::: FORGET AFRICA :::

‘ALL NEWS OUT OF AFRICA IS BAD’

Paul Theroux (Dark Star Safari)

Less than a year ago, I had never been to Africa. There was

no reason to go. I had no need. It was more a question of

reluctance, or even fear. It took a while, maybe several years,

before I realised that there would never be any reason to

go to Africa. That I would have to make a reason.

You don’t have to be a connoisseur to see that African

cinema is barely represented at international film festivals

and that the few films that are shot in Africa are often not

on an international level and usually come from the same

couple of countries – especially from Francophone

countries in West Africa. Not that African films aren’t

welcome – on the contrary, even a mediocre film would be

received with open arms.

I had the possibly naive thought that if I went to other

countries – countries that are not represented on the

cinematographic map – I might find something anyway.

Probably not mature, beautifully produced features, but

IF F  K   20 10

possibly some nice short films or documentaries. And why

not local genre films that might also work beyond their

intended audience? But at the same time I was afraid to

return home empty-handed. And basically I didn’t want to

go there empty-handed either.

Then I had an idea, the consequences of which I could not

immediately see. I imagined going to each country I was to

visit with an international film maker in tow. The knife

would then cut in several ways. This filmmaker would be

inspired by the journey and the confrontation with a

different culture and could make a short film for the festival.

At the end of the project, I would at least have a program,

for the filmmaker would in addition make contact with

local filmmakers easier and more interesting. For

filmmakers it is, after all, more interesting to talk about

cameras and actors with a filmmaker with an international

reputation than about premieres or even financing with a

festival programmer.