Alex Gibney’s Finding Fela (2014) tells the story of legendary African pop star and political activist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s life, his music, and his social and political importance. Fela, who died in 1997 at age 58, was songwriter, singer, bandleader and inventor of Afrobeat music which he used to express his revolutionary political opinions against the dictatorial Nigerian government of the 1970s and 1980s. Fela’s legacy includes helping to draw awareness and bring democratic change in Nigeria, and for promoting Pan Africanist identity to the world. Please begin by watching the film (link below) and then complete the following three part assignment which consists of a general opinions section, a scenes section, and a character sketch section.
Finding Fela film link
https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3553317 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Part One – General Opinions
As a whole, express the elements of the movie you enjoyed and/or disliked. A good movie review should entertain and persuade, but most of all inform and opinions should be explained to allow the reader to determine whether they would agree. Things to consider include the quality of acting, effective story-line, and how well the movie was filmed, edited and directed. Since this is a documentary, acting is not an issue, but you can speak to the effectiveness of the people and players involved. (Minimum 400 words).
Part Two – Fela Kuti Character Sketch
Based off the film, and in conjunction with the Fela Kuti lecture and Lindsay Barrett reading”Fela Kuti: Chronicle of a Life Foretold” by Lindsay Barrett, describe who Fela Kuti was; his artistic style and approach; his professional persona and image; his politics and what he stood for, and what he was opposed to and how this may have changed over time. Consider what it is about him that you admire and respect, and what you dislike about him, including any character flaws or deficiencies or things you did not admire. When writing a character sketch, you want to look for qualities of character and personality traits that stand out in the person, and in the music. Think of it as an introduction…you are introducing this person Fela Kuti… what must someone know about him and his artistry. Be sure to use strong visual words, adjectives and descriptors. Reference specific scenes from the film to reinforce your sketch.
Include one direct quote from Fela in the film that stood out to you in some way, or that you can use as evidence to support your characterization. (Minimum 500 words total).
