BalOp007
Al Pacino
Plays Winnie Mandela
Part One –
Being African
The terms
never and always have to do with hysteria and; by talking one is bound to say
something that others validate as profound.
Having
worked in the USA, Australia and China, I observe that there, when referring to
a public persona the person is always described as an American, Australian, or
Chinese National. This manifests when
talking about politicians, musicians, sports people, and more.
I do find it
strange that the descendants of African slaves in the USA claim Africa to be
their motherland. These African Americans can, if that is their wish, but I
find it strange. I find it strange because the Afrikaner in South Africa does
not claim Holland as their motherland; the Malay of the Cape have no yearning
for an Indonesian, or Malaysian so-called motherland despite several words
continuing to pepper the colourful language of the Cape-Malay tongue - “tamaaf”
(sorry). People generally claim a nationality derived from the country that
they were born in. The places where people spend their formative years more
than likely determine the way they define themselves. To cite an example,
people who experienced their formative years in Cape Town speak of themselves
as Capetonian South Africans.
- During 1619 the first African people were sold as slaves in North America
- The first Dutch arrived in the Cape in 1652
- People
brought to the Cape from Mauritius and Madagascar were first sold as slaves in
1653.
We have to
be careful about how much emphasis is placed on nationality and regional
definitions because over-analyses and emphasis can result in xenophobic
tendencies emerging, which in itself is a form of discrimination.
If your
forefathers were born in Africa, captured and sold as slaves nearly 400 years
ago and; on an opposite continent where you today form part of a minority
group, does this make you African?
Others argue
that your nationality is determined by where your forefathers came from.
Palaeontologists
claim that all human life began in Africa.
If this be the case then all people are African.
What is long
ago?
Part Two –
The Impact of Being Local
Johnny Clegg
and Ladysmith Black Mambazo are local musicians. Each year these local musicians entertain
more in foreign countries than they do at home in South Africa.
At the time
of writing Johnny Clegg is performing to full-houses on different legs of his
2012 world tour.
In America
Michael Jackson remains an American Superstar.
In South Africa Johnny Clegg is a local entertainer. During 1988 Michael Jackson cancelled a show
in Lyon, France after it became apparent that Johnny Clegg had sold more tickets
than he did for a performance on the same evening.
In
Stockholm, Sweden, during a world event, the South African Afro-fusion group,
Sakhile (to build), were the entertainers of choice. To the majority of South
Africans Sakhile were unknown - celebrated by the world, but relatively unknown
at home.
Our
affirmation is disempowering.
Part Three
Why are we
surprised when others come to tell our stories? If we continue to talk
ourselves into being less than we are then others will continue to do for us
what we better can do for ourselves.
In the film
“Cry Freedom” Denzel Washington tell the Steve Biko story; whilst Morgan
Freeman is Nelson Mandela in Invictus, why?
Big budgets
are used to pay these known actors. Big
budgets were used to make these actors known. Why are the same big budgets not
used to create new actors, actors drawn from people, people who then can tell
their own stories?
The American
actor, Idres Elba portrays Nelson Mandela in the soon to be released adaptation
of Long Walk to Freedom. Why?
Is it
possible that Richard Attenborough, or Guy Richie; Steven Spielberg perhaps, or
Oliver Stone would call on John Kani and Marius Weyers to play Martin Luther
King Jr and Winston Churchill respectively? No, because those people tell their
own stories. They create their own Denzel Washingtons, but us we allow them to
tell our stories - why?
On the other
hand Meryl Streep was Margaret Thatcher…
I don’t
think that it is right, even here, in the “Motherland”; where our obsessions
include fixing the past whilst, and possibly the Italian-American, Al Pacino,
is in training to play Winnie Mandela.
Interesting points of view, but most movies are made in order to generate income and income is not generated with unknown names playing the lead. You, having been exposed to the industry, surely you know and realise that?
ReplyDeleteThe imagery of your title! I could not help, but share it with my house and we laughed so much! I explained to them, most know the Mandela name (oviously!), but they seem not to connect with the Winnie par (one thought he was a cross-dresser). I had to explain that Winnie dresses very well, but that she also gets very cross! Eventually one (The Canadian in the house) said that Al Pacino always plays the baddie role. Seemingly they do not know that Winnie kissed Julius on his toilet mouth! Nice one and true, no doubt, a big debate is looming here in our house this coming Friday night. No holiday here though. Jou moet mooi bly Kaalkop.
ReplyDeleteHey Man, I am African American and you cannot take dat away from me. If you can't tell your own stories then we will. Peace!
ReplyDeletePeople who are disenfranchised, in whatever shape or form, will seek an identity. And if they find one, no matter where or how distant, who are we to argue?
ReplyDeleteAnd nobody should 'play' Winnie Mandela - nothing that she does can be construed as a 'game' - most of it is far too destructive and self-serving.
Dear Anon
DeleteI think that both the points you make are important.
I question whether having been bedraggled, be it 100 years, or 500 years ago is reason enough to perpetuate the need to seek identity. When does it stop? When do we begin to look more forward than backward, shake off and rise above…
Regards,
Georgiano
I disagree with both views as expressed. It is important to know who you are and where you come from, but it is futile to impose it on yourself and indirectly on others. Americans are people who were born, live, or naturalised in America. How they got there is not as important as the fact that they are there – celebrate it as you would the same in a person from any other place that s/he holds dear. If not then we could raise silly arguments like, where would those African Americans have been today had their forefathers not been horribly forced to leave – would of them perhaps collected diamonds for Charles Taylor, and look what is happening to this token of a dictatorship cabal on the continent we all form a part of.
DeleteYes, yes, why so much about the Amricans and Mandela and nothing about people telling stories that they have no connection with? A movie is an expression of art and art is subjectto interpretation. Therefore,it matters not that the person telling the story is American and more that the story be told.
ReplyDeleteThe sequel to Scent of a Woman – Kiss of a Woman; Better than Mugger of the Nation!
ReplyDeleteHi Cas, Your views are valid, however the commercial dictates of the big studios to sell distribution interferes with Artistic choice.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely discussion, thank you. The ‘Bushbug’ point above is spot on, but is it right that studios decide their risk at the expense of what is right; is it right that people tell their own stories and, is it better if the stories are told in the best possible way?
ReplyDeleteWe know of government policies that are and were on the statute books and are and were not right, like the current day Black Economic Empowerment and the previous day Apartheid.
However, ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune”. Here’s the rub, in SA we pay, but our calls for tunes are often disregarded in exchange for tunes that are favoured by politicians. The argument being DEMOCRACY. There’s a tradition in South Africa silently dictating that we only grumble about our unhappiness instead of being decisive. Currently we grumble about E-Tolls and previously we grumbled about the Arms Deal, the disbanding of the Scorpions , Shaik (ing) out of jail, Selebe going to jail, Cele needing to go to jail and a lot more, but that is where it ends.
Indians tell their own stories and so do the Chinese. Big budget films find their money from Big Studios, like Lorimar, MGM, Tri-Star and others. These are not the only distribution vehicles and sources to access funding money. We have to break the habit of grumbling and find the alternative that will serve to address the dilemma contained in this Bald Opinion.
Why is the State and the Private sector not funding the telling of epic South African stories; doing a deal with whomsoever is able willing and capable and strive to produce a top product?
Recently Usher Played Johannesburg. The Steer Advertisers had a series of large posters featuring the artist hiding his eyes under a damn hat, but the inscription beneath read about Usher and that he was featured alongside local bands like Dr. Victor, etc. I have heard Dr. Victor play many times over the years and much as their style of music is not completely appealing to me I think that the presentation and technical ability of the band is comparable with most every band out there playing on the world circuit. Yet, Dr. Victor is a class act, even though they are referred to as local entertainers. In my view, Dr. Victor’s stage performance is better than Usher and his hat.
ReplyDeleteThe point of this discussion amounts to people talking themselves into a state of reality. The reality in South Africa and other developing countries is that they strive to attain a benchmark as set by others. One is not able to perform best if you pretend to be what you are not. South Africans should take stock of themselves and be who they are. Stop finding people to be critical of, just do what you do and do. I agree that it is important to use language that is empowering. To refer to those artists as locals is a shame and to have us Americans tell your stories is a pity, but if you can't stop it and do better, would you prefer your stories not being told?
ReplyDelete