There are many women rising up in the film and television industry all over Africa; the likes of Dorothy Ghettuba (CEO, Spielworks Media) and Jinna Mutune (director, Leo.) It’s apparent that the visual arts are an important tool in influencing our society culturally, socially, economically.
We take an in-depth look at three key issues that could change our film industry; women, content and investment.
Women
The first female director in Africa was Safi Faye from Senegal. She learned the art of film making by reading up on cinema verite; a style of documentary filmmaking which combines improvisation with the use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subjects hidden behind crude reality.
Safi stated, ‘I think it is important that there are women filmmakers and it is a pity that film work is so hard and that many African women don’t get involved in it. Women should have an important role to play in African cinema, given their sensitivity and their truthfulness.’ It has been 44 years since Safi made her directorial debut in the short Le Passante (The Passerby) and since then, women of Africa have grown from having minor insignificant roles in the background to taking up greater roles in producing, acting and directing.
Their presence in the industry has led to the capturing of narratives that address key issues affecting women such as gender bias, reproductive health and cultural norms.
Director Claire Ash Meadow states, ‘I like doing that, highlighting the struggles of women, highlighting their strengths, their way of thinking. I’m a woman and it really feels natural for me to use my talent to give us a voice because there are not so many of us doing it.’
Content
The content in film influences our society socially, politically and culturally. In Kenya, foreign telenovelas have penetrated our media for a long time and dimmed the lights on Kenyan content. But with the migration to digital media and the government reinforcing that 60% of content on television has to be local, it has proved a success for directors and producers. It’s an opportunity for film veterans to generate narratives that Kenyans can relate to.
Claire Ash Meadow adds, ‘if I’m captured by a narrative, that’s what I would want to film and deliver to my audience and at the end of the day, if you have a great idea and know how to execute it, no one can fault you for that.’ The spontaneity of film directors has led to numerous local productions and films. However, film directors and producers should not underestimate the intelligence of the Kenyan audience, which is critical of content and quality as opposed to quantity of films. The quality of content can improve by training film makers to be at par with new technologies being used in the film industry. This includes generating and reinventing content that also compete at a global platform because we live in a digital era where films can be accessed easily.
Investment
Funding is crucial if we’re to develop our film industry. Claire Oneko states, ‘The biggest challenge for filmmakers is funding, funding and funding!’ She goes on to add that ‘it’s a big challenge for most African film makers as we don’t have the support in the arts as much as we crave it.’ The success of any film industry is determined by how well you support its development. You cannot invest peanuts and expect Oscar winning and gravitating film productions. The private sector should take a greater role in developing our film industry, instead of filmmakers only relying on the government for monetary support.
Investment is also not limited for monetary funds but also nurturing talent in our society. Creating opportunities for new talent to enter the film industry and mentoring them and training them, so that their talent is put to good use. The film industry in Kenya at times is limited to a selective few and seen as an elitist affair, these boundaries need to be broken so that opportunity is available to all. Societal views of the film industry have also to change and for actors, film directors and producers to be taken seriously. I recall a friend telling his parents that he’ pursuing a career in acting and the parents still ask him when he’ll consider getting a ‘real’ job.
I finally ask Claire Ash Meadow if our film industry has improved and she states, ‘We are improving although very slowly, I think that we have production companies here that are doing projects that are out of the box and highlighting Kenya as it should be and creating a hub for future projects.’ She also goes on to say ‘teamwork is really needed within teams, between productions, the government and the arts. There should be an understanding that we are all here to help each other grow.’
In all, improving cinema in Kenya is not only a challenge for filmmakers but for Kenyans to take initiative and consume what we film. The biggest challenge for film in Kenya is that we consume foreign films that we don’t produce and the local films that we produce are not consumed as should be. Also we should hold more workshops to develop talent and attend film screenings of our productions. What do you think about our film industry and how it can be approved? Send us your thoughts on
rose@mondeas.com
