African Documentary Cinema investigates the inception and trajectory of contemporary documentary filmmaking in sub-Saharan African countries and their diasporas. The book challenges critical paradigms that have long prevailed in African film criticism, shedding light on the diverse discourses and evolving aesthetic trends present within documentary films.
Situating his analysis within the context of the significant transformation of the African film industry, the author focuses on the development, diversity and shifting dynamics that have impacted contemporary documentary cinema. Examining the historical, political, sociological, economic and cultural factors that have facilitated the rise of documentary films – especially those created by female documentarians – the book assesses the emergence of documentary filmmakers spanning different generations. Their training, practices, and innovative perspectives on social, political and environmental issues ultimately give rise to new frameworks for understanding the bio-documentary genre, issues of gender discrimination, LGBTQIA+ identities, environmental trauma, genocide, and memory on the African continent.
This ground-breaking study offers new insight into a rapidly expanding topic and will appeal to students and scholars in the fields of film studies, documentary film, media industry studies, African studies, French, postcolonial studies, politics and cultural studies.
Introduction
One: Documentary Media in Africa. Theories and Practices
Two: “African Lives Matter”: Fame and Documentary
Three: Women and/in Documentary
Four: LGBTQ Identities
Five: Slow Death in Ecodocumentaries
Six: Memories of Atrocities
Epilogue
Biography
Alexie Tcheuyap is Professor of French and Postcolonial Studies at the University of Toronto where he also serves as Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada.
"Carefully researched and conceptualized, African Documentary Cinema is a sophisticated, insightful analysis of documentary cinema trends in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1970s. Tcheuyap takes an engaging and scholarly African cultural studies perspective to probe history, politics, culture, gender, sexuality, war and environmental concerns in key African films. The achievement is ground-breaking. The first volume of its kind in English, the book is an essential read for a sound understanding of the field and is an inspiring contribution to African cinema studies."
Sheila Petty, Professor, University of Regina, Canada
"One of the first books on the topic, Alexie Tcheuyap’s African Documentary Cinema provides a cogent historical overview as well as incisive close readings of individual films. In chapters on works that address the crucial figures and pressing political, social, and environmental realities of postcolonial sub-Saharan Africa, Tcheuyap convinces readers of the abundance and brilliance of nonfiction film from the continent, introducing an underrecognized corpus that is vital to any understanding of global documentary."
Rachel Gabara, University of Georgia, USA
"Timely, accessible, engaging and comprehensive, African Documentary Cinema aptly engages intricate facets, contours and dynamics of African documentary practices. In filling extant gaps, engendering critical dialogues and widening intellectual frames, this book is a richly significant contribution to the field, of value to scholars, students and diverse publics."
Jude G. Akudinobi, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
