African cinema has come a long way since its inception. One would think that a region referred to by archaeologists as the Cradle of Humanity would be fertile ground for harvesting stories. Regrettably, Africa has never truly flourished in film. There have undoubtedly been high points, including The Battle of Algiers, which is still regarded as one of the most influential movies of all time, and District 9, which showed that African filmmakers were capable of making summer blockbusters based on African socio-political issues. However, there have also been lows: Africa is still the least developed region in terms of movie theatres, with an average of one movie theatre serving a little more than 750,000 people. While the lack of access to theatres certainly hampered the growth of African cinema, the situation has been somewhat ameliorated by the arrival of streaming services. Film festivals worldwide have also recognised African filmmakers of prodigious skill and insight. As a result, Africa produced some of 2022’s best films, with a wide range of subjects, locations and genres. On page 44 we look back at the year’s best African releases, but first here’s our exclusive interview with Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu…
