An Introduction to African Cinema

by Alan Perlman
on October 6th, 2010
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In the mid twentieth century, French colonies in Africa were not legally permitted to produce their own films. Because of this “Laval Decree,” many African countries’ film industries didn’t really take off until after the 1960s, following formal independence from countries like France.

Early African filmmakers of the independence era saw movie production as a political tool, a means of helping to reshape the continent’s image put forward by Western filmmakers. In opposition to the racism seen in Western films, African filmmakers wanted

African films to express the continent as they saw it, as they lived it. Producers like Ousmane Sembène (Senegal) and Oumarou Ganda (Niger) pioneered this philosophy back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, African cinema is not centered around commercial interests—it is focused on social and political themes and explores the dilemmas that arise from the conflict between traditional Africa and modern Africa. While countries like Nigeria churn out hundreds of movies a month, smaller film industries in countries like Senegal and Burkina Faso hold their own significance.

In an effort to learn more about African cinema, let’s explore three different film industries:

Nollywood, Two Hundred Films a Month

Behind India’s Bollywood, the Nigerian film industry, colloquially known as Nollywood, is the second largest in the world in terms of annual film production.

Yes, the second largest in the world. Churning out about two hundred film a month, Nollywood is reportedly a US$500 million film industry. That’s larger than Hollywood!

Nollywood began in the 1960s. The industry took off in 1992 with the release of Living in Bondage, a drama thriller that went straight to video. Actually, most films go straight to DVD and VCD discs. They are sold for US$2 each at Nigerian shops and market stalls, an average film selling around 50,000 copies.

Most Nigerian films are not even produced in studios–they’re shot in hotels, offices and homes, all over Nigeria. Modern Nollywood’s most noteworthy auteur, Chico Ejiro, boasts that he can complete production on a movie in as little as seventy-two hours.

Senegal’s Decline in Film Production

Unlike Nigeria, Senegalese cinema isn’t nearly as widespread. While Senegal’s film industry experienced its prime from the 1960s through to the early 1980s, today the country has seen less than five feature films produced over the last ten years.

Senegal’s first film was produced in 1955, L’Afrique sur Seine by Paulin Vieyra, but the industry didn’t begin to develop until after the country’s independence from France in 1960. Writer Ousmane Sembène, known for his short stories that dealt with social change, saw film as an effective way to reach a larger audience. In 1963, Sembène produced what is now considered the first film ever made by a Black African in Africa. It was a 20-minute short called Barom Sarret, or The Wagoner.

Senegalese cinema gained momentum in the 1970s, with some films receiving international attention in Europe. Yet by 1980, the country was only producing five full length films a year. While there were a few wealthy producers willing to finance their own films, some of their topics were too controversial, and a lack of domestic resources and financing ultimately lead to the industry’s decline.

Today, Senegal’s capital of Dakar houses cinematographers, writers, and a number of other people with a strong knowledge in film production. The resources to develop the industry just aren’t there.

Somaliwood in Columbus, Ohio

The geographic center of Somali’s film industry isn’t even in Africa. It’s in Ohio.

In 1991, the small diaspora community of Somalians in Columbus grew larger with refugees from the Somali Civil War. Today, the community is now at around 50,000 Somalis, one of the largest Somali diaspora populations in the United States. Aside from Somali storefronts, video shops and money transfer offices, Columbus even has a Somali newspaper and radio show.

A new generation of films is being built out of Columbus. Young directors like Abdisalam Aato and Abdi Malik Isak are spearheading a cinematic revolution with production companies like Olol Films, helping to continue the ancient custom of Somali storytelling. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the film industry developed through popular musicals, known as Riwaayado in the Somali language. Similar to India’s Bollywood musicals, Somali films typically employ a delicate, artsy mixture of love, action and music.

photo by MyEyeSees

Alan Perlman

Alan Perlman travels the world as an international cost-of-living surveyor. When he's not hunting for the price of female undergarments in places like Syria, Rwanda and Turkmenistan, he's hanging out in Boston, MA, staying active, meeting people and brainstorming business models. You can read more about Alan and his plans to conquer life at his blog, The 9 to 5 Alternative.