African comedy movies is a fascinating and quirky genre of foreign films. Major players are Nigeria's Nollywood, Yoruba, a people from West Africa, and South Africa. Measured in terms of sheer numbers of films released, Nollywood is one of the world's biggest contributors.
"Four Forty, Part I" (Nigeria, 2012) is something of a conundrum. Set in a dusty village in Nigeria, where most of the action takes place on wooden benches and tables outdoors, it is hard to see where the funny is. The story is based upon a bored, middle aged man who takes advantage of a wheelchair-bound teenage girl. Two months later, we see her following him around, weeping copiously. Her parents dump her on him unceremoniously. Maybe the punch line will be revealed in Part II.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (South Africa, 1980) is the first film in a series set in Botswana. There is one official sequel and three unofficial sequels that were produced in Hong Kong. The film tells the story of Xi, whose tribe is completely unaware of the world that lies beyond. The film stars N!xau, a San farmer from Namibia. The film kicked off a brilliant career in cinema in which he emerged as Namibia's most famous actor. Sadly, N!xau died in 2003 of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis while out hunting guinea fowl.
Among other things, "The Mangler" (1995) serves to illustrate the broad spectrum and richness of the genre. Here, a folding machine based in a laundry turns out to be possessed by the devil. Directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a short story by Stephen King called "The Night Shift, " which was published in a Stephen King anthology. The critics weren't impressed but with that pedigree and story line, it's a hard one to pass up.
The Yorubans are a group from West Africa, specifically the southwestern regions of Nigeria and Benin. Over the years, they have emerged as a genre of their very own in African film circles. The most recent offering is "Eko Onibaje" (2014), a story about a man who joins a group of crooks that fraudulently obtain money by posing as disabled.
Burkina Faso's "Yaaba" (1989) does not meet the classical criteria of a comedy film but it is one of the most significant to come out of Africa. It illustrates a modern conundrum of having to choose between modernization, and hence westernization, and retaining its own cultural identity.
"The Nightingale's Prayer" from Egypt (1959) also does not meet the strict definition of a comedy, but then Four Forty is a comedy without any laughs. Here we have the story of gender inequality amongst the Arab nations. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film is based on the Taha Hussein novel.
One particularly awesome facet of African comedy movies is you don't have to book a ticket to Mombassa to see them. Many films are easy to find online for direct streaming. Who knows? Maybe someday, someone find the funny in Four Forty.
"Four Forty, Part I" (Nigeria, 2012) is something of a conundrum. Set in a dusty village in Nigeria, where most of the action takes place on wooden benches and tables outdoors, it is hard to see where the funny is. The story is based upon a bored, middle aged man who takes advantage of a wheelchair-bound teenage girl. Two months later, we see her following him around, weeping copiously. Her parents dump her on him unceremoniously. Maybe the punch line will be revealed in Part II.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (South Africa, 1980) is the first film in a series set in Botswana. There is one official sequel and three unofficial sequels that were produced in Hong Kong. The film tells the story of Xi, whose tribe is completely unaware of the world that lies beyond. The film stars N!xau, a San farmer from Namibia. The film kicked off a brilliant career in cinema in which he emerged as Namibia's most famous actor. Sadly, N!xau died in 2003 of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis while out hunting guinea fowl.
Among other things, "The Mangler" (1995) serves to illustrate the broad spectrum and richness of the genre. Here, a folding machine based in a laundry turns out to be possessed by the devil. Directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a short story by Stephen King called "The Night Shift, " which was published in a Stephen King anthology. The critics weren't impressed but with that pedigree and story line, it's a hard one to pass up.
The Yorubans are a group from West Africa, specifically the southwestern regions of Nigeria and Benin. Over the years, they have emerged as a genre of their very own in African film circles. The most recent offering is "Eko Onibaje" (2014), a story about a man who joins a group of crooks that fraudulently obtain money by posing as disabled.
Burkina Faso's "Yaaba" (1989) does not meet the classical criteria of a comedy film but it is one of the most significant to come out of Africa. It illustrates a modern conundrum of having to choose between modernization, and hence westernization, and retaining its own cultural identity.
"The Nightingale's Prayer" from Egypt (1959) also does not meet the strict definition of a comedy, but then Four Forty is a comedy without any laughs. Here we have the story of gender inequality amongst the Arab nations. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film is based on the Taha Hussein novel.
One particularly awesome facet of African comedy movies is you don't have to book a ticket to Mombassa to see them. Many films are easy to find online for direct streaming. Who knows? Maybe someday, someone find the funny in Four Forty.
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