With 2017’s Cook Off, the first Zimbabwean film to be streamed on Netflix, doors have been opened to filmmakers from the country. This provides a unique opportunity to tell stories of Zimbabwean history to an international audience.
Hollywood Has Long Been Fascinated by Ancient Civilisations
The entertainment industry has always been full of historical content, but filmmakers, television production companies, and even game developers and authors have tended to stick to tried and tested eras that they already know many people are interested in.
This is why periods like Ancient Egypt get such a vast amount of attention. There have been various films based on the era over the years, with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy the most recent example. Ancient Egypt is also hugely popular in the slots market, with the Eye of Horus slot found among numerous other titles set with pyramids as the backdrop.
Other periods that are particularly prevalent in the entertainment market include Ancient Greece and Rome. The Odyssey is the highest-profile example of a Hollywood picture set in Ancient Greece, with Gladiator II taking place in Ancient Rome.
Zimbabwe Has a Fascinating Ancient History to Explore
For anyone wanting to explore Zimbabwe’s history more in film, Great Zimbabwe would be one of the most obvious starting points. The stone city was constructed between approximately 1100 and 1450 AD, and it became the centre of a powerful Shona civilisation and an important trading hub. It used granite walls and was built without mortar, making it an incredible example of historical African architecture.
There are a few other fascinating historical settings to explore in the region too. For example, the Kingdom of Mapungubwe flourished near the borders of modern-day Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, and was an important trading civilisation. There was also the Kingdom of Mutapa and the settlement of Khami, which could offer further opportunities for historical storytelling.
The possibilities are endless for this type of content, with filmmakers having the option to be historically accurate or develop fictional stories in these settings.
An Opportunity for Zimbabwean Filmmakers
Instead of waiting for Hollywood to turn its attention to Zimbabwean history, there’s an opportunity for Zimbabwe’s own film industry to take the lead on bringing these stories to life. This could be done solo, or in collaboration with international production companies.
Historical films and documentaries have become a key part of streaming platforms, so companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video may be interested in exploring projects that detail lesser-known civilisations.
The entertainment market is arguably saturated with content from familiar historical periods, so it makes a lot of sense to consider something different. Zimbabwean history seems like an untapped resource, and it’s high time that filmmakers brought some of it to life on screen.
Post published in: Business