BY MESERET BEHAILU
A cinema industry has power to display the overall culture of a given society. It has multifaceted economic, social and cultural benefits in terms of its art for life’s sake message.
It helps to protect social values, generate national income and create active and virtuous citizens among others. To this end, the sector must get due attention and ought to be led by professionals.
The industry was introduced to Ethiopia during the reign of emperor Menelik II, said Author and Film Producer Tesfaye Mamo. The industry has also an association named Ethiopian Filmmakers Association, which was once chaired by him.
Tesfaye told The Ethiopian Herald that the film entertainment is divided into three parts based on time classification. The first one is The Menelik Phase. As it was an eye-opener phase it didn’t have much audiences.
At that time, films screens ranged between 35 mm and 16 mm. Such laboratory processed films were in vogue then. They had been practiced until the advent of EPRDF.
Not only in Ethiopia but also the whole world had been applying this type of film production until recent days. Specifically such system had been more practiced in the production of documentaries ranging to 35mm screen during the Dergue the regime.
In the second phase, a video film was introduced to the globe. Nigeria is the first African country to apply this art to capture the birth, wedding and other public ceremonies assisted by DH technology. Of course, Ethiopia started to perform this art in 1986 three years later from Nigeria.
Ghana and Senegal were also the two other African countries that utilized the Video art somehow in a similar period Nigeria did. However, those countries have obtained a chance to show their films in cinema. That is why the countries utilized film and relatively better developed the sector than other countries.
Fiker Mechereshaw was among the first films that were produced by DH technology during the second phase. This technology had displayed improvement in sound and image quality. The country has been passing through the digital period. Fiker Siferd and Eta Fenta are the two films made in the same phase.
In this second phase/period, not only the number of audiences but also film producers had increased as the producers obtained a sort of money from it. Therefore, they embraced it passionately rather than licking the wound remembering the resources they wasted in the past.
The expansion of advanced technology enabled the industry to come up with quality works and save time and energy. Due to this leap many audiences begun to go to cinema houses in droves.
The sector’s actors also increased in number. This heralded the beginning of the third phase of film industry in Ethiopia. Many were hopeful for the sector’s sustainable development.
However, the sector has seen a conspicuous downslide since the announcement of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago, according to Tesfaye.
He noted that Ethiopians have strong affection for film. It is not uncommon to observe a number of citizens queuing up around cinema houses to watch movies. In this regard, amazed foreigners ask the reason behind the long lines.
Films can differ from one another depending on the preferences of film makers. It may be focused on love or conflict. Sometimes, films invoke different responses in the audience as opposed to what was conjured up in the producer’s mind. A film made to preach love might end up a bone of contention. Therefore, engaging in the area needs serious attention.
In this regard, the films’ shift of focus to commercial ends requested serious attention to keep both the community’s value and that of the sector. Of course, every film is meant to attract audience and get the needed income. But it is important to be selective.
Accordingly, the number of audience thumbed down during the past three years. One of the reasons was the involvement of some irresponsible individuals who tended more in producing art to make profit through their trivial sensitive issues than displaying valuable art.
As to him, shortage of adequate knowledge, finance, and academic institutions are the formidable factors in Ethiopia that hinder the development of the cinema industry.
Particularly, the absence of adequate academic instuitions is the major problem that challenged the sector. “This is dangerous because we will not continue producing classical works if we do not get trained professionals in the area,” he said.
In this regard, Addis Ababa University is the only institution that has been lecturing the art of Cinem at master’s level. However, close to eleven universities teach the course. Therefore, teaching the art of cinema from elementary level as well as forming Art Foundation would play significant role for the sector’s development.
On the other hand, film producers should always assume the social values of the community and protect them as much as possible. This will enable the industry to assist the economic, political and social advantages of the community. Of course, producing quality film needs high cost and the response is satisfying.
Therefore, film makers should have the gut to square face such hurdles in order to gain acceptance and make enduring films. For example, Rebuni and Lamba are among the short listed films in Ethiopia that won acceptance by the community, according to Tesfaye.
The Ethiopian herald December 30/2020
