It’s a belief that has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, limiting investment, distribution, and ultimately, the exposure of African cinema to global audiences. However, this assertion needs critical examination and reframing.
To be sure, there is some truth to the belief that African films have struggled to achieve broad international commercial success. But this very surface-level observation obscures a more complex reality.
The roots of the issue go back to the beginnings of cinema itself. For much of film history, representations of Africa and African people (in cinema and across media), particularly those that traveled, were created by non-Africans, resulting in a lack of authentic African stories reaching global audiences.
In the post-colonial era, while there have been notable exceptions from Ousmane Sembène to Mati Diop, African filmmakers have largely been shut out from the international marketplace. This systematic exclusion has led to a major gap.
Films that do manage to secure distribution often only do so in limited areas, primarily where their funding originated. This cycle repeats, continuing to stifle broader exposure and audience development for African films by African filmmakers.
[Akoroko Premium subscribers received a newsletter earlier this month that peeled back the layers of this conundrum, reframing the conversation: Link in bio or https://akoroko.com/subscribe/]