Impoverishment aid

Description

Despite their political independence, many developing countries still play the economic role assigned to them by their former colonial powers: that of raw material suppliers. Gabon, for example, is still unable to utilize its own mineral resources and must export them for processing. Like almost all former colonies, Gabon supplies what it possesses and produces to the power that conquered it and continues to control it thanks to its technological advantage. Thus, the export of raw materials represents an absolute loss for the producing country. Even the investments made in Gabon by the French timber entrepreneur shown in the film do not benefit the country.
The film analyzes the development of underdevelopment and shows that the growth of industrialized nations depends on the exploitation of the Third World, resulting in its impoverishment. Because the film uses the example of timber exploitation in Gabon to illustrate its points, it was also subject to criticism from the West German timber lobby. "The timber lobby made our lives a living hell; the Broadcasting Council was convened. The then Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Egon Bahr, criticized the film but nevertheless ensured its distribution by having 300 copies made." (Fernseh-Dienst, January 25, 1977)