Conclusion
There is a sense in which every conclusion reached regarding African society may seem to be provisional, because though African culture and government has been always in many points the same throughout historical time, it has shown itself in other respects so variable across the continent that we cannot be sure the argument on the nature of the African struggle for total emancipation in British colonized Africa per say, is not different from the complex experiences of francophone Africa.
In commentaries about colonialism in francophone Africa, the debate is thriving but has mostly been handled by dilettantes. A harnessed framework for understanding the African struggle cannot be achieved until serious debate covers that topic in depth.
That is probably why this documentary by Tukufu Zuberi is welcome and situates the discussion within a pared down safe space for ongoing conversations.
All debates however owe something to dilettantes, often very valuable viewpoints. But I agree that dilettantism, as a leading principle in the discussion of African independence will be the end of valuable debate. Nothing will be farther from the intent of a thoroughly serious study than such an attitude.
This documentary, for the sake of its own sanity, did not pretend to understand the intricacies of the variability of the African struggle across the continent. However, I wish it attempted to decipher some logical trends towards building a possible framework for understanding the struggle for freedom in Africa as a whole.
Since that possibility will be equally true a century hence, the difficulties in spotting these generalities should not dissuade us from doing the best we now can to reach conclusions sufficiently probable to make them applicable to existing African problems.
New as the African struggle for independence in the 1940s was, experience and strategy did more than speculation to help align African States and their masses towards solutions. The same can be expected for the new threats that the continent faces – widening inequality and neo-colonialism.
Hence, a framework is necessary. Films, documentaries, books, articles and invariably critiques like mine are important in reaching perhaps a working model. In good faith, this commentary is only in regard to arriving at that sincere blueprint.
Because, the path of our destiny as Africans and as Black people in the Diaspora cannot but appall him who surveys only a section of it. And I might do well to keep this exposition to myself unless of course I was called to give them expression in artistic or prophetic form.
In ending however, the voluminous talk about slavery and colonialism in its most general terms does nothing but conceal a lack of perspective towards racism, disenfranchisement, inequality and the unique manifestations of it in Africa and in the livelihoods of black people in the Diaspora, which merits as close a judgment as a similar lack of perspective towards all imperialism in the world.
In sum, I entreat any sincere admirer of Africa to see this film and judge for themselves. I am sure the complexity that lies at the heart of the African struggle for independence deserves a more intricate treatment.
In all, for Director Tukufu Zuberi, this is a bold step and a significant accomplishment towards understanding Africa, its history, its people and its struggle to regain and restore its glorious and perhaps its understandably romanticized ancient past.
Director: Tukufu Zuberi
Writer: Tukufu Zuberi
Star: Tukufu Zuberi
African independence in a film?? The subject itself is a stupendous undertaking but I think I can appreciate Tukufu’s take on it. Definitely interviewing those leaders gave the film a much needed allure of attention – not to say it wasn’t a good film!
I definitely think that this is subject that needs to be tackled in many more films. I enjoyed watching it and I enjoyed reading this biting critique of it. Hopefully this will be a real beginning for bringing discussions of importance into the domain of the mainstream.
I agree, many more films are needed to unearth the whole framework needed to understanding African culture, its struggles and its future.
Most definitely sis! Besides, I think Tukufu is about the only academic willing to explore new forms of engaging in fruitful discussions about issues of color. Rebranding himself as a director in order to invite this kind of critique from Ben Abukú is itself a bold step.
I wish Henry Louis Gates and co. could be this bold enough.
Bringing these discussions to the fore, to the mainstream, should be the important part of th task. There’s not bigger plate for serving change than a thorough education of the masses. To do that we also need to make it more fun, like Tukufu has done here. We have to continue.
Thank you for realizing that African independence movements across the continent differed from place to place. I understand a level of generality needs to be formed otherwise why even study it. But I also think with regard to your critique, Tukufu may have done a good job.
True, this documentary would have benefited from understanding that independence was a mass movement. I think your thesis on understanding Africa according to class is important if any real inferences are to be made on the composition of its independence struggles.
I had a chance to see this documentary at U.of Penn last weekend and I must say I was impressed with some aspects of it. I do agree with you that it definitely should have done more but the limited resources any documentary filmmaker has should be taken into consideration. On the whole it was a good film and I think your analysis is also insightful.
Your thesis on trying to figure a framework for understanding African independence is laudable but do you think it can be achieved in a single film?
I honestly look forward to the day the framework will be ironed out so that like you said, it can be used as a model for fighting all forms of imperialism on the African continent.
Definitely we need more documentaries and films on the African struggle for independence more than we need academic articles. I think that if we really hope to build a following and interest in this topic we need this kind of multifaceted approach.
Understanding the African struggle should be a continent wide effort and I agree we need to come to a significantly probable framework so that future African issues, challenges and problems can be confronted with such a model – a struggle of the masses, nothing can be further from that truth!
Every time I watch the film, it feels more and more like a sincere student of African history made the film. So much is missing that I can’t possibly give it the good grade you seem to accord it.
The film lacks perspective. It’s just raw history. Yes we know Ghana gained independence from the British, South Africa suffered from apartheid. But what else?
Perhaps, Ben, you should have been consulted for this film.
The film is watchable but as an African it fails to give me any new insight into the African struggle. But thanks for the review, very interesting read.
This is more like good History Detectives’ film than a sincere attempt at Documentary filmmaking. We learn that African countries have become independent. But alas, and so?
We see many pictures of the African landscape, stereotypical ones at that, like the villages, the bush, the poor, etc. nothing really inspiring.
I think a documentary film aught to make a point, give a perspective – a new one at that. This film offers none so I agree with Koplan that it is in fact a sincere student made film on African independence.
Yes! Do you also wonder how not one of those African leaders interviewed offered any fresh perspective on African independence? The thing is, Africans don’t think about their struggle, they barely remember it let alone become able to offer much needed fresher and fresher perspectives about it.
The lack of appreciation by Africans for their own history is nauseating. Many of them can tell you who the king of England was at 3:41 AM, June 26, in 1724, what clothes he wore on 4th July and even the carpenter who sculptured his armchair. But they can’t tell you when Kwame Nkrumah died or where he died.
Sad. Indeed.
I think Tukufu did a good job to summarize the struggle for independence on the continent of Africa. I enjoyed the film and the swagger or Dr. Zuberi. I thought some parts of the movie were funny, a needed humor for a film on such a dry subject.
Plainly put, African Independence, 2013, is an academic exercise at story telling. Sometimes this guerrilla approach works, sometimes it does not. But I think on a subject like African Independence, this is still a good effort. I wish it had its own story to tell because if any one would see this in any theater they would like to know what the director’s perspectives are towards the struggle for independence in Africa besides the plain history.
has it been all bad? what are the social, economic, and political effects that Africans still feel today?