Idris Elba’s Vision: Supporting Africa’s Film Industries

British actor Idris Elba has announced his plans to migrate to Africa within the next decade, with the goal of making a big contribution to the continent’s expanding film industry.
According to the BBC, Elba, whose parents are from Ghana and Sierra Leone, discussed his aspirations during a film industry gathering in Accra, Ghana.
The actor stressed his intention to establish film studios in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Accra as part of his goal to improve African cinema.

Elba emphasized the necessity of Africans having control of their narratives on a global scale, stating that he sees his transfer as inevitable.

He stated, “I would surely consider living down here; it is going to happen.

“I believe [I will move] within the next five to ten years, God willing. I’m here to support the film industry, which is a 10-year process that I won’t be able to undertake from overseas. I need to be in-country and on the continent.”
Elba, who will play Okonkwo, the central character in a television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart, has voiced a desire to live in African places such as Accra, Freetown, and Zanzibar, where storytelling thrives.

“I plan to reside in Accra, Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, and Zanzibar. I’m going to attempt to go where they’re telling stories – that’s incredibly essential,” he said.

He is committed to leveraging his influence to raise the African film industry, referring to it as a sort of “soft power” capable of transforming global opinions of the continent.

I’m here to support the film business, which is a 10-year process.

“I will not be able to accomplish it from overseas. “I need to be in-country, on the continent,” he explained.

The actor stressed the necessity of maintaining and sharing Africa’s diverse cultural heritage, languages, and traditions, which are frequently disregarded.

“If you watch any film or anything about Africa, all you’ll see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonized, how it’s all conflict, and when you visit Africa, you’ll see that it’s not true.

So it’s critical that we own the stories of our traditions, culture, languages, and the contrasts amongst them. “The world doesn’t know that,” he said.

Elba hopes to one day film at his Accra studio, showcasing the possibilities of locally produced content.

“We have to invest in our storytelling because when you see me, you see a little version of yourself, and that encourages us,” he told me.