In May 1978, the mining town of Kolwezi in Katanga, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Belgian Congo) is under attack from a group of communist guerillas coming from nearby Angola. The Europeans who work for the Belgian mining company and the Blacks who live in the town are taken as hostages by the invaders, who start a blood bath, shooting Europeans as well as Africans. Many of the Europeans being French, the French decide to organize a counter-attack, and to send a Regiment of Paratroopers from the Foreign Legion. The movie follows the stories of Delbart, a former non-commissioned officer, who was about to go back to France with his African wife and his child, Damrémont, who was Delbart's replacement, Bia, a Zairian doctor, and Annie, an American married to a Belgian engineer as well as Non com Legion officer Federico and the French Ambassador and the Military Attaché.
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Cast
14 people
Bruno Cremer
Pierre Delbart
Known for
Sorcerer
Under the Sand
Mimsy Farmer
Annie
Known for
Four Flies on Grey Velvet
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
Jacques Perrin
L'ambassadeur Berthier
Known for
Cinema Paradiso
Donkey Skin
Giuliano Gemma
Adjudant-chef Federico
Known for
Even Angels Eat Beans
Tenebre
Laurent Malet
Damrémont
Known for
Querelle
Kill the Referee
Pierre Vaneck
Colonel Grasser
Known for
The Science of Sleep
Love Me No More
Jean-Claude Bouillon
Maurois
Known for
The Snake
Gérard Essomba
Bia Kombo
Also in
Pieces of Identity
Daresalam
Robert Etcheverry
Le colonel Dubourg
Also in
L’Aéropostale, courrier du ciel
The Flashing Blade
Pierre Rousseau
Debruyn
Known for
Drummer-Crab
The Burned Barns
Henri Marteau
Chamfort
Known for
The Unfaithful Wife
Indochine
Laure Moutoussamy
Elodie
Known for
The Story of O
Raoul Coutard Director · André G. Brunelin Writer Georges Liron Cinematographer
First release January 9, 1980 · Produced in France · Production Bela Productions, France 3 Cinéma
Production
SNC
Production
Bela Productions
Production
France 3 Cinéma
Production
Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)
Production
France
Produced in
Languages
Original title
La légion saute sur Kolwezi
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
French
Release dates
France · January 9, 1980
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
Finland
September 16, 1983 · Theatrical
Netherlands
June 18, 1981 · Theatrical
Portugal
September 11, 1980 · Theatrical
Sweden
August 18, 2023 · Digital
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Some details come from TheTVDB.