Yesterday, I came across a post by Mayowa mentioning a new movie being developed by a Ghanaian actor, centered around Ibrahim Traoré, the young leader at the heart of current events in Burkina Faso. Moves like this deserve real support. 🎥✨
About a month ago, I shared a thought: Hollywood didn’t just entertain the world — it shaped how we see it.
The media painted Africa, Russia, the Arab world, South America a certain way. But the deepest influence didn’t come from news reports. It came from films.
🌍 Most young people across the globe don’t consume much news. Yet ask them about the White House, Mexico, or the Middle East — they’ll give you a vivid image. Why? Movies.
Thanks to action films, we all “know” what a CIA office looks like. We’ve internalized stereotypes about Arabs, Russians, and yes — Africans too.
Most people who’ve never been to Africa will still say: “poverty, no water, no electricity.” Where did they get that? 📺 movies
And now, after Black Panther, some believe crossing their arms and shouting “Wakanda Forever” connects them to the continent. Like, some believe people walk around on the continent greeting each other like that, lol. It’s funny — but it also shows the power of representation.
🎞️ Films shape perception. Profoundly.
We know something about China because of Jet Li or Jackie Chan, about India through Bollywood, and now Korea through K-dramas, novelas etc. Imagine if Africa owned its narratives at the same scale.
That’s why a Traoré film matters.
But we need more. More stories about our real-life superheroes — not just the ones who made headlines, but the quiet heroes whose stories stayed in small towns and even villages.
We need films about:
– The ones who refused to sell out their nations
- The leaders who turned economies around (and how they did it)
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The vibrant cities, startups, and the tech-savvy youth driving Africa’s next chapter
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The real streets — not just the slums, but the buzzing business corners full of life and hustle
🎥 This is a call to African creatives, filmmakers, producers, and storytellers:
Let’s build our archive. Let’s shape our image. Let’s reclaim our voice.
Even with AI tools now, content creation is more accessible. It’s time we use it.
I’m Josiane Dongmo , and I help organizations build sustainable businesses across Central and West Africa — because building the future also means shaping how it’s told.
