone to hospital for treatment. I feel sad. I wish him a good life. I also wish her mum speedy recovery. Africans lets support and love each other.

[dionysiostyranofsyracuse]

as always, bbc deliver more than expected! this is pure journalism

[katlehomooka]

Bro is like "Tongbo you don't want me coming to work tomorrow, I see your game." 😂😂

That's Africans for you. There's always a brighter side man. Thomas is such an inspiration. ❤

[kmoviesandtrailers]

Despite the hardship, the resilient men keep on grinding and providing the least they can afford for their families. Kudos!

[chadhiggenbottom]

The point I'm not seeing addressed in this comment section is that the manager's narionality is key to business. The money to build these projects sadly is not coming from CAR itself. These are projects paid for by loans from Chinese development banks that presumably CAR will repay over time. If chinese guy wasn't the manager then the banks would select whoever the other chinese construction manager in Bangui is. Unfortunately this is and will for the forseeable future remain how development in much of sub saharan African takes place. Obviously we all hope the money (demand) for these young men and their labor (supply) starts originating more locally sooner rather than later.

[Riverside-ml]

Some of this guys come to Africa with less than 1k usd and they are being worship and see as investors whereas some of us go to their country with millionaires and get treated like trash

[bonfacewachira]

So the Chinese man has never held his birthday in china, his first birthday celebration was in Central Africa, after making money in Africa.. Africa is indeed not poor 😮😮😮

[edmundmawlong]

A Chinese man in Africa as a manager back in his hometown he is nothing but a hawker, even if he is doing construction work he will be just a helper, common African youth wake up you are better than him.