Instructional Cinema and African Audiences in Colonial Kenya, 1926-1963

This book argues that African film audiences in colonial Kenya were not passive recipients of British cultural programs created to "teach" and "civilize" them. Rather, they rejected mediocre films and actively participated in the cinema discourse that brought about changes in cinema production.

Samson Kaunga Ndanyi

Introduction Chapter One: Making Instructional Cinema: Historical Overview Chapter Two: Mobile Cinema Vans and African Assistants Chapter Three: "A Problem of Something Like Chicago Gangsterdom": Mau Mau War and Instructional Cinema Chapter Four: Child Spectators and Cinema Spaces as Zones of Encounter and Contested Political and Cultural Power Chapter Five: "They Found Our Pictures Inferior in Quality": Africans' Reaction to Instructional Cinema Conclusion Bibliography About the Author