Not only Tanzanians, but Africans in general never had their hands involved in the process of filmmaking on either the golden age of Hollywood, or the silent period of the 1920s. Up until 1950s the world had not yet witnessed a single film produced by an African Director. Even some of the latter films made by Africans were not filmed in Africa. History entails that it’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s that African Directors broke whatever the curse or myth was and started making their own films. Such a failed experience by the Africans was conditioned by the colonialists who feared that the Africans shall tell the rest of the world of the oppression and sufferings they were subjected to by the colonialists.
In the process of making films for and about Africans, without the Africans being involved in any way, they managed to make such films as Tarzan which portrays Africa as a jungle. This was a disappointment and the world went on to enjoy Tarzan and understand what Africa is all about throughout it then. The Senegalese and father of African Cinema, the late Ousmane Sembene, wrote and directed the first African motion picture La Noire De (Black Girl). His success must have triggered what happened after that in most of African countries and the kind of trends in filmmaking that we have experienced. In Tanzania, as the industry kept on growing to become what it is today as we all can witness, the question is, when we look at the recent trend; does it indicate a bloom or gloom?
There is a historical significance of filmmaking in Tanzania that goes all the way back to 1980’s where such films as Yomba Yomba, Harusi ya Mariam, Maangamizi , Fimbo ya Mnyonge to mention but a few, were made. Such trend is witnessed also in recent times with the making of such films as Rama, Mama Tumaini, Fimbo ya Baba and the more recent one Chumo. A close scrutiny at the few mentioned films above, you will be able to identify some tendencies of presence of formal values, artistic preferences and complexity, processed messages and appropriate manner of productions.
The monopoly of state run filmmaking companies ended with 1990’s free economy and privatizations in Tanzania. What happened after that are the establishment of independent filmmaking companies, emergence of independent filmmakers and some of the institutions, NGOs, CBOs, etc have embarked in making films with clear objectives attached to their missions and at their own capacity or in collaboration. They both have influenced the development of our film industry in particular ways. It’s hard to ignore also the influence of the establishment of privately owned television stations in the 90s and Nigerian films.
A close examination of the recent film making tendency in Tanzania are revealing the following trends in filmmaking; the commercial filmmaking, artistic filmmaking, the educational/pedagogic filmmaking and lastly the combination of two or more of the types above. Both trends have contributed immensely to the changes that have been occurring in the filmmaking industry in Tanzania. The discussion on changes starts with the fact that we are now making films with our own hands and minds. I consider that to be a major step. However I must say we have a long way to go. The challenge we are facing now lies in striking the balance or narrowing the gap between the commercial films, artistic films and the educational/pedagogic films as we consider the formal values, artistic preferences, processed messages, entertainment business and the appropriate manner of productions.
Some of us we have been enjoying the exhibition of locally produced, complex plotted artistic films during film festivals such as Zanzibar International Film Festivals (ZIFF) and European Film festivals to mention a few. Some of us have been enjoying the locally produced commercial films with slight or fully critics and there are those who have appreciated the significance and artistic oeuvres attached to pedagogic films in many ways. These films have portrayed their own trends and there is such a great differences between them. The difference that one may think should have contributed to the wellness of our industry is in fact the leather weapon that destroys it (in my opinion).
It has come into sight also that so many critics have been posed to these commercial films in Tanzania that makes me wonder if that is helping at all. My observation is that the situation is worsening as the gap between the trends I discussed above is widening, only until I came across Chumo.
Watching the exhibition of Chumo at Biafra grounds, to me it appeared to be an African Cinema with a mix of Combative and Unqualified Assimilation tendencies. Then I said wow! The history of filmmaking in Tanzania is getting richer. What we are witnessing now is a mix of the tendencies and practices that are categorized (by African cinema scholars) as phases. These scholars have maintained that African cinema is going through three major phases in its development. These are unqualified assimilation, return to source and combative phase.
Chumo is of its own caliber, if one takes a close up at it, Jordan Riber and the crew did a well done job. The processed message at the end, the popular stars and the business component that is attached to it is what I want to scrutinize. I bought Neria from the street vendors only to realize that it is pirated. This explains that it was not available for distribution. But I asked a friend to buy Chumo for me from the same street vendors and I enjoyed the quality of the film. The fact that Chumo was made with an intention also of distribution, has added another film in the market that I believe it might trigger and expose the local filmmakers to what film art and business is supposed to be practiced. However, the 5Ws + H of the film needs to be put clear, otherwise we are going into another antecedent of trials from within, whereby we have come from the trials to making films that are copy cats of Nollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood. But I believe it’s worthy it.
Probably nothing is subsequently innovative about films now. The film language is universal and so it should be its practice. But let me take you back to history again. 1960’s the world saw the emergence of films made by African filmmakers that reflected the post independence sociopolitical themes such as how to build a nation and the hangovers of the colonial oppression. Such themes informed also the content of most of the post independent literary plays and novels by African authors such as Lwanda Magere, A man of the people, I will Marry When I want, Mashetani, to mention but a few. From 1970’s until today there have been some revolutionary patterns in terms of the themes of the films. The focus of the films today should be relevant to the moments of our lives from socialism, capitalism and the new imperialism that we are in. On the acme of it all, we need style and ideology. I hardly find these in any of the trends.
