Are We Witnessing the Rise of African Cinema?

Original Story Published by: Stacey Henley, The Gamer, www.thegamer.com
Photo Source: Courtesy of The Gamer

Last weekend, I was sitting in the cinema when I heard a tribal song during the trailers. As the screen rolled across a sunrise over the plains of Africa, I settled in to see a new trailer for Beast, Idris Elba’s latest flick. Instead, John Boyega came on the screen, and I was confused as Beast’s previous trailer seemed plot-focussed and had not included Boyega. Then the trailer continued and showed Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, and a radically different plot to Beast. Somewhere along the way, I realised that this was not a trailer for Beast at all, but instead for an entirely different movie: The Woman King. With this confusion comes a revelation. Maybe African cinema is finally getting its due.

In a way, I can’t be blamed for expecting a Beast trailer. The movie is slated for an August release, yet all trailers have simply said ‘coming soon’, and the last few times I’ve been to the cinema, including the press screening for Nope, the movie was preceded by Beast. But in a much more generic sense, when you go to the cinema often enough, you grow to recognise trailers. Gen Z party = Bodies Bodies Bodies. ‘60s utopia = Don’t Worry Darling. High end cutting edge restaurant = The Menu. But these are all very specific aesthetic and thematic connections.

For Beast, my brain went ‘Africa = Beast’. So few movies are set in Africa, and we have one about to release, so sure. But it’s not like this for other movies. I don’t see North America and think ‘ooh this must be She Said’. That so few movies are set in Africa is the point. Africa has a rich and often tragic history, but many films that have explored this have taken advantage of the continent. Like their colonial ancestors, filmmakers have pillaged Africa and centred on white stories. With The Woman King exploring a true tale of Africa’s history, and Beast building off its myths through the lens of the diaspora, we’re witnessing a revolution in real-time.