Africa: Beasts of No Nation - an Unflinching Take On African Conflict

opinion

Idris Elba shines in Beasts of No Nation, a flawed but deeply moving film about the coming of age of a child soldier in a conflict-ridden West African country, writes PHILIP OWIRA.

When Hollywood takes on African conflicts they often mess it up. Films often include one-dimensional characters, everyone speaking English with funny accents, the smiley African who needs to saved, and the white person who will save the needy African from the evil rebels or corrupt government. Hotel Rwanda, Tears of The Sun, Blood Diamond, and Machine Gun Preacher are among the worst films about Africa that Hollywood has ever made.

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