Idris Elba intends to go to Africa in order to develop the entertainment sector.

Idris Elba intends to go to Africa in order to develop the entertainment sector.

In order to help the African film industry, British actor Idris Elba has stated that he plans to relocate there within the next ten years.

The 52-year-old star of the popular television show The Wire hopes to establish a film studio in Ghana’s capital, Accra, as well as on the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar.

Born to a Ghanaian mother and a Sierra Leonean father in London, Elba feels it’s time to celebrate his African roots.

Elba hopes to use his celebrity to support Africans in sharing their own narratives.

“God willing, I anticipate moving within the next five to ten years. I’m here to support the film business, which will take ten years, and I can’t do it from abroad. He told The BBC, “I have to be on the continent, in-country.”

Elba clarified, however, that he intends to be based in multiple countries and aspires to reside in Accra, Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, and Zanzibar. It’s crucial that they tell stories; therefore, I’m going to attempt to go where they are,” Elba declared.

“Own those tales.”

Africans must be at the forefront of the entire filmmaking process, according to Elba, who portrayed South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic Long Walk to Freedom.

The well-known actor hopes to change the unfavourable portrayals of Africans in Western media so that Africans can share their own story.

This industry is a soft power in Ghana and throughout Africa.

“All you’re going to see in any movie or other material about Africa is trauma, how we were colonized, how we were slaves, and how it’s just war,” but when you visit Africa, you’ll find that’s not the case.

In light of this, it is crucial that we own the stories of our customs, culture, languages, and the distinctions between them. The world is unaware of that.

Films are undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s most lucrative exports, with Nollywood creating hundreds of films annually. Additionally, producing high-caliber films is a tradition, particularly in Francophone Africa.

Although Elba acknowledged the talent in Africa’s film business in the past, he claimed that the facilities were “lacking.”

Despite “significant growth in production,” the UN cultural agency stated that problems like piracy, a lack of established film institutions, and insufficient training opportunities were impeding the filmmaking industry throughout the continent.

Elba thinks a positive feedback loop may be created if governments are ready to provide the necessary impetus and support.

“You see a little version of yourself when you see me, and that encourages us, so we need to invest in our storytelling.”

Source: BBC