Tigritudes: pan-African film anthology comes to London
Shining a spotlight on the continent's 'richly diverse and powerful film cultures', from 1956 to the present day

The "brilliant yet lesser-known gems of Pan-African cinema" are set to be shown in London across a two-month season, said Time Out.
It is a "subjective and chronological anthology", which shares the "range, inventiveness, and vitality of a moving image culture afflicted by chronic international under-distribution", said BFI Southbank, which will be showing a selection of films from the wider collection. Others will be shown at the Tate Modern and The Garden Cinema, Covent Garden.
Films have been chosen by curators and filmmakers Dyana Gaye and Valérie Osouf. "Each tells the story of a moment in time, creating resonances between works, and allowing viewers to identify geopolitical or formal connections", said Tate Modern.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There's "loads to see", said Time Out, including "Integration Report 1" by Madeleine Anderson, the "first African-American documentarian", and "Cabascabo", a "thrilling" drama directed by Omuarou Ganda, from 1968, about a "Senegalese rifleman enlisted in the Indochina war".
Also on the bill is Philippe Lacôte's award-winning 2020 "Night of the Kings", an Ivory Coast prison drama. It blends "modern-day thriller dynamics and fluid handheld visuals with older storytelling traditions", said The Guardian when it came out in 2021.
As well as the work of such "critically acclaimed directors" including Julie Dash, Med Hondo and Souleymane Cissé, "less recognisable" names are featured. Their work forms part of the "myriad richly diverse and powerful film cultures" of Africa and its diasporas, expressed in an "unprecedented plurality of styles, themes, and languages", said the BFI.
Launched in France, before touring across the African continent, the complete project comprises 128 films from 42 countries spanning 1956 to the present day.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The season's title comes from a phrase coined by Nigerian poet, playwright and Nobel prize-winner Wole Soyinka: "A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude; he pounces" .
Tigritudes: a Pan-African Film Cycle, 1 June to 31 July, BFI, London SE1; bfi.org.uk
Adrienne Wyper has been a freelance sub-editor and writer for The Week's website and magazine since 2015. As a travel and lifestyle journalist, she has also written and edited for other titles including BBC Countryfile, British Travel Journal, Coast, Country Living, Country Walking, Good Housekeeping, The Independent, The Lady and Woman’s Own.
-
Why is this government shutdown so consequential?
Today's Big Question Federal employee layoffs could be in the thousands
-
Lavender marriage grows in generational appeal
In the spotlight Millennials and Gen Z are embracing these unions to combat financial uncertainty and the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights
-
The 5 best zombie TV shows of all time
The Week Recommends For undead aficionados, the age of abundance has truly arrived
-
The 5 best zombie TV shows of all time
The Week Recommends For undead aficionados, the age of abundance has truly arrived
-
Pucker up with these 8 soothing lip balms and treatments
The Week Recommends Don’t pout — these lip balms offer hydration and shine
-
7 bars to visit that celebrate the magic of the classic and the modern
The Week Recommends Where to drink now in the US
-
Enjoy the scenery on these 7 colorful fall road trips
The Week Recommends 'Tis the season for autumn foliage
-
The soups, noodles and cake to make this the most tasty fall yet
The Week Recommends Soothing plates from across the globe
-
Sing songs with Sandler, gawk at Gaffigan: These are the comedians to catch on tour this fall
the week recommends Laugh to keep yourself from crying
-
Projects and pantry staples: Fall’s new cookbooks are primed to help you achieve all sorts of deliciousness
The Week Recommends Starring new releases from celebri-cooks Samin Nosrat and Alison Roman
-
Jump scare! Evil villain! These are fall’s most exciting horror movie releases.
The Week Recommends An Airbnb rental gone wrong and another ‘Frankenstein’ adaptation highlight this autumn’s horror crop