Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

La Distribution En France Des Films D'Afrique Sud Saharienne Francophone, Patricia Caillé, Claude Forest

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

Since the first such productions of the post-independence era, films directed by African filmmakers from former sub-Saharan French colonies have enjoyed very limited broadcast in theatres in France. Indeed, with very few exceptions, they have hardly been seen by French audiences at all. The image of the "festival film" - a label they were assigned - has had a significant negative impact, reinforcing their status as niche films reserved exclusively for film buffs. The few film titles that come up over and over again have led critics astray, restricting their view of this cinema to the places and stories portrayed …