It’s a predicament to watch Hollywood or Bollywood films and find sympathy, meaning and logic of the universal appealing thoughts that are being expressed in those films on what good or evils are, especially those of human doings and find none of the above in our locally produced commercial films in Tanzania.
When I watched My name is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) which it appears to be a statement on the socio-political hangovers of the September eleven (9/11) which affected the social-communal rapport between the Americans and the Arabs then I was stirred or rather forced to think about our films and the socio-economic and political goods and evils of the present day Tanzania and if at all any of them are being portrayed in this locally produced commercial films.
Built upon the foundation of morals, film is a statement or an argument on the social, economic, political and cultural phenomena and some scholars such as Sarah Maldoror have argued that to make a film is to take a position.
Having established that films are based on the good and the evil, we could ask ourselves what Bongo Movies are based on. Bongo movies are not completely out of touch with what transpires on the day to day lives of the Tanzania, at least at certain socio-cultural classes, but we can do better than that by becoming more realistic and true to our present day situations and problems.
One reason that could render these movies as unnatural or out of touch of their film world as they are is that they are produced or rather designed for profit making. This is what happened when art becomes a commodity. Movies are therefore produced according to what the audience’s preferences or what they would buy.
But even though they are produced to be sold as business or economic activity, I am certain that we are not on the right track if we compare our industry with Hollywood or Bollywood or even Nigerian films which in my view they have ideology and position to take. Since films are made to seen, that’s the first goal and then the business component comes after the audience have chose what film to watch, then we should put a lot of effort in ascertaining what they would chose to watch and not give them just what it is that they want.
When you analyze what the local writers, producers, directors etc have selected, among other things, for the film audiences to watch, that’s when you realize that a lot is missing. A lot is missing if you compare it with the current debates and discussion over radio, TV and newspapers as agenda that materialize from our day to day politics of interest, social welfare and education, the imbalance of economic status, cultural imperialism and activism tendencies.
The present day Tanzania is succumbed with a lot that people are disinterested with and one is able to find this heavily covered in news bulletins for both radio, TV and Newspapers. The conflicts and emotions that are portrayed in such TV and Radio news stories is without a flaw what the content of the films should be. I am not trying to limit the creativity and imaginations of our writers/producers but I am convinced that the sources of their inspirations isn’t what is surrounding and shaping the lives of ordinarily Tanzanians.
I once had a discussion with renowned Professor of art and culture in Tanzania, Prof. Elias Jengo and in that exchange of view I garner that the history of political, social, economical and cultural developments in Tanzania is rich in terms of themes to say that we might exhaust it in the next five decades or a century. History is so beautiful, it makes me wanna cry, said Whoopi Goldberg, playing Ms. Masambuka in Sarafina. One certain source of so much exciting and revitalizing stories of African caliber is history. So much has not yet portrayed about our country (pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial). Our history is still rich to inform themes of the stories that the world shall enjoy. How about a film on the late Mwl. Nyerere, Karume, Mkwava wa Uhehe (Mkwawa)? On this note we could borrow a leaf from South African films on Madiba (Nelson Mandela) such as Invictus and Goodbye Bafana.
Allow me to cite at least one film that you might have not watched it as they were not produced for distribution in the market but a film with significance to the socio-economic and cultural realities of the times of its making. Arusi ya mariamu (1985) which was co- produced by Tanzania film company/ Prof. Martin Mhando and Ron Muvihil starring Prof. Amandina Lihamba, is the story that put on view the victory of traditional over modern medicine. 1980s was the time that we had two conflicting sides on healing and medicine, that of traditional and modernity. This time saw Africans/Tanzanians in dilemma of whether they should opt for new medicines and doctors introduced from scientific laboratories or stick to their herbs and traditional medicines and healers. To portray such moments in a film had a number of advantages. Firstly, the film is a reliable documentary of what transpired in 1980s. Secondly we can assume (since no research was conducted at that time) that the film had an impact on the perceptions and attitudes of the Tanzanians, who had a chance to watch the film, on their patronage of modern medicine.
Apparently you may find that such ideas are on papers and are written by writers/film producers that you hardly know them. I appeal to financial institutions to put trust and support the emerging, independent, young and enterprising film producers who are eager to make films as interventions on matters that shapes our thinking, language and actions upon which one can be so sure that the communities through films they will shift their point of view and attitudes towards life for the betterment of self and the community at large.
