Queer African Cinemas

In Queer African Cinemas, Lindsey B. Green-Simms examines films produced by and about queer Africans in the first two decades of the twenty-first century in an environment of increasing antiqueer violence, efforts to criminalize homosexuality, and other state-sanctioned homophobia. Green-Simms argues that these films not only record the fear, anxiety, and vulnerability many queer Africans experience; they highlight how queer African cinematic practices contribute to imagining new hopes and possibilities. Examining globally circulating international art films as well as popular melodramas made for local audiences, Green-Simms emphasizes that in these films queer resistance-contrary to traditional narratives about resistance that center overt and heroic struggle-is often practiced from a position of vulnerability. By reading queer films alongside discussions about censorship and audiences, Green-Simms renders queer African cinema as a rich visual archive that documents the difficulty of queer existence as well as the potentials for queer life-building and survival.

Author: Lindsey B. Green-Simms
Publisher: Duke University Press
Published: 03/11/2022
Pages: 264
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d
ISBN13: 9781478018018
ISBN10: 1478018011
BISAC Categories:
- Performing Arts | Film | History & Criticism
- History | Africa | General
- Social Science | LGBTQ+ Studies | General

About the Author
Lindsey B. Green-Simms is Associate Professor of Literature at American University and author of Postcolonial Automobility: Car Culture in West Africa.