Blog 8

Read Tosheme Gabriel’s blog Third Cinema Updated. Using specific examples of characters, scenes or plot developments from Sankofa, discuss how Gerima’s film about slavery reflects themes from Gabriel’s discussion of Third Cinema, when compared to Tarantino’s Django. How does Gerima’s perspective (from interview) and presentation of slavery differ from Tarantino’s?

To be completely honest, i thought third cinema was just an alternative form of cinema. The meaning of it is very deep however it was hard for me to follow in the reading. From what i took out of the reading, i will discuss in the blog. In fact, the movie, Sankofa, was hard for me to follow as well. The flashbacks were difficult to follow for me at times but i caught the vision that was being expressed by Gerima. In terms of authenticity of the films slave theme, he directed it on actual slave plantations and castles. His characters were played by actors and actresses from respective regions affect by slavery including west african, caribbean and 'american'. The theme of magic prevails in his film, a theme of third cinema as well, when an african slave seems to have rag doll control over persons by a simple look of her eyes. On top of the description of third cinema, it seems he states that third cinema is everything. As in, third cinema is what you make it, as long as its not default or generic or typical hollywood stuff. SO virtually any decent movie, filmed in a developing country or about a topic that is missing in hollywood, would be considered third cinema. I would like to hear other peoples discussion in class.