An introduction to the cinema cultures of Africa. It traces the development of African cinema from colonisation to Afrocentrism, analyzing specific films, and exploring the social and economic contexts of the African cinema and television industry.

This is both a personal journey and an introduction to the cinema cultures of Africa. A book about the politics of cultural survival, it is also an overview of African cinema and television. Olivier Barlet traces the development of African cinema from colonization to Afrocentrism. He analyzes specific films, particularly through narrative and in terms of their African specificity - in the use of silence, orality and humour. He explores the social and economic contexts of the African cinema and television industry - including its often vexed relations with the West and the problems of production and distribution that African film-makers face. He also covers the African television industry and African-American cinema. Exploring the achievements and challenges of those who seek to affirm African cultural values through film, the book is ultimately a plea for seeing and respecting the otherness of the Other.

Part 1 Early days, first rites: human beings, not ants
decolonizing the imagination
"proverbs were once people" - referring to the past
closing one's eyes
prizing open the cracked identity
the open gaze. Part 2 The roots of story-telling: black humour
men die but words remain - narrative and the oral tradition
if your song is not more beautiful than the silence, then be quiet
speaking your own language
towards a critique of necessity. Part 3 A black perspective?: "if you want honey, you've got to take on the bees" - the difficulties of film-making
the African public - diversity itself
northern audiences spinning like a weathervane
"when you have meat to cook, you seek out the one who has a fire" - the logic of Western aid
televisual strategies. Annex - where is black African cinema heading?