Critical Approaches to African Cinema Discourse
Contributions by Jude G. Akudinobi, Roy Armes, Martin P. Botha, Esiaba Irobi, Suzanne H. MacRae, Martin Mhando, Neil Parsons, Sheila Petty, Aboubakar S. Sanogo, Arnold Shepperson, Keyan G. Tomaselli Edited by Nwachukwu Frank Ukadike
Publication date:
27 February 2014Length of book:
300 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9780739180938
Critical Approaches to African Cinema Discourse utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to lay bare the diversity and essence of African cinema discourse. It is an anthology of historical reflections, critical essays, and interviews by film critics, historians, theorists, and filmmakers that signifies a dialogue and engagement apropos the ideology and cultural politics of film production in Africa.
The contributors are extremely concerned, not only with the history of African cinema, but with its future and its potential. This book, then, is not limited to the expansion of the discourse on African cinema, but tries to approach the definition of the critical canon within the exigencies and manifestations of art and African sociopolitical practices. The authors view these practices as an investment in a cultural imperative stemming from the quest to delineate how critical methodologies are derived from and shape contemporary historical and cultural practices. Hence, the contributions are less about the usual constrictive method of analysis and more about illustrating manifestations of an interrogative critical methodology that is certainly an offspring of an indigenous African critical cum cinematic culture and paradigms.
The contributors are extremely concerned, not only with the history of African cinema, but with its future and its potential. This book, then, is not limited to the expansion of the discourse on African cinema, but tries to approach the definition of the critical canon within the exigencies and manifestations of art and African sociopolitical practices. The authors view these practices as an investment in a cultural imperative stemming from the quest to delineate how critical methodologies are derived from and shape contemporary historical and cultural practices. Hence, the contributions are less about the usual constrictive method of analysis and more about illustrating manifestations of an interrogative critical methodology that is certainly an offspring of an indigenous African critical cum cinematic culture and paradigms.
This anthology of important and provocative criticism by international authors is a welcome addition to African film studies. It offers an overview of Africa’s past and present cinematic output and explores themes, styles, politics, and socioeconomic issues. This collection challenges dominant modes of representation and scholarship and defines new paradigms of African film aesthetics. With this publication, and his previous articles and books, N. Frank Ukadike confirms his status as a keen observer and knowledgeable theoretician of African filmmaking.