It is common knowledge that Africa is the land of diverse cultures and identities. These cultures have their own unique colors and indigenous knowledge, which have developed over time as people have been creating and using these practices for years.
After the outbreak of colonialism, the history and contributions that the region offered to the globe started to be narrated with bias. It became the Europeans who took the space to explain and narrate the stories of the African people in a way they wanted.
Africans were ignored or influenced to conceal the real identity and history of Africa. The curriculum, language, culture, history, and all African marking aspects of the region were dominated by the whites. Thus, the picture of the continent was forced to rely on white narration, which was made based on their intentions and interests.
Scholars strongly emphasize that this domination and lion’s share were possibly taken using the cultural and sociological pillars of society. It is evident that the identity, philosophy, reality, and even wishes of the given society are exhibited in the socio-cultural space of the society, and the showcase is the art and culture itself.
Art, which bridges society with every aspect of human activities and aspirations, is used as the best key to input the targeted goal of the user or narrator to the given nation softly.
Since the narrators were Europeans, African identity and the historical facts done by these people were denied for centuries. This means the narration had been done for the benefit and goals of Europeans, even though the solid facts were already there. In this regard, Dr. Frederick Golooba, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Anthropology in Uganda, said that the African narration is biased and the globe pictured the continent as a degraded and exempted region characterized by war, starvation, famine, and the like. But the reality is far from these perceptions and understandings.
Thus, the basic question to ask as an African citizen is, “Who is telling Africa’s story?” Frederick believed that since academics and the international media are well-funded, they have the capacity to address every nation on the continent. Most African educational curriculums are designed from the perspective and reality of Europeans themselves. Thus, in order to change the curriculum, the continent needs money, this is a frustrating threat.
The international media, which dominantly addressed the story of Africa in the mentioned gloomy way, continues to dominate the globe since it is highly funded, which is, again, another version of colonialism, as the scholar said in the conference. Thus, economic insufficiency is a root cause for Africans to take the space and tell their stories in various ways, making it mandatory to seek information generated by outsiders about the countries of Africa.
Arthur Asiimwe, Director General of Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, said that though the impact of media and academics is huge, the narration of the continent can also be corrected, and the right version of the generation’s narration can be made using art and culture. He said that Africa has the potential and the chance to use this industry to narrate the history and story of the people of the continent.
As he said, it is only Nigeria that is using this potential and getting the reward exceedingly. In that industry, beyond the economic significance, the country is alerting the globe about its real identity and history in many ways. Since this form of art is catchy, it has the power to change the predisposed wrong narration about the people of the country and the continent too.
The director added that this industry is quite relevant for negotiating the encoded message more than other means. Thus, if countries give attention to the area and work on it exhaustively, the narration of the real Africa could explode out the previous one and take its rightful place.
After independence, the continent has been facing various challenges that hinder it from looking back to its issues and standing by itself independently. But these days, the highest focus and interest of the people are to get back to their own roots and revisit their history and culture. Since art is the mirror that enables the people to look at themselves, various artistic genres are progressively being done on the mentioned issue.
The Ethiopian legendary filmmaker Haile Gerima is the best example in this topic. The films that he mostly wrote and produced centered on the indigenous identities and cultures of the people from which they originate. The Amharic film called ‘Teza’ vividly showcased Ethiopian culture and the psychological makeup of society.
Experts agreed that the setting, language, characterization, and artistic efficacy were perfectly created, lifting the film industry one step ahead. The DNC TV host referred to Haile as the “cinematic voice of our time,” following his most flattering and brilliant work called ‘Sankofa’. This film primarily echoes the history and the resistance of black Africans.
In an interview with DNC TV, Haile mentioned that the film was made after a 20-year research study on the history and resistance of Africans during the slave trade. It amplifies the worthiness of black Africans’ resistance towards slavery and the significant history they made in the construction of the United States of America. This film is a reaction to the wrongly documented and narrated history of Africans.
African history is often found and told as the history of slavery, but Haile produced this film to tell the truth. Research showed that Africans contributed significantly to the building of the American nation, giving them an equal share in claiming their identity. The essence of the film shows that when the history and resistance of Africans are told this way, it gives ownership to Africans and enables them to feel proud to live in America.
As the filmmaker said, the prodigious history and resistance of Africans were hidden and wrongly narrated by others. He said, “African Americans were resisting slavery since day one, but their resistance and history were suppressed.” Thus, this film is meant to tell the truth artistically.
The quality and substance of the film were admired by experts. Ellis Mitchell, for instance, said, “It is a brilliant film by one of the prominent figures in 21st-century filmmaking.” The film depicts the untold history and resistance of African people in America.
Another film written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ addresses identity, love, and resilience in the midst of war. It vividly portrays the lasting effects of colonialism on the lives and identities of Nigerians, showcasing the passion, commitment, and solidarity of the Nigerian people. It has the power to view the historical patriotism and history of the Nigerian people.
As a form of soft power and a timely demanding subject, the narration of Africans and their hidden history and identity can be persuasively addressed through the assets of Africans themselves. The continent is very rich in its oral literature, which is a basic necessity for film production.
Therefore, the commitment and interest of countries in the field are crucial in altering the industry and shifting the narration that has been abused by others. It is in the hands of Africans to stand up and commit to shifting the narration using the film industry.
BY MEKDES TAYE (PhD)
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 2 JANUARY 2025
