Mesay Berhanu’s Post

A great article penned by IDRIS ELBA on "Unlocking the potential of Africa’s creative economy"! He rightly appraises and constructively advises that investing in the continent’s film industry can redefine its narrative. This is something that AFRICA: Seen & Heard steadfastly believe and commit our philanthropic support to this autumn by investing our time and contributing to filmmaking initiatives in West Africa, particularly the Green Film Festival Accra which will take place in Ghana next month. In this article that can be read by subscribers, Idris inspires economic opportunity and prosperity for the coming generation of young Africans via the film industry when he states: "Hollywood has long exported the American dream, contributing hundreds of billions of dollars to the US economy and influencing global perceptions of the country. With a much larger and more diverse population, Africa’s untapped potential can achieve similar success through its own film industry. By telling authentic stories across genres — action thrillers, period dramas, urban fantasies and more — we can not only entertain but also reframe perceptions of Africa." I agree with his identifying the growing global interest in the continent’s music, art and fashion as a testament to its creative potential and it being time for the African film industry to take centre stage. He says: "Just as K-pop and K-cinema have reshaped views of Korea, Africa’s film industry can become a potent tool for economic development and cultural diplomacy. To unlock this potential, we must foster strong collaboration between filmmakers across borders. Partnerships between African nations can pool resources, share knowledge and create co-productions reflecting the continent’s diverse narratives." This article is worth a read as it provides a framework to facilitate required change and support rather than pie in the sky pontification with no means of activation. Bravo Mr Elba 👏🏿 #idriselba #africa #creativity #creativeindustries #narratives #filmmaking #culturaldiplomacy #economicdevelopment #africasrising #youthquake2050 #africandream

Idris Elba is right: The creative power of Africa is mostly untapped. Which is interesting given its population size and its long history of story-telling. Not just in filmmaking but also in developing new creative tech, in communication and in the arts, there is a history to tap into and to draw from. Once we can move away from a US-centric creative culture (not cancel it but add to it), we will hear and see stories that we never thought possible. What it needs to make this a reality? Collaboration between African markets. Government support (at first) to build the industry. Creative jobs that pay. Schools that help prepare for those. I can't wait.

This right here 🙌🏽 Elba, who played South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic Long Walk to Freedom, believes that it is vital for Africans to be centre-stage in the entire film-making process. That is in front of the camera, behind the camera and also in financing, distribution, marketing and showing the final product. He imagines that just as movie audiences around the world know the differences between the US cities of New York and Los Angeles without necessarily ever having visited them, they will one day have a more nuanced understanding of the continent. “This sector is a soft power, not just across Ghana but across Africa. “If you watch any film or anything that has got to do with Africa, all you’re going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonised, how it’s just war and when you come to Africa, you will realise that it’s not true. “So, it’s really important that we own those stories of our tradition, of our culture, of our languages, of the differences between one language and another. The world doesn’t know that.” With Nigeria’s Nollywood producing hundreds of movies a year, films are arguably one of the country’s most successful exports. There is also a tradition, especially in parts of Francophone Africa, of making high-quality films. Elba has previously recognised the talent in Africa’s film industry, but said the facilities were “lacking”. The UN’s cultural agency said that despite “significant growth in production”, the business of film-making across the continent was hindered by issues such as piracy, insubstantial training opportunities and a lack of official film institutions. Elba believes with the right momentum and involvement of governments willing to create an enabling environment, a virtuous circle can be established. “We have to invest in our story-telling because when you see me, you see a little version of yourself and that encourages us.” We can’t wait for the movies that will come out! #representationmatters

This is a very bold statement of ambition from the actor/producer Idris Elba. Many will welcome it. #SouthKorea however, which has invested heavily into its tech and creative sectors for over 20 years and is referenced here as an exemplar, is a #unitary #state. Africa is not. #Film #tax #credit regimes are intensely competitive by their nature: there are more than 100 competing regimes worldwide. 'Africa' does not exist for such fiscally enabled purposes. This is not in any way to disparage the scope for transcontinental media #investment, #distribution and other collaborations, but tax incentives on existing models cannot apply by definition: outside the USA they are typically based on national #cultural #tests and national tax authority inward investment agendas. A pool of interlocking incentive regimes designed to simulate a single film industry investment market for participating African countries is theoretically possible, but the political challenges to delivery - from the Maghreb to the Cape - would be immense. Idris Elba may, however, be the man to catalyse and champion new forms, or broker the necessary deal-making. He seems to have powerful friends! #filmindustry #Africa #fiscal #incentives #Africanstories Olsberg•SPI BOP Consulting #creativeeconomy

WE TOOK PART IN A DISCUSSION "Can Documentary Film change the World for the better" which took place at the opening of the 13th DOKUDOC International Documentary Film Festival🎥. The speakers🗣 were human rights activists and filmmakers Tomo Križnar and Bojana Pivk Križnar, journalist Žiga Anže Šilak, Director of Institute Circle Emina Hadžić and the representative of the Ministry of Foreign and European affairs Ms. Katja Žvan Elliot. All of them emphasised the potential of documentary film as a tool to draw attention to injustices in society and to encourage positive changes in our communities👥. According to Bojana Pivk Križnar, it is difficult to achieve anything among political authorities through films, however, films have positive impact on ordinary people who are not technologically burdened, who are connected to nature and still have feelings and emotions. The discussion took place within the project »Dignity and peaceful coexistance of conflict affected communities in Darfur through improved Food Security, WASH, and GBV services«. The project is implemented by the Zavod KROG/Institute Circle and its partner organisation🤝 HOPE Sudan - Hope and Friendship for Development and with the financial support of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. #dignity #foodsecurity #humanitarianaid #Sudan #institutecircle

Interesting opinion by Idris Elba  🌍"The growing global interest in the continent’s music, art and fashion is a testament to its creative potential. Now, it’s time for the film industry to take centre stage. Just as K-pop and K-cinema have reshaped views of Korea, Africa’s film industry can become a potent tool for economic development and cultural diplomacy." 🌍 #growth #development #culture #economy  https://lnkd.in/d-HXHXGP

Did you know that film can be used as much more than simple entertainment? 🎬 Taking her expertise from film theorist to filmmaker, Professor Eylem Atakav from our School of Media, Language and Communication Studies delves into the impact of her documentary on child brides in Turkey, showing how she has used her films to influence government policy and train health professionals who work with vulnerable groups.   Professor Atakav said: “That’s what’s so fascinating to me about the power of film: four women who have never left their own villages, let alone the country, travelled through their stories to the UK. There is a lot of value in theorising in academia, but there is also a huge amount in engaging with the public – these actions help to create some kind of societal cultural change.” To find out more: https://lnkd.in/eAkBEZyN CreativeUEA   #ThisIsUEA #FilmAcademia #FilmStudies #DocumentaryStudies #ResearcherLife

It brings me joy and pride when I find my reports useful and part of researchers' studies. I am pleased that my #journalism reports from my time in Iran have been beneficial for researchers, providing a slice of historical studies. Working in a news agency often sacrifices depth for speed. However, during my journalism career in Iran, my concern was to examine issues in depth and avoid a superficial glance at various matters. Therefore, I tried to trace the roots of each subject, which often lay in culture, society, politics, history, or even a lack of sufficient information in the community. I worked on a report about the issues in the #cinema industry, taking a #historical look at this industry in #Iran and the city of #Tabriz. This report was cited in the book "A Companion to Motion Pictures and Public Value" by the authors of the book. I am glad that despite distancing myself from the #journalism environment and writing reports, after years, my reports are revived in various research works, becoming impactful and remembered. My report with the title "Beyond History to These Days of Cinema in Tabriz| Cinema 'Soli': The Sun That Made the Miracle of Photos and Films Public" is in Persian and you can find it in the below link: mehrnews.com/xr8Lw If you are interested in cinema and #media, you can also find the link to the "A Companion to Motion Pictures and Public Value" book. https://lnkd.in/dXNfnzeS

Jhttps://lnkd.in/essNc4SJ Gerima, remains an entirely different proposition. In cinematic and cultural terms, his mind has been a prime source of sanity in the midst of very real, very serious emergencies, and a living spirit guide I didn't know I had until one afternoon. I'm a researcher, and artist who decided to put down the everything, sit with himself - and whenever I can, you all - and dive into a bottomless well of enquiry. Filmmakers often struggle ask the right question. Too often. Finding it impossible to pull themselves away from the thrill of making films enough to interrogate whether they should be making films at all - people of African origin, as well as others, struggle to contend with the reality that some modalities we have inherited, and the lexicons that become the mediums themselves, have not been examined closely enough to identify elements that could be corrosive to the African/Black cultural self and sense of spiritual dimension; such an enquiry sounds like total madness...I get it. But check this: it's entirely possible, maybe likely, that you don't really, REALLY know what you are doing, or more importantly, why. Whatever it is we are doing, has to address these obscured cultural emergencies, wherever we find them. Otherwise, what is it for? Cultural interruption is among the most serious, and most institutions are either lagging behind, or facilitating the disaster. You won't hear local council's supporting smaller organisations to initiate a cultural renaissance of sorts to foreground indigenous African cosmologies, or their social frameworks to solve the problem of Serious Youth Violence, nor disrupt their own version of what a community looks like, for one that actually functions properly. A young filmmaker I know who is also from Eritrea, told me of a social technology whereby if Man A kills Man B, then Man A can be forced to marry a female from Man B's family, in order to preserve the community in the midst of tragedy. Many institutions are experts at mystifying the emergency and presenting the low-hanging fruit of participation in its place. Let’s deepen the enquiry. I attended the final talk of Film London's London Screen Archives Conference with June Givanni in conversation with Etienne Joseph, Tamera Heron, Gary Collins and Rai Terry (I'll comment on that later). The work is serious. A few of us will be making our presence felt next year, you have our support. After the conference, surveying the room and hearing its whispers, while speaking to a peer about the make up of that room, and the collective consciousness within it, it became clear that many professionals with an interest in archives, have an underdeveloped understanding of the true value of the Black archive because they do not understand and are not stakeholders in the emergency. We are, so act accordingly. Dalian Adofo Zik Udenze Keith Shiri Desta Haile Rachel Victor-Sampson FRSA Clive Chijioke Nwonka Estrella Sendra Paul Anthony Morris