10 African historical movies that you must watch in 2022

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There are many times that we walk to a movie shop undecided on which movie to collect; If this is you then consider African historical movies on your next visit. This is a small secret I learnt from a friend when I complained to him about having a lot of books to read. 

Yes, books might sometimes be tedious to read, so watching history films will spare you the hours spent on books that have been dramatized. It also helps one to grasp the content easily.

Black Panther movie scene.


The list includes;

1. Black Panther

When this movie was released in 2018, many people viewed it as barely 'a fiction movie' but what I can say is that it draws a picture of Africa in her glorious days. The whole world was amazed at how an African kingdom, Wakanda, could be a key global player in politics, technology and economy. Apart from revealing some hidden history of Africa, the movie tells of the potential of Africa. The late Chadwick Boseman playing T'Challa best portrays the African character while Michael B. Jordan acting as Erik Killmonger well portrays the African-American character. Oscar award-winning actor, Lupita Nyong'o also acts as Nakia.

2. The Long Walk to Freedom

It is a movie about the life of South Africa's former president, Nelson Mandela and his struggle against the apartheid regime. Having read his autobiography and watched this dramatization, I can tell you that this is so educative and fun to watch. The movie shows the early life of Mandela, his education, prison life and his days as a world idol of equality. It was also acted by some of the best African actors: Idris Elba acts as Mandela, Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela, Tony KgorogeLindiwe Matshikiza etc.

3. Selma

I watched Selma just last year and found it amazing. The movie will give you an understanding of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles of non-violence and how he led the Selma to Montgomery march demanding equal voting rights for the Selma black community. Another amazing thing about this movie is that it features David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr and the famous tv host, Oprah Winfrey who acts as Annie Lee Cooper. 

4. Sankofa

The term 'Sankofa' is from the Twi language of Ghana which means 'going back to the past'. In the movie which is as old as 1993, Oyafunmike Ogunlano, acting as Mona encounters a traditional prophet who helps her get a flashback of the enslavement of Africans. It shows how Africans were captured, kept in deplorable sites then shipped to the Americas to be enslaved. In short, this is an overview of the Atlantic slave trade. Among the main actors is master teacher Mutabaruka who performs as Shango.

5. Blood Diamonds

The continent of Africa is known to be endowed with various precious minerals and raw materials but all of these have been slipping out of the hands of its people. Blood Diamonds is a movie telling how the discovery of some rare minerals in Africa results in civil wars and how the Western countries pull the strings to selfishly benefit themselves. In the movie, a priceless diamond is discovered by Djimon Hounsou who acts as Solomon Vandy. Later on, Western Corporations led by Leonardo DiCaprio acting as Danny Archer, a mercenary smuggler are on a hunt for the diamond.

The movie is set in Sierra Leone civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002. It ends with a UN conference held to demonstrate against all Diamonds that are mined from warzone countries and sold to accelerate the wars.

6. Malcolm X

As the name suggests, it is a movie on the life, activism and assassination of minister Malcolm X. Legendary actor Denzel Washington as Malcolm X make the movie even more interesting to watch. Those who have had a conflict with this great black activist can understand his tactical approaches to solving our problems as a race from the movie. What I liked most in the movie is how he grew from a former gang member, how he dealt with racism in America and his journey to a conscious African.

7. Hotel Rwanda

The year 1994 was a painful one in the history of Rwanda, it was when the Rwanda genocide occurred. Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager and a key associate of the then top government officials and military heads, used that opportunity to host a group of helpless Tutsi and Huntu refugees in Hôtel des Mille Collines. In the middle of the genocide, the Belgian-owned hotel seemed like the safest place. Since it hosted foreign diplomats, the hotel was highly guarded.

Rusesabagina's team overcame many challenges but the situation gets more complicated when the Western nations decide to evict their citizens from the hotel. More worse was when his bosses shut down the hotel and cut off their helping hand. However, Paul manages to handle the situation by sometimes bribing the rebels. He later emerges as a hero.

8. Attack on Dafur

In an event of a civil war, a group of American journalists guided by an African Union Army Officer are trying to assess the situation in former Sudan. After watching, you will realize that the war was ethnically motivated. The actual war in Dafur (2003) has been termed as an "ethnic cleansing" since it was an operation to eliminate Darfur's non-Arab population. In the movie, a black village, Nabagaia, is attacked by an Arab rebel group known as Janjaweed. The American journalists then try to save the village. Most of the movie's online audiences have reviewed it as a horrifying movie, therefore, viewers' discretion is advised.

9. Sarafina

The movie was set in South Africa's colonial era. It recalls a time when South African students protested against the apartheid regime, the then government's response was very repressive, leaving many of the children dead. The protest was known as the 1976 Soweto Uprising when high school students resisted the use of Afrikaans, a predominantly white language, as a language of education in black schools. Sarafina as a character in the movie is played by Leleti Khumalo. Oscar award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg also features the controversial history teacher, Miss Mary Masembuko.

10. Black Is King

This movie is written, directed and executively produced by singer Beyonce. Black Is King finds itself on this list mainly because of its high African conscious content. The documentary is aimed at celebrating black culture and people, it also linked to another movie, Lion King. What got me glued to the movie was the lyrics of Beyonce's songs. She sings;

"If you think you ain't African you better think again,
because you are part of something way bigger
..."

Also featured in 'Black is King', are singer Jay-Z and actress Lupita Nyong'o.

The list of African history movies is enormous, how many have we left out? Comment with the name of the movie in the comment section below.

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  1. 11. Roots (Series)
    12. Black Hawk Dawn
    13. 12 Years A Slave
    14.

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