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This work brings together theories and practices from the disciplines of urbanism, architecture and African cinema studies to examine, through African screen media, how African artists are bringing attention to issues of urban precarity, climate change, survival and growth, and creativity on the continent.
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About This Book
The changing nature of African landscapes, from rural to urbanized spaces, has been a pre-occupation of African media producers since the beginnings of the African film industry in the 1960s. In the six chapters in the book, the authors bring together several examples of African documentary and fiction screen media that present, evaluate and criticize urban and rural landscapes, and the rural and urban dynamic of development, in relation to contemporary issues, from biodiversity, sustainability and deforestation, to inequity, women’s rights, political instability, to climate change-related themes of water and food supply, security and sovereignty. These works, comprising multi-platform cinema, streamed moving images and especially documentaries, depict the situations and open the door to rethinking and eventually to the possibilities of proposals responding to the situations portrayed. Screen media convey important visual information regarding the urban and rural built environments in Africa, relative to numerous geographic zones projected for major change and development over the next 30 years. Rapid spontaneous urban development will characterize the landscape of the African continent up until 2050, and urbanization has taken many forms, primarily unplanned. Yet, urban centres and cities have an important cultural weight since they often represent both a remnant of colonization (as colonial metropoles) and an opportunity for cultural place-making and belonging. Furthermore, African cities also serve as sites of negotiation because they are cultural melting pots offering the possibility to navigate and create identities that could not be created in rural areas.
A main goal of this book is to contribute to critical discourse and to knowledge resources to assess, critique and propose directions in contemporary urban and settlement development, in the face of rapid spontaneous urbanization of landscapes in a context of climate change and housing need. The book aims to study, track, set out and present options for landscapes and cities in Africa that are intrinsic to African culture via documentary and narrative cinema, incorporating diverse platforms of screen media. We use the term “African screen media'' to denote media presentation on various formats and platforms. This is also born out of our recognition of the fact that the term “African cinema” assumes a certain homogeneity throughout a continent of 53 countries, and that “the idea of an African cinema” has evolved with many critics to “African Cinemas” and even to the now widely used term that many scholars of African media prefer, “African screen media” (Dovey 2009, 2). This term also addresses the multiple platforms and formats representing the atomization and fracturing of distribution in contemporary streaming.
This work brings together theories and practices from the disciplines of urbanism, architecture and African cinema studies to examine some examples of how African artists are bringing attention to issues of urban precarity, climate change, survival and growth, and creativity on the continent. Theoretical references include Felwine Sarr's theory of ‘Afrotopias’ or ‘Afrotopos’ whereby the continent is a site of creative potential. Another theoretical influence with significant impact is the term "Black urbanism" as used by AbdouMaliq Simone for contemporary African cities. An alternative to modernist Western urbanism, this concept is structured around informality, creativity and improvisation.
Reviews
“This book is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on media urbanism in Africa, and what it shows is that African cities are not mere backdrops for African cineastes to tell their stories. Cities have become cinematic texts themselves that offer crucial insights into the ongoing seismic environmental and sociocultural transformations happening in African urban spaces. Expansive in its coverage and transdisciplinary in its approach, Marie-Paule Macdonald’s book presents fascinating theoretical yields that will enrich the knowledge of any scholar interested in African urban cultures.” — Paul Ugor, Professor, University of Waterloo
“African cinema rarely finds its way into contemporary discourse. Marie-Paule Macdonald’s book provides a unique insight into urban issues as presented through the lens of cinematography. Explorations present a ready reference for researchers who are often starved of references related to architecture and urbanism of the continent, and an invaluable resource for anyone teaching the arts, architecture, and urbanism of Africa. The book is thus a must-read for architects, urban designers, and urban thinkers and theorists interested in gaining insights into critical issues of urbanism across Africa.” — Dr. Mark R O Olweny, Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
“In what is ostensibly a catalog of African films through which African urbanism is analyzed, Marie-Paule Macdonald constructs a fascinating discussion of the way contemporary issues of post-colonialism, migration, climate change, war, and politics are deeply embedded within African built environments.” — Rafael Gómez-Moriana, University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
“African Cinema and Urbanism takes us on a journey through a body of film that documents real-time experiments of cities emerging from the varied histories and landscapes of Africa. The world of film represents a collective dream that shapes emerging communities. Marie-Paule Macdonald opens up a world of documentation and dreaming from African cities that is an important source for anyone engaged in considering how cultures see and express their own meanings in the cities they inhabit.” — Richard Kroeker C.M, Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University
“Cinema gives access to places that no longer exist and tells us how they were experienced. It also allows us to imagine possible urban futures. African Cinema and Urbanism offers valuable keys to understanding the transformation of a continent experiencing today an extraordinary urban growth.” — Anne Cormier, Full Professor, School of Architecture, Université de Montréal
“Macdonald’s interdisciplinary research into African cinema and urban theory creates a kaleidoscopic picture of the lived experience of Africa today. How might an innovative fusion of architecture and urbanism become the future face of the continent? The journey through her book to find out had me glued to my seat for the day.” — Sudhir Suri, Senior Principal Architect, Research and Implementation, L’OEUF Architects
“This slim volume provides a critical cross-disciplinary examination of some three dozen documentaries and narrative films about African cities since 1963. In the context of ongoing rapid urban development, Macdonald stresses the expanding roles of African artists working across diverse ‘screen media’ and urban contexts to address issues ranging from women’s rights to climate change.” — Susan Ross, Associate Professor, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Author Information
Marie-Paule Macdonald is an associate professor at the School of Architecture, University of Waterloo. Her publications include Jimi Hendrix Soundscapes (2016) and Rockspaces (2000). Macdonald is a registered architect, MOAQ (member of the Order of Architects of Quebec).
Series
Anthem Africology Series
Table of Contents
Figures; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Independent Visions: Settlements, Territories, Landscape, Village and City; 2. Migration Scenarios; 3. Urbanization, Infrastructure and Landscape; 4. Hybridities; 5. Futurities; 6. Sustainabilities; Conclusion for Upcoming Generations; Bibliography; Index
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