Cinema as Foreign Exchange Backdrop Blur
Cinema as Foreign Exchange Poster

Cinema as Foreign Exchange

This documentary shows how cinema has been used very differently in three neighbouring African countries with different colonial heritages: Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar. Mozambique used cinema newsreels as a crucial propaganda tool after the Portugese colonisers left. Madagascar boycotted US movies, so its screens were dominated by French, Indian and Hong Kong films instead. But a few films managed to get made. The situation in Zimbabwe was the worst, except that alone of the three countries it possessed an efficient film laboratory.

Top Cast

  • Karen Archer

    Karen Archer

    Narrator

  • Stephen Chigorimbo

    Stephen Chigorimbo

  • Wilson Katiyo

    Wilson Katiyo

  • Claude Marezda

    Claude Marezda

  • Jean-Claude Rahaga

    Jean-Claude Rahaga

  • Jeannot Rarojo

    Jeannot Rarojo

  • Ignace Solo Randrasana

    Ignace Solo Randrasana

  • Benoît Ramampy

    Benoît Ramampy

  • Samuel Matola

    Samuel Matola

Overview

This documentary shows how cinema has been used very differently in three neighbouring African countries with different colonial heritages: Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar. Mozambique used cinema newsreels as a crucial propaganda tool after the Portugese colonisers left. Madagascar boycotted US movies, so its screens were dominated by French, Indian and Hong Kong films instead. But a few films managed to get made. The situation in Zimbabwe was the worst, except that alone of the three countries it possessed an efficient film laboratory.

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