‘Africa United’ tipped to match success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
October 3rd, 2010 - 4:50 pm ICT by ANI
London, Oct 3 (ANI): An African movie based on the journey of 5 children to watch the Football world cup 2010 is tipped to match the success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
In the recent flurry of mainstream films set in Africa such as Blood Diamond, The Last King of Scotland and Shooting Dogs, all the white protagonists heroically engage themselves with dangerous and savage continent.
Later this month, five young, unknown Africans will walk up the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square to the British premiere of a film, ‘Africa United’ which discards the usual Hollywood stereotypes about the wild continent.
It has already been compared favourably to Slumdog Millionaire, and indeed, is being distributed by Pathe, the company behind Danny Boyle’s Oscar winner.
The early screenings have seen rapturous acclaim for the performances, and at the Toronto Film Festival last month it won a standing ovation.
“That was an insane moment and a big relief. There’s a whole side to Africa that is just not being seen. There are so many good stories and so many great people, entrepreneurial, clever, and joyful. There is so much ingenuity and creativity, it’s outrageous,” the Guardian quoted director Debs Gardner-Paterson as saying.
“My cousin, who is 14, read the script and said ‘You’ve got it wrong, this kid has a mobile phone, you don’t get that in Africa’, and I was like, yes you do, and that’s the point. There’s a whole side of Africa that you just don’t see,” he added.
“I go to film festivals and people say, ‘Here comes the genocide guy,’ because my work has focused so much on that (civil war) period, but now it is time to show different stories from Africa. Let’s not brush over the issues but let’s not ignore the hope. This film is a transit point for people to start looking differently, through the eyes of children, at Africa. The football is just a metaphor, but I hope it will unleash many more stories from the continent,” the director concluded with the hope of revolutionising people’s belief of Africa. (ANI)
- 'Slumdog...' experience best for Freida - Aug 15, 2011
- Danny Boyle's Thriller 127 Hours To Close The London Film Festival - Aug 13, 2010
- Of dead seas and Indian independent films - Oct 21, 2011
- Ranbaxy boosts presence in Africa with malaria drug - May 11, 2012
- 'Tera Kya Hoga...' not an answer to 'Slumdog': Sudhir Mishra - Nov 29, 2010
- 'Salaam Bombay': Bollywood's romance with city of dreams continues - Jan 18, 2011
- Making Africa smile and busting stereotypes - Jan 23, 2012
- Hollywood very planned, Bollywood very cordial: Irrfan Khan (Interview) - Oct 14, 2010
- Malaria charities use World Cup to highlight disease - Jun 13, 2010
- In Europe, it's time for Africa - Jun 18, 2011
- Ryan Phillippe shocked by photographers' death in Libya - Apr 25, 2011
- I'll say yes if I love an Indian film: Freida Pinto (Interview) - Oct 23, 2010
- When Naomi Watts almost gave up acting - May 22, 2010
- Freida Pinto 'overwhelmed by speed to fame' - Mar 27, 2011
- A debut that highlights Asian cinema - Oct 19, 2011
Tags: africa united, blood diamond, british premiere, civil war period, danny boyle, debs, direc, film festivals, football world cup, football world cup 2010, leicester square, mainstream films, oscar winner, pathe, protagonists, red carpet, standing ovation, toronto film festival, transit point, world cup 2010