Michael Mundia Kamau   

P.O. Box 58972 00200                                                                 City Square                                                Nairobi
Kenya
9th March 2004

       NOWHERE IN AFRICA

The Academy award winning feature film of the year
2002 on the plight of a Jewish family fleeing Nazi
Germany for Kenya, is currently showing in Kenya, one
year late, and just as Africa was once again honoured
with Cherise Theron's Academy award for best actress
for the year 2003. The entire cast, producers and
directors of "Nowhere in Africa" must be credited for
this useful venture.

"Nowhere in Africa'' however falls short of adequately
highlighting the plight of Africans in those years.
Sidende Onyulo's sterling performance as Owuor and the
close relationship he evolves with the emigrant German
family is a celebration of "Nowhere in Africa", but
still falls wantingly short of capturing Africa's
historical perspective. It is unfortunate that Africa
still lacks a sound policy to restore and preserve her
rich history. Memorable contemporary motion picture
ventures to bring out the African story include "Shaka
Zulu" and Stephen Spielberg's "Amistad". "Amistad's"
theme however follows the age old West African theme
on slavery, indeed that adopted by Alex Haley’s
tainted “Roots”.

Africa’s history is however as vast and rich as the
continent itself. Hollywood has the requisite
resources and expertise to produce a blockbuster on
African events and African personalities, both ancient
and contemporary, that stand out in the continent’s
history. These include Samore Toure and the Sokoto
Empire of West Africa, Kijinkitile and the Maji Maji
rebellion in Tanzania, and the ancient kingdoms of
Uganda.  In Kenya the Nandi resistance and the Mau Mau
rebellion may be appealing contemporary themes for a
Hollywood blockbuster. In Granada Television’s “End of
Empire” the Mau Mau movement is described as a
rebellion that shook colonial rule like no other on
the African continent, and one that induced a change
in policy regarding the colonies. This is the sort of
substance that could interest Hollywood.

The policy on showcasing and preserving Africa through
film is however unclear, more so here in Kenya. “The
Ghost and the Darkness” a Hollywood release starring
veteran Academy award winning actor, Michael Douglas,
featuring the havoc caused by the man eating lions of
Tsavo National park during the construction of the
Kenya-Uganda railway at the start of the last century,
was mainly filmed in South Africa ! Part of the
reasons given were that South Africa had excellent
scenery and filming locations, better trained and
better exposed actors and actresses, and a generally
more accommodating policy towards filmmakers. Kenya
was amongst other things accused of charging punitive
fees to filmmakers. This short sightedness is in big
part why this country has evolved into a cocoon.

The world must see Africa, it’s past and present, to
truly appreciate it and want to be a part of it. Who
does not know about the rich history of the orient and
want to be associated with it, for instance ? Films
are a covenient and widely accessible medium by which
initial contact can be made.

Ultimately, a people are their own best ambassadors.
It is inspiring to hear Americans extolling the
virtues of the first amendment, and Bill of Rights in
general. It signifies a people that are proud of their
history and who they are. This is hardly the case in
Kenya. For many years for instance, the Maasai
community has been used as the cultural face of Kenya
in any and all significant events. The Maasai in their
own right have a rich history of their own, and the
origin of the word “Moran” lies in the Maasai
community. The greatest of their contemporary leaders,
Laibon Lenana, also put up a worthy resistance against
British rule. However the Maasai are only given token
recognition in Kenya. After serving their purpose they
are quickly dispatched back to the reserves. It is a
community treated with spite and derision by the rest
of Kenya.

The way Kenya treats it’s cultural ambassadors is the
very same way that Kenya treats her culture. When it’s
convenient, we profess tradition and quickly take on
second, third, fourth and even fifth wives. When it’s
not, we quickly dispense with tradition and don the
cosmopolitan cap, to for instance, secure admission to
a prestigious campus abroad. If we do not evolve
self-belief, self-realisation and self –focus, the
African continent will remain as obscure as it is
portrayed in “Nowhere in Africa”. It is significant
that the “Nowhere in Africa” ends with the besieged
German family returning back to their homeland,
inspite of all  the apparent bonding including
language, that they have made with Africa.




Michael Mundia Kamau