British actor Idris Elba has announced his plans to migrate to Africa within the next decade, with the goal of making a big contribution to the continent’s expanding film industry.
According to the BBC, Elba, whose parents are from Ghana and Sierra Leone, discussed his aspirations during a film industry gathering in Accra, Ghana.
The actor emphasised his intention to establish film studios in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Accra as part of his goal to improve African filmmaking.
Elba emphasised the necessity of Africans having control of their narratives on a global scale, stating that he saw his transfer as inevitable.
He said:“I would certainly consider settling down here; not even consider, it’s going to happen.
“I think [I’ll move] in the next five, 10 years, God willing. 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.”
Elba, who will play Okonkwo, the central character in a television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart, has voiced a desire to live in African places such as Accra, Freetown, and Zanzibar, where storytelling thrives.
Read Also:
He is committed to leveraging his influence to raise the African film industry, referring to it as a sort of “soft power” capable of transforming global opinions of the continent.
The actor emphasised the necessity of maintaining and sharing Africa’s diverse cultural heritage, languages, and traditions, which are frequently disregarded.
Elba hopes to one day film at his Accra studio, showcasing the possibilities of locally produced content.
“I’m going to live in Accra, going to live in Freetown Sierra Leone’s capital, I’m going to live in Zanzibar. I’m going to try and go where they’re telling stories – that’s really important,” he added
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,” he said.
“If you watch any film or anything that has got to do with Africa, all you’re going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonised, how it’s just war and when you come to Africa, you will realise that it’s not true.
“So, 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,” he stated.
“We have to invest in our storytelling because when you see me, you see a little version of yourself, and that encourages us,” he said.
