The Political Economy of film production in South Africa Media Paper

The Political Economy of Film Production in South Africa
Name
Institution
Due Date
The Political Economy of Film Production in South Africa
Introduction
In the wake of the oppressive apartheid regime, South Africa suffered severe division amongst its own people, which created the need for the creation of a cohesive national identity to uphold peace and unity within the country. Film is one of the major avenues used to reconcile South Africa with its past and projecting what the new South Africa ought to be. The film industry is, therefore, expected to uphold the post-apartheid vision of freedom, diversity, and equality. However, the film industry is also a sector that provides an opportunity for the country’s economic growth and, as such, may require tailoring to suit audiences outside South Africa. Through the study of the current film industry in South Africa, it is clear that a conflict exists between the fulfillment of the post-apartheid vision and the use of film for economic growth within the country.
This research paper will explore the role of film in post-apartheid South Africa and the challenges faced in the quest to fulfill the post-apartheid vision. The research will employ the political-economic model of analysis in making the distinctions between the conflicting needs that the film industry is expected to fulfill and, therefore, prove that economic growth is favored above the post-apartheid vision. It will also analyze both the upcoming and existing financial, production, and distribution structures within the South African film industry, to determine their impact on the film industry. Finally, the research will analyze the role of government in regulating the film industry through policies to determine the priorities of the South African government for the film industry.
Role of Film in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Film plays a crucial role in post-apartheid South Africa. First, it offers a platform where the country’s problems can be critiqued or exposed to the outside world. Post-apartheid South Africa was confident in the many ways the country would grow and progress economically and democratically. However, the country has experienced slow growth since 1994. For example, Runciman (2016) notes that the unemployment rate in 1995 for black and whites stood at 46% and 6.7%, respectively, and the cumulative national total was 36.1%. More than 20 years down the line, Plecher (2020) reports that the cumulative national unemployment total is 28.18%, which is a meager 8% lower. Also, the black vs. white unemployment rate stood at 33.8% and 8.1%, respectively, in 2019 (Kamer, 2020). Aside from the above, the World Bank (2020) reports that in 2014, the country’s poverty percentage stood at a whopping 55%. The divisions along racial lines, both economically and otherwise, are also quite worrying. In one of his famous speeches, former president Thabo Mbeki talked of the nation as being divided into “two nations, the one black and the other white” (Nattrass and Seekings, 2001). While looking at the above, it is clear that the country is yet to make the expected great strides. Film has helped to ensure that these aspects and disparities in the country are being critiqued. In capturing the above topics, film has played a crucial role in ensuring that the nation remains committed towards forging a future that coincides with the vision of the visionary Nelson Mandela.
Aside from film acting as a tool for critiquing the progress the country has made, it also plays the role of a nation-building tool (Milstein, 2014). Art can be a great way for a nation to forge nation-building values and principles. A nation that was divided and oppressive like South Africa can benefit from the production of films that help propagate messages of peace, love, and unity. As Milstein (2014) writes, “films represent an opportunity for filmmakers to provide commentary on social issues in post-apartheid South Africa.” Films can either make or break. South Africa is multiethnic, diverse, and multicultural. To create an atmosphere of progress and democracy, the film industry has tried to “create the common national narrative” that the country so badly needs (Milstein, 2014). In presenting this multicultural and multilingual culture, film has been able to forge an identity of togetherness in South Africa.
Also, film in South Africa has acted as a bridge between the past, the present, and the future. The film industry has the freedom to reiterate the past, present the present in a clear way, and try and forge or imagine the future in ways that mimic progress. Film is free to incorporate whichever elements in a country’s history, present, and future. The past shapes the present, which shapes the future. In presenting the past through the lens of the present, the South African film industry works to showcase the far the country has come. Presenting an imagined future helps to paint a picture of where the nation is headed. Merging these three could work to the advantage of the South Africans as they seek to heal from their past, find their bearing on the present, and forge a path to the future.
Challenges Film Faced in the Quest to Fulfill the Post-Apartheid Vision
One challenge the film industry has faced in the quest to fulfill the post-apartheid vision is the racial demarcations that seem to influence ideological frameworks in the film industry. Dovey (2007) notes that racial demarcations happen to showcase themselves in the way film adaptation works in South Africa. He continues to write that “white filmmakers have tended to draw on texts written by white writers, black filmmakers by black writers, and colored filmmakers on those by colored writers.” These divisions paint a picture of a South Africa of the past, one that was divided along racial lines. With such divisions, filmmakers can never reach the common ground or find ways to imagine a united South Africa through film.
Aside from the above, there is also the question of why white South Africans are favored more than blacks. Racial inequality in the film industry appears to still persist even in post-apartheid South Africa. Dovey (2017) writes of a South Africa where most film adaptations happen to come from “literary texts by white South Africans.” Also, there is still the issue of having white middlemen, especially in the quest to acquire funding for films. As it stands, black filmmakers are not as trusted as their white counterparts, which is contrary to the post-apartheid vision.
Conflicting Needs of the Film Industry
The political-economic model of analysis seeks to assess and understand the political dimensions of particular contexts and how these influence policy. In post-apartheid South Africa, the government’s wish is for the country to prosper as one. The film industry was meant to be a tool that would be used to ensure that the nation attains its goal of reconciliation while also forging a united front. However, this industry’s conflicting needs have led to the encroaching of the industry by measures and policies that continually mimic an industry that is retrogressive instead of progressive.
First of all, the conflicting needs of the South African Industry are quite evident in NFVF’s vision, which is “to strive for a quality South African film and video industry that is representative of the nation, commercially viable and encourages development.” From this vision, one notices the goals the agency seeks to attain. To attain the post-apartheid vision, NFVF has tried to dictate the content of local production. As Dovey (2007) indicates, the institution has been accused of fueling the production of films with reconciliatory messages on more than one occasion. Even though these messages do not capture the extent of the country’s issues, NFVF has tried to ensure it stays true to its vision of promoting a film industry representative of the nation.
However, some of the policy decisions the institution has made have shown a commitment to the commercial aspect of the vision more than the promotion of the post-apartheid vision. NFVF has done this through co-producti...