News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Features
    • Shows
    • Op-Ed
    • Watch Live
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.
    Watch Live Tv
    OUR TV SHOWS
    • BREAKFAST CENTRAL
    • VILLAGE SQUARE AFRICA
    • BUSINESS EDGE
    • SECURE THE CONTINENT
    • ONE SLOT
    • POLITICS HQ
    • REPORT DESK AFRICA
    • E CENTRAL
    News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today.
    You are at:Home»Feature News»A people determined to tell their own stories
    Feature News

    A people determined to tell their own stories

    Amaka NwosuBy Amaka NwosuDecember 4, 201903 Mins Read
    Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    A people determined to tell their own stories
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    It was Chinua Achebe, the great Nigerian novelist, who once said:

    Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.

    This statement, made by the late Booker Prize winner during a 1994 interview in the Paris Review, stresses the importance of owning the narrative and places the onus on people of any race or culture to seize the initiative and tell their own stories; otherwise they would have strangers, who are not privy to the facts, churning out distorted narratives.

    For many decades, Africans and indeed people of colour were faced with this problem: they watched in horror and dismay as the white-controlled film industry made movies that not only reinforced negative stereotypes, but also peddled falsehoods as fact and portrayed black people as savages that needed to be trained to act civilised.

    READ: Opening ceremony of the 41st edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)

    Movies like 1965’s “Naked Prey” and the infamous “Birth of a Nation” (made in 1915) are a few examples of how people can manipulate perceptions of a race when they have the power and financial means to.

    Even in recent history, there have been movies that have unwittingly advanced the white saviour complex. 2002’s “Tears of the Sun” (which starred Bruce Willis) tells the story of a U.S soldier who goes into Nigeria to save innocent children from rebel forces during a war. The film reeked of poor research, and deservedly, was panned by critics.

    It would be fair to admit, though, that times have changed. The narratives are changing, and African stories are now being told in more ingenious ways. Djimon Hounsou and Leonardo Di Caprio lit up global screens in 2006’s “Blood Diamonds” (based on Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war), Gavin Hood earned critical acclaim for the 2005 movie adaptation of Athol Fugard’s novel “Tsotsi”, and Lupita Nyong’o shone brightly in 2013’s “12 Years A Slave”, a movie based on Solomon Northup’s 1853 slave memoir of the same time.

    READ: Foreign investors are flocking to Nigeria’s film industry

    There is a lot more authenticity as well as nuance in the making of these films, and those involved now show that they care enough about telling these stories well.

    It would be difficult not to acknowledge Abraham Attah’s portrayal of Agu in 2015’s “Beasts of No Nation” or Nyong’o’s portrayal of Harriet in 2016’s “Queen of Katwe”, the latter directed by Mira Nair and based on real-life conditions of one of the slums in Uganda’s capital city.

    WATCH: #MeToo movement in the African Film Industry

    There are still debates on the kinds of stories being told, and how themes like slavery and racism keep being “glamorised” in film, but at least Africans are telling their stories now, and that is a major step forward.

    There is also the small matter of who gets to interpret roles in these films: months ago a few Nigerian actors screamed blue murder when it was revealed that Nyong’o would be working on a picture adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah.

    READ: Smartphone filmmakers take the spotlight

    A lot of work still needs to be done in pushing African storytelling, but for now, progress should be acknowledged and celebrated.

    Featured film Storytelling
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleEgerton University shuts down following student protests
    Next Article Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni leads walk against corruption in his government
    Amaka Nwosu

    Related Posts

    Qalu Urges End to Harmful Widowhood Practices in Nigeria

    June 23, 2025

    Ghanaian Nurse Sets New Standard in Cancer Care

    June 18, 2025

    From Farm to Phone: Digital Tools Reshaping African Harvest

    June 11, 2025
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest Stories Today

    Study: Moon Asteroid Could Imperil Earth Satellites

    By Abisoye AdeyigaJune 23, 2025

    A new, unreviewed study suggests that if the 60-metre-wide asteroid 2024 YR4 crashes into the…

    French Presidential Hopeful Faces Civil Servant Complaint

    BREAKING: Iran Fires Missiles at US Bases in Qatar

    Mali’s Military Leader Visits Russia, Seeks Stronger Ties

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    © 2025 Newscentral Television All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.