African Film: Re-Imagining a Continent [Paperback]

Josef Gugler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2004

In African Film: Re-imagining a Continent, Josef Gugler provides an introduction to African cinema through an analysis of 15 films made by African filmmakers. These directors set out to re-image Africa; their films offer Western viewers the opportunity to re-imagine the continent and its people. As a point of comparison, two additional films on Africa—one from Hollywood, the other from apartheid South Africa—serve to highlight African directors' altogether different perspectives.

Gugler's interpretation considers the financial and technical difficulties of African film production, the intended audiences in Africa and the West, the constraints on distribution, and the critical reception of the films.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...provides a succinct and thoughtful introduction to fifteen of the most widely-known films produced in Africa over the past four decades, including Xala, Keita, Finzan and La Vie est belle. - James E. Genova in RESEARCH IN AFRICAN LITERATURES ...not only a great treat for movie fans but a book that will enlarge any reader's horizons. - Joseph Cuneen in NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER ...the book that many have been waiting for. Josef Gugler has composed a lively and loving handbook for African film aficionados and for those willing to be converted. Erudite without being stuffy, informative without being pedantic, Gugler condenses years of viewing and critiquing films into a dense but accessible compendium of stimulating observations. The format, replete with photos, film frames, reproductions of film posters and intriguing side notes, is extremely attractive. The cover design welcomes readers with the faces of the two smiling children from Yaaba/, which Gugler analyzes early and at length. The text is arranged in an orderly manner in six categories, primarily historical, and is preceded by a Table of Contents followed by a briefly annotated list of the main films, humorously entitled '17 films in 17 sentences'. An author's preface is followed by a useful chart of Basic Indicators for African Countries - all countries cited are south of the Sahara with some in this region not included. A simple map provides a further reference for the discussions of films spanning the continent. - Anne Serafin in AFRICAN RENAISSANCE and INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AFRICAN STUDIES ... an easy read, suitable for those in tertiary institutions and the general reader... this study poses a critical and urgent question to African and Africanist scholars about the fate of African arts and cultures in the 21st century in the face of a rapidly globalising world where capitalism and market forces increasingly determine artistic and cultural production and circulation. - Tom Odhiambo in AFRICAN REVIEW OF BOOKS ... excellent reading for students and scholars of African cinema looking to understand the socio-cultural contexts of the African films discussed therein. - MODERN AFRICAN STUDIES --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Josef Gugler is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Contemporary African Studies at the University of Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (January 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253216435
• ISBN-13: 978-0253216434
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars African Film Review, February 7, 2012

By 

Christopher Olsen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: African Film: Re-Imagining a Continent (Paperback)

Useful companion to selected African films and a model for future books in this underrepresented area. African films are enjoying more visibility due to better distribution worldwide.

5.0 out of 5 stars African Film, January 29, 2010

By 

S. Buhl (Tyler, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: African Film: Re-Imagining a Continent (Paperback)

I was very pleased with this product. I needed it for my West African film class. The condition of the book was perfect. I didn't know it was going to be that nice before I bought it, I did because the price was right, and that was just a perk. The shipping on the product was also very timely. Thank you.