Afrealism: A proposed indigenous directing style to decolonise African film narrative techniques

Abstract

It is a known fact that filmmaking is not an indigenous African performing art. Indeed, filmmaking is an imported entertainment art that became prevalent in Africa during the colonial era. However, despite the numerous transformations that African film narratives have witnessed, films produced in the region have not been disengaged from colonial influence/western ideology in the production process. This contrasts with play directing in Africa which has been enjoying series of theoretical and practical experimentations, and performance philosophies relating to indigenous directing styles and techniques from different African theatre scholars. Consequently, this paper is proposing Afrealism as a directing style for African films. By so doing, the contention of this paper is that if this style is adopted by African filmmakers, African films will enjoy originality instead of copying western directing style which is not the best to explore Africanism in our film productions. This style will also create a good model for the criticism of African films and portray our societal reality, culture and tradition in the best way possible.