11/12/2002

The directors present acknowledged the role played by the European film industry in promoting African films at European festivals and their having allowed the African cinema to exist. If it weren’t for Europe’s contribution, African cinema would simply not have enough money to exist. The other side of the coin however is represented by the imposition, both intentional and coincidental, of an aesthetic that appeals to European tastes rather than those of Africa.
Mahamoud Ben Mahamoud’s films, for example, are produced by the brothers Dardenne. The Tunisian director said he was pleased with the work he does with the Belgian directors but, when he spoke about his latest film, Les siestes grenadines, the story of racial intolerance of Tunisians towards sub-Saharian Africans, Ben Mahamoud put the accent firmly on the critical scathing the film was subjected to both in Tunisia and, for obvious reasons, in Europe as well. Negative reviews because he surprised everyone by focusing on a state of affairs that is unlikely to meet with critical approval. “I wanted to portray the hard reality of North Africa, and wanted to escape the European platitudes according to which the only form of racism that exists is that perpetrated by the northern hemisphere towards the south. Europe always wants to portray Africa as a magical and mysterious place – but that is so distant from the harsh reality. Unfortunately, this is a painful subject for African society and an issue that Europeans would do well to reflect upon too. It occasionally happens that in order to satisfy a French or Italian audience, an African director is forced never to address the issues that really happen in Africa.”
Film critic Ferid Boughedir was keen to emphasise that “until such a time as Europeans support Africa’s film industries financially with the sole aim of presenting African films at their festivals and monothematic reviews, I can’t see us emerging from our current position as producers of niche films. Films that are also conditioned from the aesthetic point of view. France is a great nation and there can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that its exceptional passion for cinema is the best demonstration of its sense of democracy. Being film lovers means respecting and appreciating the plurality of cultures. However, there is an urgent need to solve another huge problem created by our dependence on European cash. Many African countries do not have an internal film market. As a result, a paradoxical situation is created whereby African films are seen abroad but not at home. It is almost as though an African who looks at himself in the mirror, sees a European looking back at him.”