Sunday 19 October 2008

Audience Criticise Stereotyped Film on Africa

A film that meant to enlighten Hungarians about Africa and its people eventually turned the audience off at the inauguration of Afrimage, a film project designed to show both the positive and negative sides of the continent. However, some of the audience accused the organisers of what they termed lack of taste and formulaic conception.

The event which attracted mainly Hungarians was held on 14 January at the African-Hungarian Union Office in Budapest where two different films were shown about Africa and its people.

The first film focuses mainly on the hustling and bustling lives in the capital cities of the two Congo Democratic Republics - Kinshasa and Brazzaville. Artisans, craftsmen, market women, painters, and the Congolese National television staff are seeing being interviewed in the documentary.

The second film concentrates much on pigeonhole that stereotyped Africa and its people as lazy and poor. It shows about fifteen Congolese teenagers, including children living in a pathetic condition that makes slum a luxury. Although the moderator had warned the audience about the nature of the film, many still believed it shouldn't have been shown because of its sensitivity and gory message.

Unable to hold back their disbelieve, three Hungarians who had spent several years in Africa criticised the rationale behind such blatant display of a film lacking originality or individuality.

Questioned about the offending film, the brains behind the project, Sorel Kembe-Arthur and David Abia-Okon whose fathers are from Congo and Nigeria respectively, said that better films will be shown as time goes on, adding that this was just the beginning.

Bálogh Sándor, African Hungarian Union president, who is the sole sponsor of the event, spoke about the difficulties facing most African countries, especially the ongoing war in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo which, according to him, has displaced women and their children.

Reports by Archie Bonka
Written by Hakeem Babalola

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Am not surprised , this stereotyped ideology will still continue to go on for a long long time , my reason its not because we are from those slum but rather because of the color of our skin .
i was in Nigeria this christmas season and my wife asked me to film places there which l successfully did . l filmed the village setting just like the life some poor Hungarians are living and l did filmed the city too. She saw the reality and she was really surprised to see what l filmed was exactly opposite what they do show us on the media .
Whats my point, Whites have seen that the black race will survive and rule the world , the only thing is to trample on her dignity as a human being as if they never existed , but alas we shall be great , thats a promise.
There is no place that has not got the rich side and the poor side , even the life we live is a two sided coin. they need to realise that.

Engr Mobolaji Daniel Osoba

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Welcome back to Budapest and I trust you did enjoy your vacation in Nigeria.

I do agree with you that this stereotyped ideology will continue for a long time. But unlike you I don't really think it's because of our skin per se. Rather it's because of the way we portray ourselves. And that's what I have been chewing in some of my articles. See, when your govt/embassy does not respect you, who will? My culture as a saying, Bi oni'gba ba se pe ipa re nii a o ba pe. (Roughly translated: unless you respect yourself, no one will) I beg where is Wole Soyinka?

I am going to be very brief in this comment, for there are many things for this unfortunate negative perception of Africa and its people.

The first reason is our dealers calling themselves leaders. If they have vision or sincere about building a nation or continent, believe me Oyinbos will respect us. Why do they respect the Chinese? It is because Chinese leaders mean business. It is because they don't borrow like African dealers...

Another thing is the collaboration of Africans with certain Europeans to denigrate its people. Take for example the so-called African-Hungarian Union. It is our people who sold Africa to Bálogh Sándor who is now exploiting Africa's plight to solicit for fund. I wrote about this under the caption "The new scramble for Africa".

The thing wey most Africans go chop dey make dem call cow brother. It's quite unfortunate that our so-called lousy intellectuals are behaving like morons in an effort to become somebody in a foreign land....

Until Africans stop selling themselves cheaply to Oyinbos, stereotyped behaviour will not stop. Until Africans understand the simple logic that Oyinbo man does not respect beggars, this parochial thinking will continue unabated. In Hungary today, I am sure that Hungarians respect the Chinese. It is not because the Chinese here don't do bad things but because of the revolution going on in that region, and because the Chinese is proud of who they are. Most of our brother don't.

As I said I would be very brief....

25 January 2009 02:29

Anonymous said...

Sir,
l do agree with you , l see reason in your argument , we have been sold by our so called leaders and some African opportunists . My prayer is that we shall find a way out one day ........

Engr Mobolaji Daniel Osoba