Category: African Cinema

District 9 is a modern sci-fi cult classic from explosive filmmaker Neil Blomkamp. Released in the late summer of 2009, it resonated with a global audience and left an immediate mark. It managed to blend impressive special effects with a gritty, realistic found footage-styled narrative that thrusts the viewer right into the story. Its ability to both dazzle as a summer spectacle but also make its audience reflect upon themselves and the state of the world and our humanity as a whole is among the most effective examples of social commentary within genre film making.

The film shows us an alternative reality wherein Johannesburg, South Africa has been turned upside down after an alien vessel appeared over its skies. While the residents of the area are repelled by the aliens housed inside, the audience learns soon enough that they’re actually quite human. They don’t wish anyone on our planet harm, and yet they receive nothing but the most cruel treatment and complete segregation from regular society. This is where the title of the film comes into play; District 9 is the name of an internment camp used to section the aliens off from.

Johannesburg skyline beneath an indistinct science fiction craft
Johannesburg provides the urban backdrop for this science fiction story.

Of course, no action oriented science fiction film ever gets up and running without some degree of adventure. One of the aliens – the immensely lovable and identifiable Christopher Johnson – takes it upon himself to attempt an escape. His wish is for nothing more to take his son and return back to their home. The human lead of the film, Wikus van der Merwe (as portrayed by Sharlto Copley), complicates matters after confiscating one of the pieces of technology Johnson had been hoarding. After being sprayed in the face with a liquid contained within, Wikus finds himself slowly turning into an alien himself.

Industrial district on the edge of Johannesburg
An industrial Johannesburg landscape reflects the film’s tense setting.

Though initially a bureaucrat with very little care for the aliens himself, Wikus’ new dilemma shows him first hand just how dismissive society can be upon realizing someone else isn’t quite the same. The military company overseeing the camp intends to treat him as a lab experiment to understand the nature of the transformation (and the alien DNA at large), but he escapes and is forced to take refuge in District 9 itself. His name is then slandered, subjecting Wikus to incredible public scrutiny.

Film camera monitor reflecting a city street
The camera monitor suggests the found-footage style used in District 9.

Christopher Johnson and Wikus ultimately work together, with the alien hoping to find his way home in return for helping find a cure to the new transformation. Nothing goes quite as planned however, and the story goes on to take many twists and turns from there. Amidst high tension drama and incredible action, District 9 ultimately serves as a nod to real life events such as District Six in Cape Town and the apartheid era of South Africa as a whole. It is truly gripping and has become one of the most well regarded modern classics, and the achievement is nothing short of impressive given that the earliest stages of the film’s development began as little more than a video game adaptation! If you haven’t given it a shot, it’s well worth a viewing.

Throughout the world you can find all kinds of places that have not yet been disturbed by man made buildings and other structures. One of the best places to find these untouched lands is the continent of Africa. In addition to the amazing scenes of nature, documentaries about the various countries and people can provide insight as to how the people live in this part of the world.

Whether your interests are academic in nature or you simply enjoy expanding your knowledge of the world and want to watch the animals and plants that are found throughout Africa, you can find some great documentaries that will help you to achieve your goals. There have been countless records made all over the continent ever since the first recording devices were in use.

Documentary camera operator filming a community gathering
Documentary filmmaking can bring local stories and perspectives to viewers.

Of course, with so many different videos out there, it can be challenging to find ones that will suit your needs. For instance, those who are interested in finding out more about the animals who live there would be much more interested in a documentary about the primates who call the land home while someone who wants to learn about the diamond industry would have completely different requirements for finding a good documentary.

So, the first thing that you should do in order to create a list of the three best documentaries based in Africa is to determine the subject matter you want to study. This will allow you to narrow the search parameters and help you to see the documentaries in the sub genre related to your African queries.

Environmental researcher interviewed at a savannah field station
Researchers and filmmakers work together to add context to documentary stories.

You will want to read plenty of reviews on the documentaries that you are thinking about using so that you can confirm the type of information and the quality of the production. While an average rating might help to give you some insight, it will not tell you if the documentary contains the type of presentation that you are interested in finding for your African studies.

If you are looking into a specific subject matter that occurs in the area, you might want to see what types of documentaries are talked about in scholarly circles to find out more. For instance, if you want to learn more about the animals that live there, see what scientists who study those animals are watching and participating in. When you have documentaries with authoritative sources presented within the video, it is generally more credible and comes with a higher budget for production.

One of the areas than many documentaries are focused on is the Kruger Park in South Africa, which is large than the United Kingdom country of Wales. It is an amazing refuge for animals in Southern Africa and world famous. Many of the film makers will stay in Nelspruit, which is the closest city to the park and has a number of fantastic Nelspruit accommodation options for film makers. It also has everything the modern world has to offer allowing it to be a perfect hub for budding film makers.

Community film screening in a local hall
A community screening brings documentary stories to a shared audience.

You will surely enjoy the top three African documentaries that you discover and might find that you enjoy the work by the producers that you add more videos by them to your list of documentaries to watch. This way, you will be able to have something enjoyable to see that will expand your horizons and teach you more about the world around you. These are an excellent resource for those who cannot travel to distant lands but want to learn more!

With Black Panther tearing up the box office worldwide, people are beginning to look for other African films. After all, Black Panther is one of the highest grossing films of all time. If it’s that good, then other African movies must be great! Make sure your DSTV is paid up and your DSTV installation is working so you can catch these and other fantastic African movies in your home.

Sadly, this is only as true as it is here in the United States. Africa has its fair share of flops and bombs. It also has its fair share of great movies. In fact, if you’re looking for African movies then you’ve got quite a selection. Nollywod, or Nigerian Hollywood, maybe the biggest movie production area but it’s far from the only one.

If you’re curious, here are three of the top African films.

Yeelen

Sahel landscape evoking Malian cinema
A Sahel landscape evokes the mythic journey at the heart of Malian cinema.

A Malian production, this film is in some ways a Hollywood movie made in Africa rather than the other way around. Telling a traditional Bambara legend, this is a classic heroic quest story. Westerners will easily recognize a world filled with magic, prophecy and some truly beautiful landscapes even though it takes place in an undefined era of Mali history.

Comparable to such heroic fantasies as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Yeelen came out in 1987. It was a surprising hit with Western viewers as well as African viewers. It was also one of the first films to truly capitalize on Africa’s then growing home video market, where many other directors were escaping local censorship restrictions as well as opening new vistas for storytelling potential.

Yeelen might be the best African movie for someone first beginning to search for such things. The world is easy enough to understand and familiar to those who are interested, yet it’s still distinctly African.

This movie is also known as Brightness.

Independent film crew working in Lagos
A Lagos production crew at work on an independent film set.

30 Days in Atlanta

One of the biggest Nollywood blockbusters in African history, 30 Days in Atlanta is a star vehicle for a Nigerian comedian named Ay, or Ayo Makun as his birth certificate says. The movie follows the misadventures of a Nigerian man who heads to the United States for a vacation and struggles to adapt to the alien culture.

This film set box office records in Nigeria and was a noted success of the comedy genre. This is rare in Nigeria, where the biggest box office successes are generally romances and dramas. Even the other comedies that have done well haven’t been the same kind of bawdy comedy that Ay is known for performing.

The film was blasted by critics in Nigeria for relying on cliches and stereotypes, but much like crass comedies the world over, nothing the critics said swayed audiences from loving the film.

October 1

1960s Nigerian town at dawn
A period setting evokes the historical drama of Nigerian cinema.

Though nowhere near as profitable as 30 Days in Atlanta, October 1 is more a more typical Nollywood drama film. For those familiar with “Oscar-bait” films in the United States, the artistic feel of this movie will seem quite familiar.

This film takes place in 1960, around the same time that Nigeria liberated itself from the colonial influence of the United Kingdom. The story is a dark one, following the investigation of a rural police officer investigating a series of murders of local women. Set against the backdrop of the impending end of colonialism, October 1 has a number of thematic elements that made it a hit despite its high brow concept, among them being the end of colonialism in and its long-term effects afterwards.

As good as these movies are, some people may find them off-putting or upsetting. They’re unapologetically African and don’t pull punches in terms of the damages done by the West. However, they’re entertaining movies for anyone who consider themselves a movie buff. Not just that, but they’re great for anyone wanting to see what various African countries find entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R7wJuPv_7o