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Introduction
Documentaries are an important genre which provide people with an insight into various types of topics and themes. Historical documentaries are particularly valuable since they contain information on the events which occurred in the past and therefore require thorough research to be talked about in a correct manner. African history is a topic which does not frequently appear on TV, therefore documentaries dedicated to it constitute an interesting source of knowledge and there were several attempts to produce documentaries on African history. Nevertheless, the most notable examples of such documentaries are the two series titled “History of Africa” with Zeinab Badawi and “Africans: A Triple Heritage” by Ali Mazrui. Both of the documentaries provide an extensive account of the historical development of Africa and explain in detail numerous aspects of the continent and its peoples. Nevertheless, despite exploring similar topics, “History of Africa” and “Africans: A Triple Heritage” possess certain individual differences which are worth considering.
Summary
Before comparing the documentaries, it is crucial to provide a brief summary of the main topics covered by each of them. “History of Africa” has a total number of episodes of twenty, which lets its authors create an exhaustive account of Africa’s past and even present. The first three episodes of the series serve as an introduction to the continent and its role in humankind’s progress, as well as deliver a description of the rise of Ancient Egypt. The fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes focus on the ancient kingdoms of Africa, such as the Kingdom of Kush and the Kingdom of Aksum, and the following Christian Kings and Muslim Emirs.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth episodes talk about the history of North Africa and religious beliefs espoused by the peoples of the continent, especially Islam. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth episodes explore the empires and different civilizations of Africa and the arrival of the Arabs. The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth episodes demonstrate the life of rich African kingdoms, their resistance to foreign invaders, and the traditional medicine and justice system of African peoples. The sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth episodes document a tragic period of slavery, as well as battles against powers wishing to seize African natural resources. The two final episodes talk about the role of women in African history and the struggle for freedom of the continent’s nations.
Unlike “History of Africa,” “Africans: A Triple Heritage” has only nine episodes which nevertheless provide a substantial level of knowledge to the audience. The first three episodes examine once again the role civilizational role of Africa, its family culture and traditions, including polygamous ones, and the coexistence of different religions on the continent. The fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes focus on the influence of the Western powers on Africa and the conflicts between the locals and foreigners, as well as the post-independence government forms of African nations. The three final episodes discuss the economic struggles of the continent, conflicts among African people espousing different traditions, and the contribution of Africans to the global culture.
Context
Both of the documentaries are narrated by notable personalities who have numerous links to the African continent and its nations. In the case of “History of Africa,” the main star is Zeinab Badawi is a prominent economist and a TV broadcaster who was born in Sudan but later moved to London with her family (“Zeinab Badawi”). Essentially, Zeinab Badawi is a person who has a direct link to the history of Africa since all of her ancestors lived there. In her interview with UNESCO, Zeinab Badawi said that the documentary series was intended for young people and particularly African ones (Šopova). Basically, the idea was to provide the audience with a systematic look at the development of Africa from prehistoric to modern times. One of the important details about the production of the documentary is that Zeinab Badawi always used local camera crews in each African country (Šopova). It is possible to say that such an arrangement significantly added authenticity to the series.
Ali Mazrui is the narrator of “Africans: A Triple Heritage,” who also can be considered an important personality on the continent. Ali Mazrui was an African scholar and intellectual originally born in Kenya but who committed all of his life to the advancement of all African nations (Njogu and Adem 27). Ali Mazrui was a supporter of the idea that the African peoples have to rely on their heritage and value it in order to be heard in the global arena. Ali Mazrui was chosen to be the narrator for the documentary as a person with his own view of Africa and its role in the world’s history. He was a proponent of the notion that Africa constituted a place which experienced the influence of three civilizational forces, the Western, Islamic, and indigenous (Njogu and Adem 10). In the documentary, Ali Mazrui tried to show this idea
Both of the documentaries deliver exceptional quality of content but do it in different ways. In each episode of “Africans: A Triple Heritage,” Ali Mazrui focuses on the core idea of Africa being a place of confluence of three civilizations which were mentioned above. Essentially, he always makes sure to allocate time for each influence on Africa and explore how Islamic, Western, and indigenous traditions shaped the continent. For instance, he provides an example of himself, saying that his mother tongue is Swahili, while at school, he was taught in English and prayed in Arabic (“The Nature of a Continent” 6:00). Essentially, Ali Mazrui shares his own perspective on the past, present, and future of Africa and provides commentary on the existing situations in different spheres. For instance, he openly states that the lack of technological advancements and technical expertise let foreigners exploit Africa to this day despite the end of slavery (“Tools of Exploitation” 45:00). Thus, the documentary, to a large extent, constitutes an opinion piece by Ali Mazrui, who at the same time also provides actual historical insights and makes certain conclusions based on them.
“History of Africa” with Zeinab Badawi is the opposite of “Africans: A Triple Heritage” since it strictly relies on an academic perspective on the history of Africa. While Ali Mazrui sticks to his own opinion, Zeinab Badawi invites real experts, including historians, to explain various topics related to the history of Africa and its traditions. For example, Professor Audax Mabula provided an account of the early life of humans and explained how their hunter-gatherer societies worked (“Mother Africa” 7:57). Zeinab Badawi does not pursue a certain agenda and does not attempt to prove a certain concept, such as the one promoted by Ali Mazrui. Instead, she invites the audience to explore Africa together and treat the documentary as a journey rather than an investigation.
As a result, Zeinab Badawi manages to get the viewers acquainted with more events from the history of Africa. For instance, Zeinab Badawi allocates an entire episode to the great Kingdom of Kush, whose kings were rulers for several hundred years and even conquered Egypt at some point (“Kingdom of Kush” 30:52). Such information is absent from the narration of Ali Mazrui, who does not focus on the history of Ancient Africa in particular. At the same time, both of the hosts talk about similar topics, such as the Great Zimbabwe, which they both portray as a significant achievement of the South African kingdoms (“Southern Kingdoms” 11:22; “A Legacy of Lifestyles” 30:28). Nevertheless, Zeinab Badawi’s documentary still covers more topics from African history simply due to the fact that the series includes more episodes.
It is also important to note that Ali Mazrui talks about not only the past problems of Africa but also about the present issues, including those arising from the diversity of traditions. For instance, he states that the coexistence of different systems of beliefs confuses the morality of people, making them uncertain about what is considered normal in society (“A Clash of Cultures” 25:35). Finally, if viewed from the perspective of a lesser informed public, “History of Africa” is a more entertaining way of learning about Africa since it was made recently and Zeinab Badawi stays active and involved in the process. Unlike Ali Mazrui, she does not simply narrate the story but actually participates in different activities together with African peoples.
Historiographic Significance
It is possible to say that both “History of Africa” and “Africans: A Triple Heritage” possess considerable historiographic significance. The former constitutes an invaluable source of information on the history of Africa from prehistoric times and all of its aspects. The latter, in its turn, provides not only a substantial level of knowledge but also a certain perspective common among the African people and voiced by Ali Mazrui. Thus, “History of Africa” can be viewed as the best documentary for familiarizing oneself with African history. “Africans: A Triple Heritage” can be perceived as a viable source on the influence of the traditions and history on the political life of Africa in the twentieth century.
Works Cited
“A Clash of Cultures.” The Africans: A Triple Heritage, created by Ali Mazrui, episode 8, BBC TV, 1986.
“A Legacy of Lifestyles.” The Africans: A Triple Heritage, created by Ali Mazrui, episode 2, BBC TV, 1986.
“Kingdom of Kush.” History of Africa, created by Zeinab Badawi, episode 4, Badawi Kush Communications, 2017.
“Mother Africa.” History of Africa, created by Zeinab Badawi, episode 1, Badawi Kush Communications, 2017.
“Southern Kingdoms.” History of Africa, created by Zeinab Badawi, episode 13, Badawi Kush Communications, 2017.
“The Nature of a Continent.” The Africans: A Triple Heritage, created by Ali Mazrui, episode 1, BBC TV, 1986.
“Tools of Exploitation.” The Africans: A Triple Heritage, created by Ali Mazrui, episode 4, BBC TV, 1986.
“Zeinab Badawi.”University of London, n.d., Web.
Njogu, Kimani, and Adem, Seifudein Critical Perspectives on Culture and Globalisation: The Intellectual Legacy of Ali Mazrui. Twaweza Communications, 2017.
Šopova, Jasmina. “Zeinab Badawi: ‘My hyphenated identity is an advantage.’” The UNESCO Courier, Web.
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