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African Metropolis

Name: African Metropolis
Director: Jim Chuchu, Vincent Moloi, Marie Ka, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Philippe Lacôte, Folasakin Iwajomo
Released: 2014
Duration: 92 min

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Representation Score

9.5/10

Excellent

2014

Director

Jim Chuchu, Vincent Moloi, Marie Ka, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Philippe Lacôte, Folasakin Iwajomo

Runtime

92 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

African Metropolis is a sophisticated anthology that uses Afrofuturism to challenge monolithic views of Africa. By focusing on urban spaces like Lagos and Nairobi, the filmmakers reclaim African ability to act and replace colonialist clichés with speculative complexity. The film excels in highlighting racial and ethnic diversity through an Afrofuturist lens. It also presents queer identities within an African context with nuance and intentionality. Additionally, it offers a strong critique of socioeconomic stratification and traditional gender hierarchies. However, there is limited visibility for characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities, which is an area where the film could improve.

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Category Breakdown

Does African Metropolis have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The anthology highlights non-straight identities within an African setting. It challenges typical stereotypes by showcasing queer experiences through indigenous perspectives rather than framing them as Western imports.

How does African Metropolis portray gender?

Good

Various segments challenge traditional gender hierarchies by giving women a significant role in driving the story. The Dakar segment, in particular, provides a platform for women's voices that move away from patriarchal structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is African Metropolis?

Excellent

Black identity is central to the film's exploration of modernity and technology. The movie uses Afrofuturist aesthetics to reclaim narratives of African progress from Western biases.

How does African Metropolis represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critiques capitalist systems and colonial histories through a post-colonial perspective. It emphasizes localized moral values over singular religious or Western institutional norms.

Does African Metropolis include disability representation?

Fair

The film focuses more on socioeconomic and identity-based struggles than physical or neurodivergent disabilities. There is little evidence of characters with disabilities driving the plot.

Present on Screen

Effective racial and ethnic centering through an Afrofuturist lens.
Nuanced and intentional representation of queer identities within an African context.
Strong post-colonial critique that dismantles Western-centric notions of modernity.
Challenges traditional gender hierarchies through character-driven narratives.

Limited or Absent

Limited narrative ability to act for characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The vitality of the African city has provided local filmmakers with a rich array of stories for their films. African Metropolis presents six short films that examine the complexity of urban life in Abidjan, Cairo, Dakar, Johannesburg, Lagos and Nairobi. They run the gamut of genres, but in all the central character is the city itself. A Jewish pensioner lives alone in a Johannesburg apartment, the last resident of an ever-changing city. In a Nairobi of the future, one man searches for the girl of his dreams. Dakar is the backdrop to an intimate conversation between two women. Abidjan once played host to the American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. In Cairo a musician sees the gap between rich and poor expand. And a final film confronts the perils of the poverty trap.

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