The challenges of African film bibliography: content and audience

Extract

The focus of my discussion will be on Sub-Saharan Africa, since this has been the scope of my work. I will discuss issues related to compiling bibliographies and filrhographies in the past and present – from the 1960s to 1990s. The focus will be on a few of the major challenges which I often think about, but do not know how to resolve.

What is a Sub-Saharan African film, and who is a Sub-Saharan African filmmaker? There is no more agreement on a definition of African film than of a definition of African literature. However, there is much less discussion of definitions of African film than of African literature.

Bibliographies and filmographies are compiled and many generalizations are made about African film without definitions being provided. Compilers and authors seem to assume that others understand their point of reference.