When We Were Kings is a documentary film directed by Leon Gast, chronicling the events surrounding the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. The film features footage of the lead-up to the fight, as well as interviews with both fighters and other key figures involved in the event.
As the film explores the cultural and political significance of the fight, it highlights the role of promoter Don King in bringing the two fighters together and securing funding for the event from Mobutu Sese Suko, who saw it as an opportunity to promote his country and his own image. It also explores the legacy of colonialism and racism in both the United States and Africa, and how the fight represented an assertion of black power and identity in the world of sports.
The film includes interviews with musicians who performed at the accompanying music festival, such as James Brown and B.B. King, who reflect on the cultural significance of the event and their own experiences as black performers in the United States.
When We Were Kings received critical acclaim upon its release in 1996, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film is widely regarded as one of the definitive documentaries on the sport of boxing and a landmark exploration of black identity and power in the 20th century.