By Pamela Munyoro.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – The decolonization period in Africa marked huge growth in the African film industry.
Individuals such as François Mitterand led efforts that encouraged filmmakers and producers to integrate cultural, political and economic development of the continent into African film production.
The major dilemma is coming in when our actors are caught in between displaying the West and Asian culture more and seconding the African culture.
Majority of the African films serve more as agents of brainwash on the youths and adults for Western supremacy.
For decades African filmmakers have struggled to present viewers their own perspectives, be it due to lack of funding or be it due to lack of distribution possibilities.
Some argue that, African actors should stop or minimize wearing of Asian and European hair and clothing in their films, movies or dramas and everything about their films will be taken seriously.
Also African actors tend to speak in good fluent foreign accent as some don’t find it fit to do so, yet the Western tend to use a “mocking” like accent in portraying Africans especially when they are mimicking Nigerians or South Africans.
The major challenge is coming in when they are seeking exposure and targeting a larger market and audience to recognize their works, hence to be like them is the only way.
When the African film industry stops acting and making foreign religion, medicine and culture dominant over those of Africans, that’s when even the foreigners and the rest in Africa will start to give them the pride of place they merit and respect they deserve.
Also as Africans there is less appreciation of the cinema and in ourselves in believing we can do better than the Western people. This has dragged the process of growth in everything we do.
Therefore, a vast majority of African movies are nor just good for our children or youths and even to all because, they instill inferiority complex in Africans and serve more as colonial tools for brainwash and enslavement, leading to more exploitation and destruction of the black race, said Dr. R. FRU- GENIWA.
Inasmuch, the industry is facing these challenges, some movies and actors have made it to the foreign market like Lupita Nyongo in US directed by Jordan Peele, Pearl Thusi in Quantico and our very own Danai Gurira in Black Panther.
These actors have represented African in all possible ways be it in dressing, accents and how they handle their selves.
They have shown the world how comfortable they are in their own skin and how proud they are to be some of the Africans that made it in the Hollywood.
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