British actor Idris Elba has announced his intentions to move to Africa within the next ten years, with the goal of playing a pivotal role in the growth of the continent’s film industry.
Elba who is renowned for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic Long Walk to Freedom is already working on initiatives to establish film studios in both Zanzibar, Tanzania and Accra, Ghana.
These efforts are part of his broader mission to strengthen local filmmaking.
During a recent film industry meeting in Accra, the 52-year-old emphasized, as reported by the BBC on the 23rd of October, 2024, on the need for Africans to share their own stories with the world.
“I would certainly consider settling down here; not even consider, it’s going to happen.”
“I think (I’ll move) in the next five, 10 years, God willing. I’m here to bolster the film industry, which is a 10-year process, I won’t be able to do that from overseas. I need to be in-country, on the continent,” he said.
Elba, known for his outstanding performances in Beasts of No Nation, Pacific Rim, and Thor, expressed his reluctance to settle down in any one location.
“I’m going to live in Accra, I’m going to live in Freetown Sierra Leone’s capital, I’m going to live in Zanzibar. I’m going to try and go where they’re telling stories – that’s really important,” he added.
The actor, born in London to a Ghanaian mother and a Sierra Leonean father, expressed his dedication to using his platform to uplift the film industry in the region.
“I’m here to bolster the film industry—that is a 10-year process.
“I won’t be able to do that from overseas. I need to be in-country, on the continent,” he said.
He holds the view that the film industry acts as a “soft power” that can reshape global perceptions of the continent.
“If you watch any film or anything that has got to do with Africa, all you’re going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonised, how it’s just war and when you come to Africa, you will realise that it’s not true.
“So, it’s really important that we own those stories of our tradition, of our culture, of our languages, of the differences between one language and another. The world doesn’t know that,” he shared.
He envisions a future where he creates films in his studio in Accra, highlighting the richness of stories crafted right at home.
“We have to invest in our storytelling because when you see me, you see a little version of yourself, and that encourages us,” Elba said.
Recall that a recent announcement revealed that an English actor has been cast as Okonkwo, the main character in Chinua Achebe’s renowned novel, Things Fall Apart, for an upcoming television series adaptation.