By now you’ve all heard that Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. While this is another big boost for Black actors in general, it is more of a validation of African film. Before the awards I was speaking to my partner at the film commission about what the implications of a win like this will be. One thing he emphasized was how more African films will mean more roles for black actors. I think one thing that many people, especially Africans, overlook is the relationship between African-American progress and African progress. While we rarely expound on the connection, Whitaker’s win shows how African stories can provide unlimited opportunities for African-American actors and producers to create award-winning films. While many producers have looked primarily to South Africa and apartheid for strong African stories in the past, Whitaker’s win shows that there are more than enough stories to develop on the continent. That’s why Dreamgirls’ Danny Glover skipped the Oscars to attend the Pan African Film and Television Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Now that the word is out, the goal must be to encourage more African screenplays (preferably from Africans themselves) and get African stories told by African people. While I’m glad Warner Bros. made the effort to make Blood Diamond, I think the studios can now see the benefit of telling African stories from an African’s perspective using African/African-American talent. And while “The Last King of Scotland” wasn’t a blockbuster at the theaters, at this point we see there is a large enough audience interested in seeing a African film that is given the budget both independent and blockbuster Western movies enjoy.
Update: The BBC reports about African reactions to the Oscars at the Fespaco film festival in Burkina Faso.
Djimon Housou to model Calvin Klein underwear
I usually don’t blog on weekends (gotta spend time with the family) but it’s Oscar weekend and I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t report this breaking news. In the lead up to tomorrow’s Academy Awards, Calvin Klein Inc. has announced that it will feature Oscar-nominated Djimon Hounsou in its Fall 2007 Calvin Klein Underwear advertising campaign. While modeling is not new territory for Hounsou, becoming the face of Calvin Klein underwear at this point in his stellar career is worth noting. Seen as a true American brand, Calvin Klein’s underwear campaigns have often been seen as risqué and trendsetting. As many of you will remember Hounsou was discovered by fashion designer/photographer Thierry Mugler and spent several years modeling before he burst onto the international scene in Janet Jackson’s video “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”. The Fall 2007 Calvin Klein Underwear campaign, which will be shot in late March or early April and will appear internationally in more than 20 countries in global print and outdoor advertising in the fall. The campaign involving Hounsou will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Calvin Klein Underwear and the launch of a new product Calvin Klein Steel. Whether or not Hounsou wins the Best Supporting Actor Oscar tomorrow night in his Ozwald Boateng suit, we’re guaranteed to be seeing a lot more of him this year.
This week in African Style 2/17 – 2/23/07
• “Black Gold”, African coffee documentary, to air on PBS.
• African countries ready themselves for the roll out of One Laptop Per Child initiative.
• Africa tops Mideast as US crude oil source.
• Akon teams up with Verizon for TV campaign.
• PRODUCT RED – In the black?
Ghanians define foreign films
Not too long ago Dazed & Confused magazine put together an exhibit of Ghanaian film posters. Besides the artistic value, these posters are a glimpse into how foreign movies translate to African communities. The collection is online at the magazine’s website.
Reuters and Africa 2.0
The recent news of Reuters’ new Africa website which includes African bloggers is BIG. Not only because of the idea that there’s more than enough news coming out of Africa to fuel a separate site, but also because it’s a major boost for African voices. With the incorporation of Global Voices blog posts, Reuters dares to shine a light on the African people themselves. While diehard news buffs can still rely on sites like AllAfrica.com and CNN for news, Reuters introduces a opinionated human element to their stories. With bloggers taking over traditional media, this move is nothing new but for us Africans it’s a huge step. Many of us have complained for years about the one-sided image the media shows of us and have blamed everyone but ourselves (maybe rightfully so). Wherever the blame lies, we’ve got the mic now guys, what are we going to say.
Malian director puts globalization on trial
I made note earlier of the movie Bamako, but it certainly deserves more than a side-note. Co-produced by Danny Glover, the movie Bamako has been taking the film critics by storm. Directed by Mauritanian-Malian director Abderrahmane Sissako Bamako is a fictional story of a trial where ordinary Malians hold international financial institutions (World Bank, IMF) to account for what they see as the damage caused by neoliberal policies. I must admit I haven’t seen the movie but from what I’ve heard and a look at the trailer below, it’s a must see.
Bling & Blood go primetime on Vh1
I mentioned before that Vh1 in conjunction with the United Nations was producing a documentary on the bling and blood diamonds relationship. The documentary, “Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop”, “takes a look at the illegal diamond trade in Sierra Leone, West Africa and its connection with the hip hop culture, particularly how ‘bling’ played a role in the nation’s 11-year civil war.” While we’ve seen quite a few film projects about blood diamonds and Sierra Leone, it’s a wonder that the hip-hop angle has never really been explored in depth by a major film/television company; or did I just miss it? Either way the documentary features interviews with Paul Wall, Raekwon, Tego Caldron, Jadakiss, Big Daddy Kane, and Kanye West among others. Hopefully the documentary will expand beyond the war in Sierra Leone and show how the diamond trade exploits both the Africans who mine the diamonds and the African-Americans who aspire to own one. As Sierra Leonean rapper Chosan said “Don’t give up and keep shining, your heart’s worth more than a diamond”. The documentary premieres Thursday, Feb. 22. at 8pm on Vh1.
This week in African Style 2/10 – 2/16/07
• Cell phones fight AIDS in Africa
• Sophis Okonedo plays in Skin
• Africans challenge global corruption in ‘Bamako’ courtroom
• Africa: 48 African countries expected in Cannes
• Warner Music announces strategic initiatives in North Africa
• Global Film Community invited to Oscars
• Africa/America—a beauty that could be
• Joburg Fashion Week’s Disco Masais and African City Girls
• Are mud floors cool?
Making a model living
Back in my fashion week round-up post, I mentioned the lack of black/african models on the runways this season. While it was a passing comment the topic holds great weight with many Africans trying to build a career in the modeling industry. While many of us take them for granted and often trivialize the idea of someone making money on their looks, the fact remains that models are an important part of selling a product in any industry. Many years ago, I went with a friend to a casting call. Let me tell you, you have to have serious determination, passion, and focus to go to those “cattle calls”. As I sat in a room of about 100 people vying for only one spot for a simple shoot, I realized that putting yourself out there to be judged by your looks alone is a harrowing experience. You are often at the whim of whomever is in charge and whatever their hang-up is that day or even that minute; and not taking it personally is easier said than done. My friend didn’t get the gig but she continued to pursue modeling until she finally gave up. Working on the “other side of the camera”, I’ve been witness to quite a few instances where models have had to tolerate everything from physical to verbal abuse just to get ahead; and if you feel that they get paid well enough to bear it you’re wrong. Just this past fashion week, I had to literally choke a model to get her shirt buttoned to complete the look the designer wanted; and my model just stood there and took it. Each season African models compete in a world where even when the product is being sold to people who look like them, they can easily be replaced by someone who doesn’t. Particularly in the fashion world there is a growing cap on how many African or black models can work each season or even per show. And I mean worldwide. Many designers make the excuse that African models don’t fit the look they’re going for, but the fact is it’s just an excuse not to make the effort. There are tons of qualified models like Noella, Honorine, Ajuma, Oluchi, and Atong working their way through the industry with varied enough looks for any shoot or runway. And they all represent the varied consumers who spend money on the fashion. If fashion week is all about creating excitement, then what is more captivating than an African model putting some flavor in an otherwise vanilla fashion show. So the next time you open a magazine, watch a video, or buy a product think about all those models who are putting themselves out there so that your image is represented and give them some credit. (photo: Style.com)
African Hip-Hop in LA
For all those in LA this week make sure you check out the Pan African Film Festival which opened on February 8th and will run unil February 19th. In it’s 15th year, the festival is the largest international black film festival in the United States. While you’re getting in all your African films make sure to check out two of my partners Saba Saba aka Krazy Native (Uganda), and Wanlov the Kubolor (Ghana) as they bring their versions of African hip-hop to the event. Check out the flyer:
