Corrective Mapping
African cinemas must be studied as a dynamic map including visible and less visible regions, islands, languages, diasporas and popular circuits.
Classical narratives of African cinema often privilege a few centers. This can make Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and diasporas less visible. Diasporas also displace the map: a film may be shot in Paris, London, Lisbon, Brussels, New York or Montreal while still engaging African memory, identity and history.
Lesson goal
Build a corrective map that includes regions, island spaces and diasporas often underrepresented in classical narratives.
Module
Geographies of African Cinema
Course progress
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Lesson player area
Corrective mapping workshop for underrepresented regions, islands and diaspora locations.
0:00-0:20
Locate Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa through questions of production, archives, conflict, television cultures and post-apartheid memory.
0:20-0:40
Study Creole languages, maritime circulation, slavery, indenture and relations with Africa, Europe, India and the Arab world.
0:40-1:00
Map how African memory and identity can be worked through films made outside the continent.
African cinemas must be studied as a dynamic map including visible and less visible regions, islands, languages, diasporas and popular circuits.
Discussion prompt
What makes a counter-gaze durable rather than purely reactive?
Exercise prompt
Build a corrective map including visible centers, underrepresented regions, festivals, diaspora locations, island regions and popular circuits.
Practice
Work through the exercises and complementary resources after reading the lesson.
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Quiz
Answer 1 questions, review explanations and continue when ready.
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