African cinema Flashcards
race as a social construct
the idea of race and racism was created by humans and was prominent with European colonialism in the 16th century.
Arthur de Gobineau’s Theory
He wrote an essay on inequality of human races in which he categorised them as black, yellow and white.
He claimed black people as inferior, describing them as “animalistic”, he deeply influenced European racist ideologies.
Racism merged with popular culture
In the 19th century, non- European’s were depicted as the “Others”
Human displays
Africans were shown in freak shows, colonial exhibitions, human zoos and museums to reinforce stereotypes.
Stereotypes in Visual Documentation
Represents “exotic” people with themes of war, nudity, music, dance, spiritual rituals, village life and cannibalism.
These representations framed African cultures as…
primitive and inferior, justifying colonial exploitation in their minds. Turned Africa into a concept shaped by racism rather than a refection of its diverse realities.
colonist writers and cinema
early cinema narratives were influenced by popular colonist films.
new imperialism and the birth of cinema
The rise of cinema coincided with the Scramble for African and European colonial expansion eg the Berlin conference.
Films promoted the civilizing mission and helped build European and American national identities by emphasizing differences and supposed superiority over Africans.
Instructional films
focused on topics like disease control, hygiene, and agriculture, often supporting local agendas.
Ethnographic films
documented african cultural principles typically created by missionaries aligned with colonial authorities.
Travelogues and Safari films
highlighted western moral and technological “superiority” through depictions of african landscapes and wildfire.
Tarzan films
popularized the “noble savage” stereotype, romanticizing african wilderness while reinforcing racist tropes.
African and the colonial imaginary
cinema reinforced ideas of European conquest, domination and the civilization of untouched african territories.
cinema’s role
early films reflected and perpetuated prevailing socio-cultural power structures, aligning with colonialist ideologies.
decolonization and nationalist agendas
post- independence african filmmakers began challenging colonial stereotypes and the imperial gaze.
films often served as a socio-educational purpose addressing critical issues like
neo-colonialism- the lingering effects of colonial influence.
tradition vs modesty- balancing cultural heritage with contemporary progress.
nation-building- defining and rebuilding african identity and national pride.
cultural valorization and reclaiming african representation
federation of african filmmakers (FEPACI)- founded in 1969 to promote african film production, distribution and exhibition.
FESPACO film festival-established in Burkina Faso, became a major platform for african cinema and partnered with the organization of african unity (now african union)
challenges facing african filmmakers
underdevelopment in the film industry- limited resources and lack of training facilities hinder growth.
distribution and exhibition-dominance of foreign companies (european, american and indian) restricts african films access to local markets
cinema decline in africa- lack of movie theaters makes it difficult for african audiences to access african films.
transnational cinema and fluid borders
advances in telecommunications and globalization blur traditional national boundaries, requiring a focus on how cinema navigates the global-local interface
emphasizes is placed on both exilic, diasporic or postcolonial filmmakers working in western contexts.
key themes
power dynamics- exploring relationships between center/ margin and insider/outsider.
identity and displacement- migration, loss, and displacement create fluid, evolving identities that challenge fixed, hegemonic notions of nationality.
marginality and shared heritage
transnational cinema typically operates on the margins of dominant film cultures and industrial practices. it examines film cultures or national cinemas that prioritize;
shared cultural heritage- common histories or traditions across borders.
geo-political boundaries- narratives shaped by specific regional or political contexts.
funding and co-productions
france is a major collaborator whith agreements since the 1990s with countries like Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory coast, Guinea and Senegal
Other funding include Telefilm Canada, Channel 4 (UK), zdf (Germany), Canal+ (France), the EU.
festival circuits
african films are often screened only at european or spealized festivals such as the Milan African film festival, LA Pan Africam film festival, Film Africa.
This marginalizes them, branding it as others.
Homogenization of Africa
festival circuits may encourage western audiences to view africa as a single, homogenous entity. this imposes a restrictive vision of african films, often limited to narratives of exoticism or conflict, ignoring the diversity of african cultures and stores.
