In Kenya, 13-year-old Otis fights to protect his brothers from a monster that lives in their home. In Uganda, a woman abandoned on an island for losing her baby seeks revenge on the powerful man who brought her there. In Tanzania, a boy with magical roots embarks on a journey to end the drought that is ravaging the community, even if it means risking his own life. In Nigeria, a young woman from a remote Fulani village uses artificial intelligence to escape an arranged marriage. In Mauritania, three generations after his last summoning, an ancient genius finds himself confronted by a known enemy in an unfamiliar city. And in South Africa, a mystical river creature, MaMlambo, watches over the sacred waters of abandoned bodies.
These stories are six traditional African tales reinterpreted by film directors who had the opportunity to translate them into a series of short films thanks to a UNESCO and Netflix initiative. The result can be seen on the video platform in 190 countries from March 29.
Africa has become one of Unesco’s priorities. In the cultural field, the support that the international organization offers to the film industry stands out. In 2021, the report The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth already found that the sector could create 20 million jobs and generate $20,000 million ( 18,425 million euros) revenue per year on the continent. “The production and distribution of motion picture and audiovisual works is one of the most dynamic growth industries in the world. Thanks to digital technologies, production in Africa has grown rapidly in recent years,” the document says.
An example is Nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry is called, the second largest film producer in the world after Hollywood. There are more than 2,500 who leave the African country for study every year. This has allowed the emergence of a local manufacturing and distribution industry with its own economic model. As interesting and lucrative as it is, it is still an exception in Africa. In most countries on the continent, the potential of this industry remains untapped. The sector is currently estimated to generate revenues of $5,000 million (€4,606 million) and employ five million people, far from Unesco forecasts. Therefore, it is necessary to promote it on a large scale.
That is why the United Nations body is committed to supporting and promoting a new generation of African filmmakers. To this end, in 2021, she co-hosted a short film production competition with Netflix on the theme “Reinterpreting Traditional African Stories”, aimed at artists from the continent.
The film industry in Africa generates sales of 4.6 billion euros and employs five million people
Six will be selected from the more than 2,000 candidates from 13 sub-Saharan African countries who applied for the competition. They each won $25,000 (€23,000) and a €75,000 (€69,100) production grant to have their short film helmed by a local production company under the supervision of Netflix-appointed producer Steven Markovich and other industry mentors turn .
Enerto Ottone R., Unesco Deputy Director General for Culture, confirms that the organization “is proud to present these popular stories reinvented by young talents from the African continent”. And he adds: “The cultural expressions of 21st-century Africa, steeped in tradition and heritage, but also innovation and creativity, are as diverse and dynamic as its people.” Tendeka Matatu, Director of African Language Films at Netflix, adds: “We are excited to finally make this anthology of short films produced by the next generation of African storytellers available to Netflix users around the world.” empower and engage the voices of underrepresented communities”.
The collection of short films reinventing folk tales offered by the video platform features a variety of emerging African talents such as Mauritania’s Mohamed Echkouna with Enmity Djinn, Tanzania’s Wlat Mzengi Corey with Ktope, Nigeria’s Korede Azeez with Zabin Halima (Halimas Choice). Also, Voline Ogutu from Kenya with Anyogo and the Ogre, Loukman Ali from Uganda with Katera from Punishment Island and Gcobisa Yako from South Africa with MaMlambo.
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