Wealth and Poverty
Africa United aims to represent Africa differently from how it is often seen by western viewers.
The film portrays both wealth and poverty in Africa. Fabrice's family live in a beautiful home. His brother is a doctor in America and his mother has similar ambitions for him. By contrast, Dudu and Beatrice are orphans who live in a shack with a corrugated iron roof.
The characters featured in the film are spiritually rich and poor too. The children's friendship is enriching whilst more sinister characters behave poorly and with cruelty.
Look at the images on the right then discuss the following questions:
Image 1
- In what ways does this image suggest wealth or poverty? Think about the characters' costumes, the props they are holding and the setting.
- What do the characters' faces and body language tell us about their mood?
- How is this similar to or different from images of Africa you have seen before?
Image 2
- How is this image different to the first?
- What do you think Dudu's Arsenal shirt and his briefcase are meant to tell us about his character and status? How do these details contrast with the setting of a riverbank?
- Dudu's briefcase is full of bank notes in this image. Who do you think he is showing this to and why?
- What guesses can you make about how this image might fit into the story?