This Is My Africa (2008)

Directed by: Zina Saro-Wiwa | 48 minutes | documentary | Starring: Yinka Shonibare Mbe, Jon Snow, Bayo Oduwole, Nneka Ugboma, Njide Ugboma, Tony Nwachukwu, Nana O. Ayim, Mourad Mazouz, Boko Inyundo, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Dipo Agboluaje, Josephine Amankwah, Paul Boateng, Colin Firth, Mazzi Binaisa, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Duncan Brooker, Biyi Bandele, Mpho Skeef, John Akomfrah Obe

Filmmaker Zina Saro-Wiwa, born in Nigeria but living in London, wanted to present ‘This Is My Africa’ a different picture of Africa than we are used to, or what we think about based on our prejudices. She asked twenty fellow Londoners for their opinion about the continent, filmed them in four days and had the images edited in a smooth and original way by Dan Susman and Bert Hunger. The result is a surprising, warm, inspiring documentary, which you can rightly call an eye opener. Famous people (Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor) and lesser known people all answer the same questions. The questions are not asked in the film, but the answers do make it clear what the question was. “If Africa were a color, what color would it be?” In addition to the somewhat standard answers such as brown, red and orange, the answer from Njide Ugboma, owner of the fashion magazine Let Them Eat Cake, is refreshing: “Pink,” she says firmly and her explanation for this sounds very plausible. Africa is pink to her, after the pink blossom of the honeysuckle, whose honey she always ate as a child.

It’s nice to see Jon Snow, presenter on Channel 4, close his eyes and think intensely about the question. And so it goes throughout the documentary. You can see that the interviewees really got thinking, that the question awakens something in them. That emotion is well conveyed to the viewer. Whether it’s the first memory of Africa, the smell that reminds of the country, the favorite dish (a question where the answers make your mouth water), or the favorite book: and talking so much love about the culture of the land they all once were in, that you automatically get carried away and intend to – if you haven’t already – soaked up even more of the rich culture. The music of Africa is discussed, both the contemporary and the “classics” such as Fela Kuti. The African film industry is discussed and it is predicted that within a few years Nollywood will be as big as its Western and Eastern counterparts. African literature is not skipped either and it turns out that a lot of gems are written in the continent that is usually seriously overlooked.

Because that is also discussed: “Africa just gets bad press,” says Jon Snow. He blames not only the media, but also the country itself. “They have so many great stories to tell, but they just don’t.” And when asked what they want Africa to look like in 2060, artist Yinka Shonibare, Mbe (Member of the British Empire) comes very quickly with his answer: “In 2060 Africa should hold a ‘Make Poverty History’ concert for Europe, which is then a poor continent.” It is time for the roles to be reversed, he thinks. We don’t want it to get that far, but it is to be hoped that this wonderful film confronts more people with the fact that Africa has so much more to offer than just poverty, war and disease. “It is of course an undeniable reality of the country, but it is such a shame that it is the only reality ever portrayed of the country,” said Nana O. Ayim. With a film that overflows with inspiration, creativity, good ideas and fond memories, at least another step has been taken in the right direction.