Les cinéastes africains face à l'avenir du cinéma en Afrique

Abstract

Africans started in 1953-55 to show on the screen their own vision of the African reality. However, tentatives multiplied, mostly during the next decade, after nominal independence. Film producing in Africa is a precious tool for societies in transition to industrialization; where oral communication is the basis of the cultural traditions; and where illiteracy is a serious problem. Because of its audiovisual nature, cinema can contribute efficiently to the education and transformation of cultural values, which is necessary for the transition to an homogeneous social structure. Negro-African cinema produces very few films. An invention of the European industrial society, cinema was introduced in Africa during the colonial period for the purpose of diffusion of the values and occidental consumers models, in order to sell manufactured products to these countries which were supposed to serve as outlets. The regulations concerning films were so tight that it was impossible to make films which would express the point of view of the African populations. A series of restrictive measures about film distribution and production, and information in general, contributed to the absence of an autonomous film-making activity outside the government information services. During the 1st decade of nomimal independence, the activity of the national film services was reduced to reports on political activity. From a production and distribution point of view, film-making has not yet become a real economical and cultural institution with roots in the life of Negro-African societies, corresponding to the needs of the populations. It is difficult to speak about a national film-producing activity in these countries where the national production is not sufficient to fill the national theaters. Considerable amounts of money are spent on prestige equipment which is underused since the volume of production is low due to a lack of funds. Most public services have no real film policy which corresponds to the present situation of the Negro-African societies, whose characteristics has reached a point where new directions must be found to allow the appearance of liberation films towards the transformation of Negro-African societies.