The Ways Africa and Africans are Represented by Africans - Essay Example

? The Ways Africa and Africans are represented by Africans Sur Educational Africa and its people have been interestingly portrayed in different kinds of social media. With its colorful culture, diverse people, and dramatic history, the continent’s complex facets have inspired a lot of fiction stories. Unquestionably, documentaries have also been made to establish veracities about Africa’s sociopolitical concerns. Many movies have become noteworthy in presenting landscapes and scenic backdrops. Some of them have also captured the varied social relationships. Many have included it as a popular destination and metaphor for the social issues. This paper delves into how the ‘cradle of life’ has been depicted in different films. One of the many popular movies is Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond. Zwick commented: “[w]hen I first read about Sierra Leone, I was shocked. I’d read books about the colonial scramble for Africa, about the exploitation of its ivory, rubber and gold, but to learn the history of diamonds was to learn the history of Africa all over again” (2006, p.1). The story shows meaningful concepts on the continent’s background, human rights violations, and rich natural resources. Included in its themes is the violence that has been happening in the territories of Africa. For instance, the main character (Danny Archer) states “[o]ut here, people kill each other as a way of life. It’s always been like that”. The story line shows that many Africans may have already accepted the cruel nature of humanity. Their history has been perforated with subjugations from different oppressors. The aforementioned line of Archer may represent several ruthless mortalities, such as the genocide in Rwanda, slaughter of Muslims in Godhra, and the tribal cleansing in Bosnia. Furthermore, some acts from the picture exhibited hands being hacked off to stop people from practicing their right to vote. The scenes have shown gory details on how Africans get hurt and mercilessly killed. Comparably, White Material is a drama that centers on a French woman who chose to stay in Africa. The director Claire Denis utilized artistic imagery in revealing the nation as ravaged by war. The protagonist, Maria, is an owner of a coffee plantation amidst a civil war. In the story the continent was regarded as a very unpleasant place. This is particularly intuited when Maria’s son gazed at a vat full of blood-red coffee beans. Consequently, he looked at his mother. This scene implies the young man’s hatred toward his mother for choosing to stay in such an iniquitous environment. Probably, Denis wanted to show that the land can be both hated and loved. The violence in Africa has also been presented in other pictures, such as Cry Freetown, Tsotsi, and Battle of Algiers. The first is a 1999 documentary film by Sorious Samura. It was quite informative regarding the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. Similarly, Tsotsi is a 2005 picture set in the locale of Soweto, South Africa. It became well known especially when it won an Oscar award for best foreign film. It is about one of the crime infested towns. Battle of Algiers is a 1965 movie that depicts the fight for independence in Algeria during the 1950s. It was banned in France for 5 years after its release. These films showcase guerilla revolutions, mass-killing by authorities, and coups. Peoples in different nations have perceived Africa as a very troublesome place. Numerous of them have come to this conclusion because of the bloody and pugnacious scenes in big screens and in the news. However, as compared to the present and actual situations, vicious local conflict is not that much of an everyday occurrence. Though there are indeed some territories that have gone through civil wars, most of the borders were established without ferocious social unrest. The most usual kind of struggle is amongst government militias and rebels. In contrast to the general conception, wars between state armies are quite rare. The vast continent is composed of 54 states. With this number, the nature and intensity of civil conflicts are extremely varied. Nations like Congo, Mozambique, and Ethiopia have all been reputed to have endured wars. Nonetheless, the experience in one country is not necessarily similar with the rest. For instance, the history observed in Mozambique does not have the same patterns with the civil wars in Ethiopia. Thus, the public should not overgeneralize long-running struggles in a certain territory as a representation of the whole continent. Moreover, many motion pictures give the audience an idea on how Africa’s economy is suffering despite the fact that it has abundant natural resources. Due to numerous violations of human rights and ineffective governance, Africa persists to be the most underdeveloped continent. Besides violence, Blood Diamond also focuses on how the local people suffer, get underpaid, and endure different kinds of abuse. Many of the workers are too young to engage in hard labor. They even painstakingly toil for mere pennies. The issues on child labor and businessmen’s ill-treatment to their recruits are given emphasis. It also talks about how people in the third world countries get mistreated. Relatedly, White Material presents a tormenting act when African children pitifully salvage some pills from the ground after a pharmacy was plundered by the soldiers. This illustrates the scarcity and ruthlessness that Africans suffer from. Even an unsophisticated pharmacy was pillaged to shreds due to desperate needs. Moreover, seeing innocent children gorging on medicine of the dirt is certainly upsetting. Truly, scores of Africans tolerate poor health (many have diseases like AIDS), inadequate water supply, and deficient sanitation. This may be caused by unscrupulous policies of certain government sectors in addition to failed foreign aids. The region’s massive population may also be one of the culprits of poverty. Being the second continent to be most populous, it indeed has a challenge of being able to support all of its inhabitants. According to the article in Science Daily, Africa can actually sustain itself. Experts from Harvard concluded that the area can feed its citizens in a generation (Juma, 2010). They have enough resources to support their needs. The main problem lies on how the authorities manage their laws. If there would be proper execution of noble legislations, poverty and health issues would be efficiently addressed. Though the region has remarkably undergone neglect, economic growth is still possible. One crucial step is to have much concentration on their agricultural programs. With cutting edge technology, African farmers can increase their produce and can be motivated to cultivate their own lands. The concept of slavery has also been exemplified in Blood Diamond. The scenes illustrating bondage symbolize the history of the slave trade. This unfairness has been practiced for centuries. During the 7th and 20th centuries slavery in the East took place. At that time, millions of slaves were taken from Africa. The Atlantic slave trade also took millions during the 15th and 19th centuries. The cessation of the said injustice took a long time to be achieved. At present flesh trade is illegal. Still, organizations and government authorities have arduous tasks in dealing with the unlawful acts. Additionally, When China Met Africa is a documentary that looks into how the Chinese are presently engaging in neocolonialism. Specifically, the setting revolves around Zambia where copper mining has been seemingly taken over by people from China. The directors, Marc Francis and Nick Francis unfolded the issue through the three main references. They are comprised of a mediocre minister of trade, a tenacious Chinese business man, and a loyal Chinese road builder. Likened to how Europeans came to colonize, Chinese entrepreneurs have occupied many of Africa’s economic turfs. In fact, China has made significant investments in Africa’s mining industries. This 2011 film opens the eyes of the public to the popular commentary that China is the new global leader. On the lighter side, many viewers were entertained by the slapstick humor of The Gods Must Be Crazy. It showed several funny verbal and physical performances. It is also commendable in rendering the African wildlife. The 1979 picture was conceptualized by Jamie Uys who was actually born in South Africa. The story starts with the beautiful nature of the land. The Kalahari Desert was shown as a habitat of both men and beasts. It is apparent that as the producer, director, and writer, Uys wanted to present Africa in its paradise-like natural state. He also rendered peaceful bush men who managed to coexist with nature. To emphasize their principled ways, they were shown to express regret to the animal that they have hunted. They only kill what they need to survive. In addition, their ability to subsist from flora is evidenced by how they learned to extract water from tubers. They were also demonstrated to be good at collecting morning dew from leaves. These situations underline the valuable wildlife of the region. Indeed, Africa has been famous for its voluminous wild animals occupying wide deserts, expansive plains, and luxuriant jungles. As the birthplace of the human race, it has larger-than-life destinations for tourists and locals alike. Being the second largest continent in the world, it is no surprise that Africa has a lot to offer. Furthermore, the movie shows the bright and honest culture of Africans. However, as an effect of colonialism and suppression, many of their customs and traditions have become less observed. Though most may infer that the film accentuates African’s ignorance, one of the main themes of The Gods Must Be Crazy is essentially the idiocy of modern refinement. Uys craftily presented how western civilization’s madness contaminated the continent’s purity. For example, one of the many negative influences of foreigners is deforestation. Significant percentages of land masses have been declared as denuded and degraded. Basing on the abovementioned discussions, I have personally pondered and realized several ideas. Firstly, the lamentable state that many Africans are experiencing is because of a vicious circle. Due to a long and sadistic antiquity, nations have been paralyzed. Successive oppressions have made it almost impossible to learn how to depend on one’s governing abilities. As a product of the tyrannies, people have been plundered to poverty. The great need that most of them bear is the main motivation to accept injustice. This is also one of the explanations why some allow themselves to be manipulated. Once people can taste the temporary pleasure of material comfort or power perks, they could get greedy and further practice social processes of inequality. Hence, vicious circles of discrimination go on for millennia. The cliche states that history repeats itself. However, the situation in Africa clearly clarifies that the people are the ones repeating the history. When China Met Africa is a documentary that reinstated the global power of what was once dubbed as ‘the sleeping giant’. Gone were the days of battles between swords, guns, and bombs. Nowadays, wars employ more subtle yet potent methods, such as economy. Silently, people may become slaves by succumbing to a richer country’s wishes. As for Africans, many of them have been kissing the feet of affluent colonizers. For instance, they agree to dig and carry dirt the whole day with the hope that they will be given a dollar for their efforts. Even if there is no guarantee, they still opt to endure the pathetic process even if it means foregoing education. Many of them leave their families and farms with the promise of receiving enough compensation. Without any doubt, money makes the world go round. In addition, Africa’s wide territory is one of its weaknesses. Because of its vastness, it is harder for the people to unite. Its wide area has bred differences in many aspects, such as language, religion, customs, food, governance, and others. For example, Singapore is known as a very small country. Though its parameter is quite miniscule as compared to Africa, it is remarkably better-off. Another small yet terrible nation is the Vatican. It is reputed to be the smallest country which is both a city and a nation. In earlier times, the indication of a kingdom’s progress is its size. At present, a state’s success depends on how its constituents cooperate and coordinate. True, countless individuals and groups have fought and died for the betterment of Africa. However, much of their efforts were in vain because of their divisions. If only a sizeable percentage of them had a strong consensus, they would surely accomplish momentous recuperations. Lastly, Africa has the license to hope for a better future. China was once extremely damaged in various factors. Though it is not that much of a spectacular country at the moment, it has gone through noteworthy improvements. Relatively, Africa is a very young formation. Similar to any kind of being, every growing stage takes time. Considering its harsh background, the continent needs a period to resolve its issues. Everything has a process. With patience paired with wisdom, Africa can be at its greatest. References Amnesty International USA Human Rights Education Program. (2006). Companion Curriculum to Blood Diamond. Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/bd_curriculumguide_0.pdf Denis, C. (Director). (2009). White material [Motion Picture]. France: Wild Bunch Distribution. Francis, M., Francis, N., & Walter, M.B. (Producer), & Francis, M., & Francis, N. (Director). (2010). When China met Africa [Documentary Film]. Speakit Productions. Fudakowski, P. (Producer), & Hood, G. (Director). (2005). Tsotsi [Motion Picture]. South Africa: Miramax Films. Herskovitz, M., King, G., Weinstein, P., & Zwick, E. (Producer), & Zwick, E. (Director). (2006). Blood diamond [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Brothers. Juma, C. (2010). The New Harvest. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pontecorvo, G. (Director). (1966). The battle of Algiers [Motion Picture]. Algeria: Rizzoli, Rialto Pictures. Somura, S. (Director). (2000). Cry freetown [Documentary Film]. Sierra Leone: CNN International. Uys, J. (Producer), & Uys, J. (Director). (1984). The gods must be crazy [Motion Picture]. South Africa: Ster Kinekor. Read More