Saturday, April 14, 2007

Movies about Africa, Hollywood's new obsession!

Thanks for inspiring this post Dana:)

Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, The Constant Gardener, The last king of Scotland etc..they are not just random movies they are movies about my beloved Africa. Its the begining of the 21st century and the world is still worried about Africa seeing that most African countries greeted the 21st century and the new millenium armed with poverty, illiteracy, war, destructive ethnic or religious conflicts and underdevelopment. In the 1950's and the 1960's, the world wasn't very worried about Africa, they were worried about Asia. Yes, Asia, I am talking about the Middle east, the near east and the far east. However, this century is truely the "Asian century", Asians proved that they can solve their conflicts and problems and started developing their countries (hongkong, Thailand, UAE, China etc...). While America was entering the digital age, Europe was recovering from the destructive WW2, Asians started using their resources, Africa was too involved in pointless ethnic conflicts, corruption and other problems which often lead to humanitarian disasters.
Why is Hollywood soo interested in making 20th century Africa into movies? Because we have plenty of amazing, unbelievable, touching and shocking stories ( not to mention that they are most definitely oscar-winning stories!).
I'm not going to be surprised if I go to the movies in a few weeks to watch a movie about Sudan! wait a minute, they are filming emma's war right now! I'm sure the world will be thrilled by this movie. I mean a sudanese warlord marries a british aid worker and she lives with him in Southern sudan during Africa's longest-running war! How originial! ( drum rolls, drum rolls pleaseeeee.....and the golden globe for best actress goes to ...Nicole Kidman for playing Emma's part in an exquisite way and for turning the horrors of the Sudanese civil war into an eye-opening film ( not that we were aware of the civil war but hey thanks for telling us about it!).
Do I like movies about Africa?
Yes, No, Mabye. I do like watching movies about Africa because hollywood succeeds in making them very real and believable. However, I hate watching such movies, it makes me helpless, it makes Africa seem helpless. Africa is not a helpless sad continent and I hate being helpless.
I'm not in denial, Africa did go through some tough times mabye more than any other continent but is it irreversible? are we never going to rise? are we always going to be a dependant sad continent? did Africa go down for good?
Mabye the 20th century wasn't "africa's" century, mabye the 21st century will not be "africa's" century but mabye the 22nd century will be ours. Africa has so much potential. Atleast, I think so! I believe in her.
Honestly, I'm not against watching hollywood movies about her or any movies about Africa at all but please, stop the afro-pessimism n stop making Africa look helpless.

Moreover, what did they all have in common except hotel rwanda?
The European trying to save the helpless little sad Africans. Europeans come to Africa expecting change and ofcoure they will be the ones responsible for this change. They will come to Africa and all of a sudden, AIDS dissapear, poverty is gone, all people are educated, development is all over the place but wait a minute, this is the real world.
Why is Hotel Rwanda different from the other 3 movies? It is real. It happened. Yes, that one African man, Paul ,saved thousands of lives. Yes, Africans are capable of great things once they get to work.
Europeans did alot for Africa, Europeans are doing alot for Africa right now but what can Africans do for Africa? Alot. Who is going to change Africa? its own people, the Africans. Is there any hope for Africa? Yes, its people.

The hollywood movies are true, I'm not going to lie but its history, history is the past and the future is the present. We should look forward to the future while not forgeting the past, acknowledging it while learning our lesson for it, we can make a brighter future for ourselves, our children and the next generations.

4 comments:

Daana said...

kizzie I am glad that my post inspired u 2 talk about africa. Truly only africans can help Africa. The others will not help Africa because they only want to get its resources, and unfortunately African leaders, governments, rebels, or what have u are also the same they want the riches to themselves. I am going to write a post insha Allah about sudan and what can be done to actually improve ourselves and our countries. I leave u with a hopeful note 4 Africa and Sudan :)

Reem said...

Dear Daana,
Thanks for your comment!
I believe that our generation have alot of work to do, I really believe in Africa and I believe that things can change for the better. Sudan's problem are alot, a bit complicated but it's not a hopeless case. I think that one of the benefits we have is that Sudan is not over-populated, only 30 million in a country the size of western Europe:)
I know what our probs are exactly and walahi I dont think they cant be solved. All problems can be solved, you just have to know where to start and what to do.
We need good leadership awal 7ajaa!
We have hundreds of thousands of intellectuals. Alot of intelligent, educated and inspiring people but they want to do anything except be leaders.
you reckon the next elections will be fair? if we had proper elections aslan!

Asabagna said...

Hi Kizzie, I have been reading your blog and wanted to forward two links to a discussion we had on this topic from my blog page. I found your comments interesting. Here they are:

http://asabagna.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/a-tale-of-two-black-brothers/

http://asabagna.wordpress.com/2007/03/07/reflections-inspired-by-aulelia/

I would also like to invite you to consider being a part of a collective of Afrocentric bloggers called the AfroSpear. Here is the link to our page:

http://afrospear.wordpress.com/

If you read the About and Mission Statement sections, it will provide you with the concept and objectives of AfroSpear. We are currently searching for a 6th member, an African woman, born and currently living in the Motherland, to add their perspective and voice to our collective. If interested and you want more information, please email me at afrospear@hotmail.com.

Blessings.
Asa

Reem said...

Hello AfroSpear,
I would love to be the 6th member.
I was just checkin out your website and I like it!:)