Our Africa recreates the time of the “Great Utopia” and exposes the gap between African realities and a continent that only existed on celluloid.
1960. The Soviets arrive on the African continent to spread socialism. The first independent African nations meet them with great enthusiasm and full of hope for a postcolonial future. For more than 35 years, the Soviets expand their geopolitical influence in Africa with humanitarian aid programs based on Marxist ideology. Up until 1991, some of the country’s best filmmakers were sent along to document the “glorious advance” of socialism on the African continent. A propaganda featuring all Africans as Lenin fans. Then came the nineties. The Soviet Union broke apart and “socialism” became a dirty word. Russia, struggling with an economic crisis, lost all political interest in Africa. Still, thousands of kilometers of film footage remain. Our Africa recreates the time of the “Great Utopia” and exposes the gap between African realities and a continent that only existed on celluloid.