By: Josh Schlicht, AFJN Intern
July 1, 2021
Cameroonians are celebrating this month as two domestically produced films will appear on the international streaming giant Netflix. These new additions, titled, ‘A Man for the Weekend’, and ‘Broken’ will accompany two existing Cameroonian titles recently released on the streaming service. Cameroon has gained international recognition from the 2019 film, ‘The Fisherman’s Diary’. This film advocates for women’s right to education, an issue with significant continental importance. The film has won dozens of awards and has been nominated for the 2021 Oscars. The success of these films proves that there is an international appetite for authentic African stories, separate from Hollywood’s influence.
As people watch these films, they should pay attention to the crisis that has been going on for years now in Cameroon. In recent years, thousands have been killed in an ongoing conflict between Cameroon’s French and English speaking. The recent Netflix films have all been filmed in Cameroon’s Anglophone areas. Hopefully these films will bring global attention to the need or peace in Cameroon
By presenting Cameroonian films to an international audience, Netflix has allowed viewers from across the world to enjoy African artistic brilliance and gain awareness of issues critical to Africa.