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Reviewed by:
  • Afro@Digital
  • Paul Miller
Afro@Digital. Directed by Balufu Bakupa-Kanyida. 2003. 52 minutes. In French, Yoruba, Jula, and English with English subtitles. DVD and VHS formats. California Newsreel, www.newsreel.org. $195.00 (college, corporation, or government agency). $49.95 (high school, public library, or HBCU).

Afro@Digital explores many interwoven threads of Africa's position in the information age. The director, Bakupa-Kanyinda, interviews musicians, a fashion designer, a television director, and other filmmakers asking the question: What does digital technology mean for the development of [End Page 156] Africa? Topics as diverse as cell phone versus landline accessibility, the ishango bone (the world's oldest calculating tool, discovered in central Africa), social mores, music production, and filmmaking take the viewer on a 52-minute journey that may not provide the definitive answer but will certainly offer intriguing possibilities.

One of the most penetrating personalities is the filmmaker Ola Balogun from Nigeria. He asserts that there are two Africas, one comprising elites who have access to information technologies, the other constituted by the poor who are seldom able to use or even understand the most recent advances in technology. In light of this situation, Balogun is mindful that technology is not of value in itself; what matters is what people do with it. Noting that Africa is poised to participate actively in the information age, he admonishes Africans to build Web sites and make films that will teach people about African culture and history in an authentic voice. As a corollary, Balogun explains that many in the elite classes are "culturally extroverted," meaning that they are more committed to and influenced by European cultures and material goods than guided by an African aesthetic. He insists that new projects must promote self-worth and cultural pride if they are to be of any real value in the coming century. To this end, Balogun calls upon the young to incorporate digital technologies into projects that will create, expand, and explain the African perspective on world events.

Mactar Sylla, the director of a Senegalese television station, echoes many of Balogun's concerns. He argues that new media should add an "African touch" to show that the continent has something unique to say. Sylla also notes, in a theme prevalent throughout the film, that African politicians are often corrupt or, at the least, do not tell the whole truth to the people they govern. Concealing information from the public is becoming more difficult, however, as technology spreads across Africa, and he is hopeful that greater access to information technology will make politicians more accountable to the electorate and therefore will contribute to improving the living conditions of Africa's poor.

Ray Lema, a musician from the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaks clearly about the "logic of poverty" in Africa, which makes the words and actions of people weak or ineffectual. Explaining that poverty is as much a mindset as it is a physical condition, Lema hopes that Africa will be able to use technology to share in the prosperity that the digital age is supposed to bring.

One shortcoming of the film is that it relies heavily on the opinions of other filmmakers and musicians at the expense of computer technologists or other digital technology professionals. Had Bakupa-Kanyida interviewed technology professionals as well, viewers would have been able to see the state of Africa's digital capacity from the perspective of people who have first-hand daily experiences in the field. And while Afro@Digital brings up many important subjects, too often they are not afforded enough time for the viewer to gain a real understanding of the issues involved. A prime [End Page 157] example is the connection between coltan mining and war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Coltan, a mineral that when refined produces tantalum, is integral in the production of many electrical components and is especially important to the cell phone industry. It is reported that child labor is common in the mines and that men in military fatigues, who are thought to be rebels supported by the Rwandan government, often force the miners to hand over their earnings. Unfortunately the film spends only about...

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