African Cinema and Urbanism
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Anthem Press
Publishing:3rd Dec '24
£20.99
This title is due to be published on 3rd December, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Integrates theories and practices from the disciplines of urbanism, architecture and African cinema studies to examine how African artists are bringing attention to issues of urban precarity, climate change, survival and growth, and creativity on the continent.
This work brings together theories and practices from the disciplines of urbanism, architecture and African cinema studies to examine, through African screen media, how African artists are bringing attention to issues of urban precarity, climate change, survival and growth, and creativity on the continent.
The changing nature of African landscapes, from rural to urbanized spaces, has been a pre-occupation of African media producers since the beginnings of the African film industry in the 1960s. The authors bring together several examples of African documentary and fiction screen media that present, evaluate and criticize urban and rural landscapes, and the rural and urban dynamic of development, in relation to contemporary issues, from biodiversity, sustainability and deforestation, to inequity, women’s rights, political instability, to climate change-related themes of water and food supply, security and sovereignty. These works, comprising multi-platform cinema, streamed moving images and especially documentaries, depict the situations and open the door to rethinking and eventually to the possibilities of proposals responding to the situations portrayed.
“This book is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on media urbanism in Africa, and what it shows is that African cities are not mere backdrops for African cineastes to tell their stories. Cities have become cinematic texts themselves that offer crucial insights into the ongoing seismic environmental and sociocultural transformations happening in African urban spaces. Expansive in its coverage and transdisciplinary in its approach, Marie-Paule Macdonald’s book presents fascinating theoretical yields that will enrich the knowledge of any scholar interested in African urban cultures.” — Paul Ugor, Professor, University of Waterloo
“African cinema rarely finds its way into contemporary discourse. Marie-Paule Macdonald’s book provides a unique insight into urban issues as presented through the lens of cinematography. Explorations present a ready reference for researchers who are often starved of references related to architecture and urbanism of the continent, and an invaluable resource for anyone teaching the arts, architecture, and urbanism of Africa. The book is thus a must-read for architects, urban designers, and urban thinkers and theorists interested in gaining insights into critical issues of urbanism across Africa.” — Dr. Mark R O Olweny, Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
“In what is ostensibly a catalog of African films through which African urbanism is analyzed, Marie-Paule Macdonald constructs a fascinating discussion of the way contemporary issues of post-colonialism, migration, climate change, war, and politics are deeply embedded within African built environments.” — Rafael Gómez-Moriana, University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
ISBN: 9781839991073
Dimensions: 229mm x 153mm x 26mm
Weight: 454g
128 pages