Thursday, January 31, 2008

Sometimes films bashing white people are also made by black filmmakers


Le Jardin de papa (2004) directed by Zeka Laplaine
A big shock is in store for all who are finding this film's title appealing. "Father's Garden". Well, all the nature lovers will be highly and mightily disappointed. There is no sight of any exotic African garden in this film. What can one presumably see in this film ? One can see how a white newly wed French couple is badly beaten by black (coloured) African hoodlums. There are scenes of a French woman who is feeling nostalgic about Africa as she was born there. What is the problem ? It is quite evident that two wrongs cannot make a right. So the basic idea of "white bashing" is wrong. It is absolutely true that, in a not so distant past, white people did all kinds of atrocities on their black brothers but that should not result,under any circumstances,in the same unfair treatment to white brothers and sisters in today's contemporary world. So from this valid point of view this movie fails to deliver any message. As far as an ideological yardstick is concerned, the white producers are to be blamed for having financed this project. Why did they do something as mischievous as this ? Well, it is quite easy to guess. Many films are made exclusively for black audiences. Since the black poor are generally people, it is the white people who finance such films.All in all, this film might set a bad precedent for our talented filmmakers from Africa.

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