Top African Films in 2019
By Mercy Adhiambo Oginga
What makes up an African cinema? This is a contentious question among many people. Is an authentic African film produced by Africans? Does it target an African audience and get funding from Africa? Is the film screened in the African continent? Or, is an African film one that features Africans or reflects African experiences?
African films focus on African stories. Ranging from hybrid documentaries to feature lengths, African films vary in technical virtuosity, smart storytelling, and cultural relevance. Here’s a list of top 10 African films in the entertainment industry.
- Joy (Austria)
The film covers the sex trafficking industry operating in Nigeria’s Edo state all the way to the Mediterranean and Europe. It depicts the heroine’s sophisticated and rounded life, painting a grim reality that many similar girls find themselves in, trying to get to Europe illegally.
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The award-winning drama, produced by Sudabeh Mortezai, was acquired by Netflix. Although the film producer isn’t a Nigerian, the film shows that stories are sensitive and universal, key attributes to the best movies in the industry.
- Adam (France/Morocco/Belgium)
The slow yet enjoyable film is premiered in Cannes. Produced by Maryam Touzani, the debut features show-stopping performances to showcase the unbreakable female friendships bond and compassion. Touzani develops an ideal habitat to conduct her character analysis, gently observing changes in the relationships between a couple of ordinary women.
- The Kandasamys: the Wedding (South Africa)
Released in 2017,”Keeping Up with the Kandansamys” became the highest grossing South African film made locally. The story sequel arrives on time to shake up the local box office.
The “Kandasamys” The Wedding” film, just like any other blockbuster movie, showcases light fun throughout the film to engage the audience. The humorous and breezy film showcases an Indian sub-culture in Durban, South African.
- The Mercy of the Jungle (Belgium/Rwanda/Germany/France)
Set in the Kivu jungle, the road movie was produced by Joel Karekezi. It explores the futility of war through the eyes of a couple of Rwandan soldiers whose colleagues left behind.
Portraying unnecessary violence and bloodshed, the film reviews the effects of war and trauma on soldiers of varied generations. Characters are taken to the extreme ends and back, confronting demons (ghosts of people who had long been buried).
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The characters get stuck behind enemy lines, forcing them to navigate a dangerous wilderness and the mind’s horrors. The film won the Golden Stallion award at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).
- Lionheart (Nigeria)
Netflix turned to Nollywood star Genevieve Nnaji to make an African film, Lionheart. The queen of Nigeria’s film industry stars in the detailed, sentimental drama about feminism, family and binding ties.
The film premiered in 2018 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It opened up the local Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, to alternative techniques of relaying original content to a larger worldwide audience.
Conclusion
Other top African films to look out for include Lesotho/Qatar’s “Mother I Am Suffocating. This Is my Last Film About You,” Belgium’s “Sofia,” Sudan/France/Qatar/Chad/Germany’s “Talking About Trees,” Brazil’s “My Friend Fela,” “UK/Malawi’s “The boy Who Harnessed The Wind,” Ghana/US’ “The Burial of Kojo,” Nigeria’s “The Delivery Boy,” Senegal/Belgium/France’s “Atlantics,” UK’s “Farming,” Nigeria’s “La Femme Anjola,” South Africa’s “Knuckle City” and Nigeria’s “Oloture.”
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