Les salles de cinéma en Afrique sud saharienne francophone (1926–1980) / Movie Theaters in French-Speaking Africa South of the Sahara (1926–1980), by Claude Forest: A Welcomed and Essential Historical Work

Abstract:Following extensive research and at a time when French operators are making a strong comeback on the African scene, Claude Forest fills a void and publishes a history of movie theaters in French-speaking Africa that covers the colonial period and the first twenty years of independence, until the French disengagement. While the importation and distribution of films was profitable and developed within the framework of a duopoly, he shows how the flaws of public policies as well as the narrowness of the market prevented the preservation of existing cinemas and the development of African autonomy in this area, not without highlighting the contradictions of cooperation policies and African demands.