British actor, Idris Elba has revealed plans to relocate to Africa within the next five to 10 years.
This step, he said is part of his ten-year process to bolster Africa’s film industry.
Elba, born to a Ghanaian mother and Sierra-Leonian father, has plans to bolster the film industry in Accra, Ghana, and Tanzania, Zanzibar where he is behind nascent projects to build a film studio.
He aims to use his star power to not only support the continent’s burgeoning film industry, but ensure Africans own the narrative to their own stories.
“I would certainly consider settling down here, not even consider, it’s going to happen. I’m here to bolster the film industry, that is a 10-year process, I won’t be able to do that from overseas. I need to be in-country, on the continent.”
However, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, he said, he won’t live permanently in one country, rather alternate his residency between Accra, Freetown, Sierra-Leone and Zanzibar.
“I’m going to try to go where they are telling stories, that’s really important.”
On the importance of Africans telling their own stories, Elba who played the role of nelson Mandela in the 2013 film A Long Walk To Freedom, noted that stories about Africa often portray the continent negatively.
“It’s really important that we own those stories of our tradition, of our culture, of our languages, of the differences between one language and another. The world doesn’t know that.”
Despite Nollywood producing hundreds of movies annually, and Francophone countries as Senegal, known for their high-quality films, Elba noted the continent’s film industries lack the facilities to maximize it talents and products to global standards.
He, however, believes that with the right momentum and involvement of governments willing to create enabling environments, a virtuous circle can be established.
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