for their transgressions. With shades of La Haine, City of God, and The 400 Blows, this charming and likable feature debut by Imunga Ivanga offers us a glimpse at contemporary Gabon. The story begins as Year released: 1958 | Director: Youssef Chahine. Hollander, a film distributor who lives in Paris. search for the meaning of love. "The system could be described as 'the law of the jungle,'" he scented ink, a pomegranate inscribed with 60 Arabic names for love African eyes. Director Belkacem Hadjaj's "The Drop"(1982/1989), screened at If, by some miracle, you can find a copy of the movie, it is worth checking out to find out more about a filmmaker (worthy of an article all to his own) and a country that deserve more attention. courageous Egyptian filmmakers who were our fathers-such as Yusef about 60 million, yet directors and critics alike decry the lack of Another unsuccessful Academy Award submission, Daniel Kamwa’s Cameroonian family comedy Our Daughter features a familiar trope—a member of the younger generation returning from abroad. a genre of significance. Probably the most well-known Gabonese film is the biopic The Great White of Lambarene, in which Bassek Ba Kobhio (director of our Central African Republic entry The Silence of the Forest) examines the life of missionary Albert Schweitzer. I always recommend this criminally overlooked film to anyone who wants to discover the best of African cinema. Rafiki is well worth a watch to see the kind of stories that new Africa filmmakers are able to bring to audiences. Director Férid Boughedir, a critic-turned-filmmaker like 400 Blows director Francois Truffaut, cast his nephew in the role of Noura and clearly has passion for creating this deeply personal tale. To learn more about Liyana, read our interview with directors Aaron and Amanda Kopp. close your eyes and continue understanding the action. Year released: 1991 | Director: Gérard Louvin. "Maghribi films are actually received better in the US than in Thus, this list of the best African films contains one movie from each African country, including some you might not realize have cinematic output. "But our problems," continues Boughedir, "is, for whom we are Yet, it has a stronger cinematic industry than many other countries on this list. .still, it's a more subtle, We are fighting the cliches the West holds Yes, there are two Republics of Congo! There are many ways to address that question, but Cinema Escapist will give you the most comprehensive answer—by highlighting the top films from all 54 African countries. but look at! Year released: 2017 | Director: Rungano Nyoni, One of the more recent entries on the list, I Am Not A Witch offers a distinctive story that also made waves overseas. His objective: to rescue his family and the girl he loves, before the King can sell them to European slave traders. Ironically, the movie initially couldn’t find an audience at home, as the Central African Republic’s only cinema was closed during its release. grinding tractor gears and hammering, the migrants are shown as We learn about the city of Kinshasa, and come to empathize with the central protagonist. Instead, Abouna reminds us that, no matter where we’re from, we all experience the anguish that comes from growing up. and a place in society in a remote oasis village. Fun fact: Niger’s Tuareg language doesn’t actually have a word for “purple”, so the film’s title literally translates as “rain the color of blue with a little red in it.”. their visions. " and a chess game between distant partners who communicate their were much more limited in Morocco because of a lack of both public funeral. by individual artists and the commercial film industries of India, original films, with their universal themes, can also speak Even while they draw inspiration from their roots and seek to Maghribi "The same out the violence and intolerance." I have chosen a documentary that doesn’t involve the country’s interactions with Europe, although it is directed by a Saudi Arabian filmmaker. In fact, considering the film selected for this list is set in the early 20th century, it’s incredibly hard to validate whether the above image even comes from that film. only thematically but stylistically too. Mortu Nega is the debut film of one of Africa’s best filmmakers, Flora Gomes. Year released: 1982 | Director: Jean-Michel Tchissoukou. The Maghrib has some 800 film theaters in a population of with controversy, contemporary issues facing Algerian society," Directed by Syria’s Moustapha Akkad, Lion of the Desert depicted resistance fighter Omar Mukhtar‘s struggle against Italy’s conquest of Libya (Italy initially banned the film). Lear more about Cairo Station in our full-length review. A few years ago it was called the young cinema, If you’re looking for movies that find optimism instead of tragedy in African life , Terra Sonâmbula is the film for you. In this drama by director Charles Shemu Joyah, the protagonist struggles to maintain his fishing business and marriage in the face of a burgeoning tourism industry. The sad face of a young bride in a camel If a movie doesn’t meet that criteria, we’ll call it out. The resonance in the Amid Guinea-Bissau’s war of independence, the movie’s protagonist Diminga traverses the war-torn country to find her husband Sako, who is entrenched in the conflict. Friendship grows naturally between the wife Enjoy African film? matter-of-fact prostration of a neighbor who offers his back as a Year released: 2000 | Director: Nabil Ayouch. This Algerian film is an essential watch. While certain African nations (ex. It is reminiscent of the early work of Ken Loach, but also crafts a distinctly Moroccan identity. reach a local audience, many directors believe their films can nuanced truth than that," she says. Directed by the late, great Idrissa Ouedraogo, this simple, beautiful Burkinabe tale is about a young man who befriends an old woman that everyone else insults and ridicules. If U don't saw TSOTSI and HOTEL RWANDA you are not the real cinema-fan first 30 movies from my list U simply must watch soon as possible :) THE BEST FILMS in my old lists 2012-2019 If U wanna know my taste check my which sparkle like gems, are the master calligrapher's jasmine- Director Kemal he shows them as having." search is the patron who requisitioned a finely-embellished Qur'an. One of the most well-known films on this list, Tsotsi is one of only three African films to ever win a Foreign Language Film Oscar, and one of only ten to get nominated. Morocco, the third country contributing to the Maghrib's new It crafts a believable world, informed by African folklore and performed in the Bambara and Fula languages. What else but one of the most well-known and most beloved African films in the continent’s history would be Uganda’s entry on this list? It is a shame that more Namibian films haven’t been produced, but there is enough originality in Taste of Rain to show that the Namibian film industry has promise if the right filmmaker can capitalize on the landscape. In the process, our protagonist Riva becomes involved in a scheme that could end his life or change it forever. As he tries to find his way back into the community, he has to contend with a rival for Tajouj’s affections. To a jarring score of When the Guinean government discovered the themes Dakan wanted to cover, they withdrew financial support; angry local protestors also disrupted principal photography. The only feature-length narrative film produced in the country, The Somali Dervish features the anti-colonial resistance movement of poet and militant Mohammed Abdullah Hassan. community's warmth. visual refinement" of Moroccan films. Set in Angola but filmed in the Congo with a majority of non-professional actors, Sambizanga is a criminally under-seen trailblazer of a film, so seek it out where you can. Angeles, and New York (Spring, 1991), and Filmfest D.C. in Regardless—I purposely avoided included any movies about pirates, be they fiction or non-fiction, in an attempt to recommend a movie that shows Somalia in a different light than what international audiences are used to. spawning markedly individualistic creations. As it features the people, culture, and traditions of the Seychelles, Bolot Feray warrants inclusion on this list. does for the independent filmmakers of New York," says Ferid Year released: 1966 | Director: Ousmane Sembène. One of the few entries on this list that’s directed by a woman, Sarah Maldoror‘s feature-length debut Sambizanga is a blazing piece of political film. Fittingly, our choice for Liberia’s best movie is Murder in the Cassava Patch—which adapts a classic novella by Liberian writer Bai T. Moore. African and Muslim society, so they come with all sorts of Crossing the border from Angola over to Botswana, this hour-long ethnographic documentary, produced and directed by American John Marshall for PBS, is still the best film produced in Botswana that tells a Botswanan story. Algerian cinema was born out of, and served the war of The film is rich Chad: “Un homme qui crie” (A Screaming Man) “A Screaming Man,” originally titled “A Screaming Man is Not a Dancing Bear,” is a film by Chadian director Mahamat Saleh Haroun, released on September 29, 2010. Thus, we’ll pick a documentary for its entry. "Created for a mass audience and international acclaim by the 1980s, began in the 1920s with films as a profession," she explains. Liberia Unlike other African film lists, our list tries to only include feature-length narrative movies directed by Africans, set in Africa, and produced in Africa. words. We have to be realistic and go beyond can make it in the West-the settings are foreign but at their The At press time, Joyah has directed the only non-documentary films produced in Malawi—so the country has a while to go before it can move out of the shadow of its single auteur. The only feature-length narrative movie I could find from Cape Verde that was directed by a Cape Verdean filmmaker, The Island of Contenda is a drama that’s adapted from a novel by Henrique Teixeira de Sousa. 1966, is the oldest international festival for films from the developing nations followed a pattern similar to Egypt's, according is on a quest-the captivating little Zin is seeking a monkey he separate from the country's history, which is also, in a way, the If you only watch one film on this list, make it Ousmane Sembène‘s debut Black Girl (La Noire De…). sought to abandon fantasy for serious subjects. "Algerian cinema was the best in the Television has also Besides entertainment value, Captain Alex represents one of Africa’s most wonderful cinematic success stories. culture" within which an entire generation is forging its identity. Another African movie directed by a woman, Dominique Loreau’s genre-bending debut Divine Carcass tracks the various owners of a used Peugeot car. its filmmakers. Year released: 2012 | Director: Richard Pakleppa. "Yol," which made modest inroads into the American commercial country will do better. When the boy’s cousin falls ill, the despised old woman that he calls “Yaaba”, or “grandmother”, endeavors to cure him. and Morocco on the cutting edge of film in the Arab world. "Aziza"(1982) was shown at the Seattle festival, told an Things just get worse when Neria falls victim to her brother-in-law, who wants to exploit her situation and take everything from her. Director Kivu Ruhorahoza might be the most exciting and original filmmaker to come out of Africa this decade, and I hope he creates many more distinctively Rwandan movies beyond Grey Matter. the most beautiful film she had ever seen. Eritrea is another country that’s difficult to cover from a cinematic perspective. However, it seems that Eritrea is slowly becoming more prolific in its film production—let’s hope the country produces something that has crossover appeal in the near future. employs a fairy-tale facade, a technique also used in his earlier With other African films like Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki from Kenya, and John Tengrove’s The Wound from South Africa recently covering similar LGBT subject matter, it cannot be forgotten what a landmark Dakan really was for African cinema. South Sudan only gained independence in 2011 and still experiences conflict. Maghribi filmmakers became formed by rigid beliefs and intolerance, but now having to redefine When the Guinean government discovered the themes, “not only a landmark of monumental filmmaking, but also a template for historical and political resonance.”, Ali Moussa Iye reminds us in an interview, pick the film up for distribution back in 2016, becoming more prolific in its film production, our interview with directors Aaron and Amanda Kopp. Starring superstar Isaac de Bankolé (Black Panther, Casino Royale) and directed by British/South African filmmaker Rudolf Buitendach, this feel good romantic drama depicts a disillusioned academic who returns home to teach local children and find himself. 2016’s Medan vi Levar might be another candidate, but the film is set in Sweden, not Gambia. The film follows government minister Elias as he spends everything he has to put together his own “grand marriage”. LATEST NIGERIAN MOVIES 2020 - AFRICAN MOVIES IS HERE to entertain you with new and latest Nigerian Movies, Feel free to comment, like and share our movies as … viewers to forget reality. Even in Egyptian cinema, however, some early visionaries "A distinction must be made between the films of the Maghrib from mystical fairy tales to hilarious and sensual features. and filmmaking doesn't have the prestige or money-but that's the world, for the moment. Kahiu’s successful legal action, however, demonstrates that things have changed since the release of Dakan (see earlier under Senegal). walls. Year released: 2008 | Director: Teresa Prata. The pioneer filmmakers of the Maghrib, as this region is Tropical island countries have the potential to create exciting new cinema, but what this documentary lacks in flair and innovation, it makes up for in engaging characters. The film is not at all controversial; rather, it is a touching depiction of friendship between two women blossoming into love. Year released: 2007 | Director: Newton I. Aduaka. Year released: 1987 | Director: Souleymane Cissé. Therefore, I’m recommending Welcome to the Smiling Cost: a slice-of-life documentary that explores the country’s relationship with tourism. Ali Zaoua is a hard-hitting, heartbreaking movie that offers a drastically different take on the coming-of-age genre, anchored by powerful performances by the young actors. According to The Best! The Seychelles are apparently a popular filming location, playing host to European erotic films, Bollywood movies, and even a Roman Polanski pirate movie. In this tale of traditional wrestling, director Jean-Michel Tchissoukou—one of Sarah Maldoror’s assistants on Sambizanga—blends fiction and documentary. begin to fall away." Shot in Djibouti, the movie tells the story of a family trekking across the Horn of Africa in a perilous quest for water. same for women as for men." A bold film that exudes eloquent anger, Black Girl marked Sembène (often known as the “father of African cinema”) as one of world cinema’s most powerful voices, a status that he still holds today. says. Grey Matter is a film that should have made more noise, because there is no African film like it. "Egyptian cinema is based Thus, the film is very much a product of its time and well worth your attention, with the caveat that you’ll want to consider its historical context. Victims yesterday, and While Cairo Station is nowhere near as timeless or innovative as the likes of Battle of Algiers, it is a handsome Arabic noir with political undertones. in the United States, film is to entertain, not to educate. by Albert Sammama-Chickly. All rights reserved. critic Hala Salmane. "It is astonishing, " says Banlyazid, one of the three female Even if you aren’t an African cinema expert or hard-core cinephile, there’s something for you here. instead of one large backer who might usurp his ideas. eventually rebelled against this monolithic focus, arguing that it Given Nigerian filmmakers have started getting involved in South Sudan’s burgeoning movie industry, we’re expecting to see even more films to join Jamila soon. If David Lynch came to Rwanda and decided to make a film, the result would be a lot like this. However, Paradise Island‘s director, Jimmy B, makes a good effort. Though it has an American director, the film fully utilizes Lesotho’s breathtaking scenery and shows the potential of its location for future projects that, hopefully, will come from Basotho (the plural demonym for people in Lesotho) filmmakers. While there were promising steps forward when Africa Film Factory took an interest in the country’s potential back in 2014, there has been no significant movement since then. Set in postwar Liberia, this murder mystery uncovers what really happened to Tene, whose killing has been blamed on her lover, Gortokai. confront the same obstacles as men. In the film, director Newton I. Aduaka decides to focus on the rehabilitation of a Sierra Leonean child soldier named Ezra, who must come to terms with his horrific past actions. Year released: 2006 | Director: Harrikrisna Anenden. There’s supposedly a Gambian feature film called Couples Games, but I could find no information on it. penetrate the mainstream of America's Hollywood-dominated industry. Half live-action documentary and half animated fiction, Liyana presents a new type of storytelling; it literally brings the imagination of children to life. Year released: 2012 | Director: Yor-El Francis. Year released: 1983 | Director: Abdulkadir Ahmed Said and Said Salah. Where the Road Runs Out is the only film we can find that’s produced in Equatorial Guinea. While Gito manages to make some satirical commentary about the upper class, it is one of the less essential films on this list—though interesting nonetheless. The alternative for this list, The Gods Must Be Crazy, whilst still held as a cult classic by some, is a deeply problematic film and briefly features in N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman. Washington, Moncefs Dhoubib's "The Trance"(1989), echoes Khemir's A blend of fiction and non-fiction, this ambitious movie uses the framing device of the car to anchor its examination of what it means to be human, to be part of a community, and to have originated somewhere. filmmakers are preoccupied with the situation of women." Like many of the films on this list, it is exceptionally hard to find in any form. "We have market." Another fantastical entry, Maangamizi: The Ancient One was produced by the late Jonathan Demme and co-directed by Martin Mhando, director of the Zanzibar International Film Festival. these in turn have been supplanted by films dealing with more film critic and curator of Filmfest D.C.'s Maghrib series calls Playing out like a North African blend of La Haine and This Is England, Nabil Ayouch’s crime drama Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets focuses on four friends in Casablanca who are terrified of the repercussions of abandoning a gang. There, she encounters a woman who claims her hallucinations connect her to a mysterious spirit guide. Tunisia's films rarely focused on the struggle for liberation. Year released: 2002 | Director: Abderrahmane Sissako. One of the greatest films ever made, this blistering thriller features a relentless score by Ennio Morricone and a smirking antagonist on the level of Hans Landa. Year released: 1988 | Director: Flora Gomes. Marshall’s documentary could be seen as “the Bostwanan Boyhood.” It tracks Ju/ʼhoan woman N!ai over the course of 27 years, starting from her childhood and going until she is in her mid-thirties. The movie’s opening shot is of a man getting muzzled; this image sets the tone for a powerful historical drama. Year released: 2008 | Director: Haile Gerima. unprofitable, so artists must seek their own financing. Nigeria with Nollywood) have more prolific film industries than others, we believe there are cinematic gems from all around the continent. itself as all the alibis on which its place in the world depended Salmane calls "the festival ghetto" in the United States, unable to On the other, he cannot gain acceptance from the adult men in his life, who still think he’s a child. Women are the For us in interviewer, "Women are the alternative. Tsotsi rises above the pack by depicting South African life in an especially masterful way. problems." A film focused primarily on the relationship between two brothers, Abouna evokes other classic coming-of-age movies like The 400 Blows. One of his most renowned titles is Teza, a movie that’s epic not only for its story, but also for its journey to the screen. Each day, a Spanish soldier sets is often asked about in the West, Benlyazid says that women Our own Sharon Rwakatungu called it “not only a landmark of monumental filmmaking, but also a template for historical and political resonance.” This is not just a classic of African cinema, but world cinema as well. With Sambizanga, the Russian-educated Maldoror made a radical work unlike anything that audiences had seen before. I have purposely not chosen a Nollywood film here—the third largest film industry in the world is a culture unto itself. film, "Searchers of the Desert"(1984), to follow a young The film tracks the increasing impact of the outside world on Ju/ʼhoan people, and how their lives change for the worse over time. neighbors, even though it boasts good production facilities and The new North African films break with Egyptian tradition not Whilst it is almost 20 years old at this point, Ali Zaoua still captures an eloquently furious form of filmmaking that we need to see more of in a drastically changing Africa. most prizes all over the world," says Boughedir. Europe," counters Benlyazid. along with his wife. The film's traditional setting and Last year I gave you my list of the best movies to watch for Thanksgiving, and even a list of the best "alternate" movies to watch for Thanksgiving. Female director Benlyazid's own first film, "A Door to the search for meaning, in the context of Islam. and Seattle, exemplifies what Rosen describes as the "intimacy and 8. In Sea and the Jungle, director Ângelo Torres offers a look at the Angolare people of São Tomé, who are purportedly the descendants of Angolan slaves. against things and presents world-class cinema dealing with human is almost elusively in the private sector. Our characters are primarily homeless young men trying to scrape together a living, all victims of circumstance. Whilst it is far from a perfect film, Lion of the Desert might be the most ambitious African film ever made. The new cinema indeed displays a fascination with the lives of However, extensive research turned up no images or production details about those movies. However, rather than choose another tale about European colonialists, we’ve picked Dôlè as the Gabon’s top film. We previously reviewed The Cursed Ones, praising its thematic occupations with a culture desperately trying to hold onto the past instead of fully embracing the future. As the movie progresses, we explore Gomis’ increasing alienation and disillusionment. Joyah is an established filmmaker who clearly has something to say about the effect of the outside world on Malawi, and is also passionate about developing the Malawian film industry to stand equal among some of its more prolific counterparts on the continent. Egyptian film to depict social reality, and others followed. Not only Hassan but almost everyone else in the film as well Moroccan director Mohammed Abderrahman Tazi adds, "I make films for Instead, Liyana is one of the most interesting movies you’ll see from anywhere. of truth." believes is prince, and the calligraphy master journeys away in Tunisian cinema, which was challenging Algeria for Thus, in lieu of a fully Djiboutian production, we’ve selected the French-Belgian co-production Sounds of Sand (Si le vent soulève les sables). Cape Verde has a more active cinematic culture than some of the other countries on this list; its first cinema opened in 1922, and it hosts two film festivals every year. The only non-documentary fare by Djiboutian filmmakers is The Great Moussa (1984) by Ahmed Dini, which tells the story of a con-man and a robber with dwarfism, and a local film called Burta Djinka, directed by G. Borg, in 1972. Year released: 1989 | Director:  Idrissa Ouedraogo. has nothing to do with the reality of the Arab world. modernization have helped us to make the best cinema in the Arab "We're talking about a craft rather than an industry," says "No producer will put his money into something Its capital city Juba has hosted a film festival for several years running and, even if production quality is still a challenge, enterprising South Sudanese have made a surprising number of movies. Year released: 2003 | Director: Bassek Ba Kobhio. After escaping a relentless attack by the warriors of King Adanggaman, our protagonist Ossei embarks on a perilous journey. Read More: Best Skateboard Movies of All Time 15. housing in which they cannot afford to live. © 2014-2021 Cinema Escapist, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Black Girl tells the story of a young woman named Gomis Diouana who is tricked into domestic servitude by a smug French couple. Somalia is another country with a frustrating scarcity of  cinematic information. The film features a young girl named Shula, who is accused of witchcraft and taken on tour by an opportunistic civil servant who’s keen to use her as a spectacle. In the film, we observe how five Swazi children create an epic saga about a girl named Liyana; that story then comes to life through stunning 3D animation. "was serving to mask the problems of the day," Salmane observes. depicts the scramble for a stockpile of gasoline, valuable enough to make a fortune. better." Haile Gerima is a legendary Ethiopian filmmaker who was part of the “L.A. The entire film is available on YouTube, though without English subtitles. Year released: 2015 | Director: Christopher Kirkley, The most unique film on this list, Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai is a Nigerien (not Nigerian) homage to Prince’s 1984 rock drama Purple Rain. But this city of order and refinement is In The Cursed Ones, Nana Obiri-Yeboah and Maximilian Claussen offer a chilling atmospheric look at witchcraft accusation in West Africa, one that beats The Wicker Man. If your movie tastes skew more towards popcorn entertainment than arthouse drama, Ashakara is a solid recommendation. Director Ouedraogo is a master of his craft, and this film was put forward as Burkina Faso’s entry for the Academy Awards. Best Hollywood & South African movies. Its fare of farce, melodrama and bellydance enabled "The intent is to deal with a universal theme rather than a tried to use the stars to make films showing reality at that Year released: 1966 | Director: Gillo Pontecorvo. Rather than nominate Sugarcane Shadows, a hard-hitting drama about the closure of a sugar mill, the entry for this country is focused more on love and lyricism. Explore and connect the world through a cinematic lens. balance that does not exist in the other countries." Liberia has an interesting relationship with America, one that is deeply problematic and rooted in colonization. Yeelen is one of Africa’s few fantasy films.
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