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1-2: Marginality and Fragility in African Cinemas
  • ISSN: 1754-9221
  • E-ISSN: 1754-923X

Abstract

This article challenges disability representation and discourse in current African cinematic production. The article explores the films, by Stanlee Ohikhuare (2021) and by Mohamed Karrat (2020), and argues for an ‘aesthetics of commitment’, which eschews notions of victims as passive objects whose only recourse is societal pity. The article argues for ‘equity deserving’ subjects who are placed at the centre of cinematic and textual discourse and contends that these characters’ agency is founded on cinematic voice and responsibility to the story, within an African context. How stories are structured are paramount in this context, and the article examines the films’ narrative structures and visual signatures in order to determine how they create meaning and force engagement of the spectator beyond reflection and towards action.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Development (Award 890-2020-0102)
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/content/journals/10.1386/jac_00135_1
2025-08-06
2026-04-22

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