AFRICAN WOMEN IN CINEMA BLOG: African actresses: representation, activism, agent of change

African actresses: representation, activism, agent of change

The African Woman on screen recalls the initial visual engagement with the film leaving the viewer to contemplate the actor’s role and the filmmaker’s intent. While African women as actors were not always embraced by their societies, especially during the nascent period of African cinema in the mid-1960s, they have been dedicated artists, playing an important role in the evolution of African cinema. Nonetheless, actresses have been gradually accepted as artists, as African societies became more receptive to the moving image and recognized the role of African filmmakers as visual storytellers. Moreover they understood that films are doing important cultural work and may be used as a tool, both to visualize the society as it is, for better or for worse, and in a forward-thinking manner, as an idea, to envisage Africans as they would like to be. While there is a more expansive range of roles for women, screen representations as a whole have yet to portray the full span of realistic representations of African women’s agency and the empowering experiences of their lives. Perhaps this tendency is due in part to the relatively small production of films from Africa—hence, the pool of subject matter is limited; as well as the growing popularity of films for entertainment or that are based on formulaic themes, none of which constructs the female character as a whole human being. Beyond these challenges, however, historically African women and many men have endeavored to represent the woman as an agent of change and a source of empowerment, and as an active participant in the world, worthy of exploration and reflection.

The African Women in Cinema Blog provides a range of themes related to the African woman as actress. Following is an ongoing list of articles:

Homage to Maimouna Helene Diarra

https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2021/10/homage-to-maimouna-helene-diarra-1955-2021.html

Zalika Souley nous a quitté

https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2021/07/zalika-souley-nous-quitte.html

Aissa Maiga

https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2021/02/aissa-maiga-black-women-on-screen.html

Dolapo Adeleke’s Just in Time

https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2021/02/dolapo-adelekes-just-in-time-on-netflix.html

To be a black actress in France

https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2020/02/etre-actrice-noire-en-france-dejouer.html

First General Assembly of African Actresses