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Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and Diasporas

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

Underrepresented Regions

Locate Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa through questions of production, archives, conflict, television cultures and post-apartheid memory.

0:20-0:40

Indian Ocean and Island Geographies

Study Creole languages, maritime circulation, slavery, indenture and relations with Africa, Europe, India and the Arab world.

0:40-1:00

Diaspora as Map Displacement

Map how African memory and identity can be worked through films made outside the continent.

Lesson reading

Corrective Mapping

African cinemas must be studied as a dynamic map including visible and less visible regions, islands, languages, diasporas and popular circuits.

Key concepts and examples

Central AfricaEast AfricaSouthern AfricaIndian OceanDiaspora
Build a corrective map including visible centers, underrepresented regions, festivals, diaspora locations, island regions and popular circuits.

Case study and prompts

Case study: identify how perspective, speech and editing reposition viewer authority in a foundational anti-colonial film.

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

Apply this lesson

Work through the exercises and complementary resources after reading the lesson.

Open practice

Quiz

Check your understanding

Answer 1 questions, review explanations and continue when ready.

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