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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Digital as the new popular in African cinema? case studies from the continent
Authors:Bisschoff, LizelleISNI
Overbergh, AnnISNI
Year:2012
Periodical:Research in African Literatures (ISSN 0034-5210)
Volume:43
Issue:4
Pages:112-127
Language:English
Geographic terms:Africa
South Africa
Tanzania
Subjects:cinema
popular culture
mobile telephone
External link:http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/research_in_african_literatures/v043/43.4.bisschoff.pdf
Abstract:This paper considers different forms of contemporary filmmaking on the African continent in order to show how Africa has embraced digital technology as a crucial factor toward more, and increasingly varied, forms of popular cinema. The authors provide a case study of filmmaking in Tanzania and South Africa and examine the production styles within the sphere of 'unofficial art forms', showing a variety of production, exhibition, and distribution methods utilizing digital technology. They include an analysis of the film 'Sugar man', which is representative of the phenomenon of 'cellphilms' (films made on mobile phones) in South Africa. The focus of the paper is on popular cinema as a form of popular culture, as theorized by Karin Barber. The authors review Barber's pioneering work on African popular culture and subsequent work by her and other scholars to determine and argue how the new forms of digital cinema discussed in this paper can be considered part of African popular culture. Bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract, edited]
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