Africa: Hollywood New Obsession

Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, The Constant Gardener, The last king of Scotland etc..they are not just random movies they are movies about my beloved Africa. Its the beginning of the 21st century and the world is still worried about Africa seeing that most African countries greeted the 21st century and the new millennium armed with poverty, illiteracy, war, destructive ethnic or religious conflicts and underdevelopment. In the 1950’s and the 1960’s, the world wasn’t very worried about Africa, they were worried about Asia. Yes, Asia, I am talking about the Middle east, the near east and the far east. However, this century is truly the “Asian century”, Asians proved that they can solve their conflicts and problems and started developing their countries (Hong Kong, Thailand, UAE, China etc…). While America was entering the digital age, Europe was recovering from the destructive WW2, Asians started using their resources, Africa was too involved in pointless ethnic conflicts, corruption and other problems which often lead to humanitarian disasters.

Why is Hollywood so interested in making 20th century Africa into movies? Because we have plenty of amazing, unbelievable, touching and shocking stories ( not to mention that they are most definitely Oscar-winning stories!).

I’m not going to be surprised if I go to the movies in a few weeks to watch a movie about Sudan! wait a minute, they are filming Emma’s war right now! I’m sure the world will be thrilled by this movie. I mean a Sudanese warlord marries a British aid worker and she lives with him in Southern Sudan during Africa’s longest-running war! How original! ( drum rolls, drum rolls pleaseeeee…..and the golden globe for best actress goes to …Nicole Kidman for playing Emma’s part in an exquisite way and for turning the horrors of the Sudanese civil war into an eye-opening film ( not that we were aware of the civil war but hey thanks for telling us about it!).

Do I like movies about Africa?

Yes, No, May be. I do like watching movies about Africa because Hollywood succeeds in making them very real and believable. However, I hate watching such movies, it makes me helpless, it makes Africa seem helpless. Africa is not a helpless sad continent and I hate being helpless.

I’m not in denial, Africa did go through some tough times maybe more than any other continent but is it irreversible? are we never going to rise? are we always going to be a dependent sad continent? did Africa go down for good?

maybe the 20th century wasn’t “Africa’s” century, maybe the 21st century will not be “Africa’s” century but maybe the 22nd century will be ours. Africa has so much potential. At least, I think so! I believe in her.

Honestly, I’m not against watching Hollywood movies about her or any movies about Africa at all but please, stop the afro-pessimism n stop making Africa look helpless.

Moreover, what did they all have in common except hotel Rwanda?

The European trying to save the helpless little sad Africans. Europeans come to Africa expecting change and of course they will be the ones responsible for this change. They will come to Africa and all of a sudden, AIDS disappear, poverty is gone, all people are educated, development is all over the place but wait a minute, this is the real world.

Why is Hotel Rwanda different from the other 3 movies? It is real. It happened. Yes, that one African man, Paul ,saved thousands of lives. Yes, Africans are capable of great things once they get to work.

Europeans did a lot for Africa, Europeans are doing a lot for Africa right now but what can Africans do for Africa? A lot. Who is going to change Africa? its own people, the Africans. Is there any hope for Africa? Yes, its people.

The Hollywood movies are true, I’m not going to lie but its history, history is the past and the future is the present. We should look forward to the future while not forgetting the past, acknowledging it while learning our lesson for it, we can make a brighter future for ourselves, our children and the next generations.