Entertainment Films and Video in Africa.

The film industry in Africa began in 1963. Since then, development has been slow because of funding problems and political restrictions. Television is available to only a fraction of the population and imported programming represents almost one-half of the programming. However, there are some successful African produced television programs. The themes and contents of the films tend to reflect a changing culture, social problems, and colonialism. The work of five filmmakers is discussed in this paper, including four films of Ousmane Sembene ("Ceddo,""Borrom Sarret,""Mandabi," and "Xala"). Sembene's themes concern the African elites and greed, and "Ceddo" has been banned by the government of Senegal. Souleyman Cisse's "Baara" concerns poor and illiterate Africans and the struggle to survive urban life. In Paul Zoumbara's "Jours de Tourmentes", a western educated man tries to introduce modern farming techniques in his home village against opposition from the tribe and his own father. Haile Gerima"s film, "Harvest: 3000 years", the story of three generations in an Ethiopian family, has been highly praised by critics. Ross Dervish's "The Happy Valley" is set in the 1930s and is an expose of the expatriate aristocracy of Kenya. Ordering information is provided. (NL)