Women as Tireless Goddesses, Super-Humans and Geniuses in the African Alternative Cinema

Abstract

Given male domination of the cinema medium, women portrayal in films has dominantly been stereotypical. This trend has been observed even in the African cinema. To counter this trend, a number of theorists and feminist schools of thought have proffered the African alternative cinema movement which insists on women writing their story by themselves so as to correct patriarchal portrayals of women in films. This paper seeks to critically examine this movement with respect to realism. Based on observation and a critical analysis of some Ghanaian and Nollywood films directed by females, it argues that the alternative African cinema may orchestrate a portrayal of women which is more utopian than realistic. Though having the potential to pertinently question the status quo -which is still highly detrimental to women -such a cinematic movement may somehow depart from factual or empirical reality about African women to rather construct and sell a dreamed -but unrealistic -image of the African woman.