Visions of Africa's future, from African filmmakers

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

As a child growing up in Nigeria,

我在奈及利亞長大，

books sparked my earliest imagination,

書籍引發了我最早的想像；

but films, films transported me

但是電影，電影將我

to magical places with flying cars,

帶到了有飛行汽車的神奇地方，

to infinite space with whole universes of worlds to discover.

去到能夠發現整個宇宙 無限空間的世界。

And my journey of discovery has led to many places and possibilities,

而我的發現之旅 帶來許多地方和可能性，

all linked with ideas and imagination.

都與想法和想像力相關。

A decade and a half ago,

十年半前，

I moved from working in law and technology in New York

我從紐約的法律和技術工作

to financing, producing and distributing films

轉為籌資、製作和發行電影，

in Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg.

地點在奈洛比、拉哥斯和約翰尼斯堡。

I've been privileged to see firsthand how in Africa,

我很榮幸能夠親眼目睹非洲的情況，

film powerfully explores the marvelous and the mundane,

目睹電影有力地探索了 奇妙而平凡的世界，

how it conveys infinite possibilities and fundamental truths.

和它如何傳達 無限的可能和基本的真理。

Afrofuturist films like "Pumzi,"

非洲的科幻電影，像 《Pumzi》，

Wanuri Kahiu's superb sci-fi flick,

是萬努里·卡希 (Wanuri Kahiu) 執導的精湛科幻電影，

paint brilliant pictures of Africa's future,

描繪非洲未來的精彩畫面；

while Rungano Nyoni's "I Am Not A Witch"

而倫加諾·尼奧尼（Rungano Nyoni） 執導的《你才女巫，你全家都女巫》，

and Akin Omotoso's "Vaya"

和阿金-奧莫托索 (Akin Omotoso) 的《Vaya》，

show us and catalogue our present.

向我們展示、編列了現在。

These filmmakers offer nuanced snapshots of Africa's imagined and lived reality,

這些電影製作者提供了非洲的 想像和生活現實的微妙快照，

in contrast to some of the images of Africa that come from outside,

與來自外部的一些非洲圖像 形成鮮明的對比；

and the perspectives that accompany all of these images,

伴隨著所有圖像的觀點，

whether sympathetic or dismissive, shape or distort

無論是同情或是不屑，

形塑或扭曲了人們如何看待非洲。

how people see Africa.

And the truth is,

事實是

many people think Africa is screwed up.

很多人認為非洲被搞砸了。

Images play a big part of the reason why.

很大的原因是非洲的圖像。

Many tropes about Africa persist from pictures,

許多老圖片依然表達著 對非洲的觀點，

pictures of famine in Ethiopia 30 years ago,

像是 30 年前伊索比亞的 一些飢荒照片，

pictures of the Biafran war half a century ago.

半個世紀前比亞夫蘭戰爭的圖片。

But on a continent where the average age is 17,

但在平均年齡為 17 歲的 非洲大陸上，

these tragic events seem almost prehistoric.

這些悲慘事件幾乎像是史前時期。

Their images are far removed

那些圖像與非洲許多國家的人們

from how people in Africa's many countries see themselves and their neighbors.

看待自己和鄰居的方式天差地遠。

For them, these images do not represent their reality.

對他們來說，這些圖像 不代表他們的現實。

So what is Africa's reality,

那麼非洲的現實是什麼？

or rather, which of Africa's many realities do we choose to focus on?

或者說，在那麼多的非洲現實中， 我們要選擇關注哪一個？

Do we accept Emmanuel Macron's imagination of Africa in 2017

我們是否接受（法國總統）馬克宏 對 2017 年非洲的想像──

as a place in which all women have seven or eight children?

非洲是個所有女人 都生七八個孩子的地方？

Or do we instead rely on the UN's account

或者，我們信賴聯合國的報告，

that only one of Africa's 54 countries has a fertility rate as high as seven?

說非洲 54 個國家中 只有一個的生育率高達七個？

Do we focus on the fact

我們是否專注於

that infant mortality and life expectancy in Africa today

今天非洲的嬰兒死亡率和預期壽命

is roughly comparable to the US a hundred years ago,

與一百年前的美國大致相當的事實；

or do we focus on progress,

還是我們關注於進步，

the fact that Africa has cut infant mortality in half

在過去的四十年中，

非洲已經將嬰兒的死亡率砍半，

in the last four decades

and has raised life expectancy by 10 years since the year 2000?

相較於 2000 年， 還把平均餘命提高了 10 年？

These dueling perspectives

這些互相比鬥的觀點都正確，

are all accurate.

Well, aside from Macron's. He's just wrong.

除了馬克宏的。他錯了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But one version makes it easy to dismiss Africa as hopeless,

但一個版本容易視非洲為毫無希望，

while the other fuels hope that a billion people

而另一個版本則賦予希望，

can continue to make progress towards prosperity.

十億人能夠繼續繁榮發展。

The fact that Africans

事實上非洲人

do not have the luxury of turning their gaze elsewhere,

沒有把注意力轉向別處的奢望。

the fact that we must make progress

我們必須取得進展，

or live with the consequence of failure,

要不然就得接受失敗，

are the reason we must continue to tell our own stories

這是我們必須繼續講述自己的故事

and show our own images,

並展示自己的形象的原因，

with honesty and primarily to an African audience,

誠實展示，主要針對非洲的觀眾，

because the image that matters most

因為最重要的形象

is the image of Africa in African imaginations.

是非洲在非洲人心目中的形象。

Now, honesty requires that we acknowledge

現在，誠實要求我們承認

that Africa is behind the rest of the world

非洲落後於世界其他地區，

and needs to move swiftly to catch up.

需要迅速趕上。

But thinking of a way forward,

但想著前進的方向，

I'd like us to engage in a thought exercise.

我希望我們參與思考的過程。

What if we could go back a hundred years,

假如我們可以回溯一百年，

say to the US in 1917,

在 1917 年對美國說，

but we could take with us all the modern ideas,

但是我們能帶著

我們今天所有的現代觀念、 創新和發明，會如何呢？

innovations, inventions that we have today?

What could we achieve with this knowledge?

我們能用這些知識做些什麼？

How richly could we improve quality of life and living conditions for people?

我們能把人們的生活質量、 生活條件提到多高、多豐富呢？

How widely could we spread prosperity?

我們可以在多大程度上推廣繁榮？

Imagine if a hundred years ago,

想像如果一百年前，

the education system had all the knowledge we have today,

教育系統有今天所有的知識，

including how best to teach.

明白如何教得最好；

And doctors and scientists knew all we do

醫生和科學家們

知道所有現代的公共衛生措施、

about public health measures, surgery techniques,

手術技巧、DNA 測序、

DNA sequencing, cancer research and treatment?

癌症的研究和治療，那會如何？

If we had access then to modern semiconductors,

如果當時我們能接觸到 現代的半導體、

computers, mobile devices, the internet?

電腦、移動設備、互聯網呢？

Just imagine.

就只想像一下。

If we did, we could take a quantum leap forward, couldn't we.

如果那樣，我們能 向前邁進一大步，不是嗎？

Well, Africa can take a leap of that magnitude today.

今天的非洲可以大步地躍進，

There's enough untapped innovation

有足夠多尚未開發的創新

to move Africa a century forward in living conditions

可將非洲的生活條件 向前推進一個世紀，

if the will and commitment is there.

如果我們下決心許諾，

This is not just a possibility; it's an imperative for Africa's future,

這不僅可能，且非洲未來勢在必行。

a future that will see Africa's population double

未來非洲人口將在短短三十年內

倍增至二十五億人；

to two and a half billion people in just three decades,

a future that will see Africa have the world's largest workforce,

未來非洲將擁有世界最大的勞動力；

just as the idea of work itself is being radically reconsidered.

就像工作理念本身 正被徹底重新思考一樣。

Now taking the leap forward isn't that far-fetched.

現在向前邁進並不是那麼遙不可及，

There are tons of examples that demonstrate the potential

有大量例子證明非洲變革的潛力。

for change in Africa.

Just 20 years ago,

僅僅 20 年前，

Nigeria had fewer than half a million working phone lines.

奈及利亞可用的電話線 不到五十萬條，

Today it has a hundred million mobile phone subscriptions,

今天有一億名手機用戶。

and this mobile miracle is mirrored in every African country.

而這個移動的奇蹟 反映在每個非洲國家，

There are over three quarters of a billion mobile phones in use in Africa today,

今天在非洲使用的手機 超過七億五千萬支，

and this has spurred justified excitement about leapfrogging,

對飛躍式發展振奮是合理的，

about bringing the sharing economy, artificial intelligence,

把共享經濟、人工智能、

autonomous machines to Africa.

自動化機器帶到非洲發展。

And this is all promising,

這一切都很有希望，

but we need to think about sequencing.

但我們需要考慮次序。

Forget putting the cart before the horse.

不能把馬車放在馬的前面。

You can't put the self-driving car before the roads.

你不能沒有道路 就要發展自動駕駛汽車。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

There's a whole infrastructural and logical layer to innovation

整個基礎設施和邏輯層面的創新

that we take for granted,

我們視為理所當然；

but we have to triage for Africa,

但我們必須依照 對非洲的緊要程度來分配，

because some of the biggest infrastructure gaps

因為有些大型基礎設施的欠缺

are for things that are so basic

非常的基本，

that Westerners rarely have to think about them.

以至西方人幾乎用不著考慮它們。

So let's explore this.

讓我們來探討一下。

Imagine your internet access went off for a day,

想像你的互聯網斷線了一天，

and when it came back,

當它恢復時，

it only stayed on for three hours at a time,

每回只能上線三個小時，

with random 15-hour outages?

又隨機中斷 15 個小時，會怎樣？

How would your life change?

你的生活將如何改變？

Now replace internet access with electricity.

互聯網擱一邊，現在思考供電，

Think of your fridges, your TVs, your microwaves,

想想你的冰箱、電視、微波爐

just sitting idly for days.

幾天不能用；

Now extend this nightmare to government offices,

再把這個噩夢延伸到政府辦公室、

to businesses, to schools,

企業、學校、

to hospitals.

醫院。

This, or worse,

這種狀況或者更糟的情況，

is the type of access that hundreds of millions of Africans

是數億的非洲人

have to electricity,

沒電、

and to water,

沒水、

and to healthcare,

沒醫療保健、

and to sanitation,

沒衛生設施、

and to education.

沒教育。

We must fix this.

我們必須解決此問題。

We must fix this because ensuring widespread and affordable access

我們必須解決此問題，

因為確保能夠獲取廣泛、負擔得起、

to decent infrastructure and services

像樣的基礎設施和服務，

isn't just low-hanging fruit:

不僅是低垂的果實， （註：可輕易實現的目標）

it's fundamental to achieving the hundred-year leap.

而且是實現百年飛躍的基礎。

And when we fix it,

解決它時，

we might find some unexpected benefits.

我們可能會發現 一些意想不到的好處。

One unexpected benefit of the mobile miracle

一個移動奇蹟意想不到的好處

was that it led to what is perhaps the greatest cultural resurgence

是它導致非洲這一代人

看到最偉大的文化復興：

that Africa has seen in a generation:

the rebirth of African popular music.

非洲流行音樂的重生。

For musicians like P-Square,

對於像 P-Square、

Bongo Maffin

邦戈馬芬 (Bongo Maffin)

and Wizkid,

和 Wizkid 這樣的音樂人來說，

mobile phones paved the path to local dominance

手機為他們鋪平了稱霸當地

and global stardom.

和全球出名的道路。

And the impact isn't limited just to music.

影響不僅限於音樂，

It extends to film, too.

也延伸到電影。

Beautiful, engaging films

美麗、迷人的電影，

like these stills of "Pumzi,"

像《Pumzi》、

"Vaya," and "I Am Not A Witch" show.

《Vaya》和《你才女巫，你全家都女巫》。

For while its external image might be dated,

儘管非洲的外部形象可能過時，

Africa continues to evolve, as does African film.

但非洲仍在繼續演變， 非洲的電影也是。

Now, every now and again, the rest of the world catches on,

每隔一段時間， 世界其他各地追趕上來，

perhaps with Djo Munga's hard-hitting "Viva Riva!"

也許是道·格蒙加 (Djo Munga) 的強片 《Viva Riva！》，

with Newton Aduaka's intense "Ezra,"

牛頓·阿杜卡 (Newton Aduaka) 的 戰爭片 《Ezra》，

or with Abderrahmane Sissako's poetic "Timbuktu."

或阿伯德拉馬納·希薩柯 (Abderrahmane Sissako) 詩意的《Timbuktu》。

With mobile, Africans are discovering more and more of these films,

有了手機，非洲人越來越看得到 這些電影，也就意味著

and what that means is that it really matters less in Kinshasa or Cotonou

對於住在金夏沙或柯多努的人而言， （註：剛果的首都和貝南的大城）

what Cannes thinks of African film,

坎城影展對非洲電影的看法，

or if those opinions are informed or fair.

他們的看法是否公平， 或者他們在不在狀況內並不重要。

Who really cares what the "New York Times" thinks?

誰管《紐約時報》怎麼寫？

What matters is that Africans are validating African art and ideas,

重要的是，非洲人 正驗證著非洲的藝術和想法，

both critically and commercially,

批判性和商業性地驗證；

that they are watching what they want,

他們看他們想要看的電影，

and that African filmmakers are connecting with their core audiences.

而非洲電影製片人 與核心觀眾聯繫在一起。

And this is important.

這很重要。

It's important because film can illuminate and inspire.

這很重要，因為電影能照亮和啟發，

Film can bring visions of the future to us here in the present.

電影能為我們的今天 帶來未來的願景。

Films can serve as a conveyor belt for hope.

電影可以充當希望的傳送帶，

And film can change perspectives faster than we can build roads.

電影改變視角的速度 能比我們開路還要快。

In just over a decade,

十多年來，

Nigeria's film industry, Africa's largest,

奈及利亞的電影業 是非洲最大的電影產業，

has taken the country's words and languages

它將該國的文字和語言

into the vocabulary and imaginations of millions

帶入許多非洲其他國家

數百萬人的詞彙和想像中。

in many other African countries.

It has torn down borders,

它已經拆除了邊界，

perhaps in the most effective way since the Berlin Conference

也許是自柏林會議以來 最有效的方式，

sowed linguistic and geographic division across Africa.

散播在非洲各語言和地理的區域裡。

Film does speak a universal language,

電影講的確實是一種普遍的語言，

and boy, Nigerian film speaks it loudly.

奈及利亞的電影大聲說話。

Making Africa's hundred-year leap

要實現非洲的百年跨越

will require that Africans summon the creativity to generate ideas

需要非洲人喚起創造力、產生想法，

and find the openness to accept and adapt ideas from anywhere else in the world

以開放的態度接受和調整 來自世界各地的想法，

to solve our pervasive problems.

解決我們普遍存在的問題。

With focus on investment,

以投資為重點，

films can help drive that change in Africa's people,

電影可以幫助推動非洲人民的變化，

a change that is necessary to make the hundred-year leap,

這是實現百年跨越的必要變革，

a change that will help create a prosperous Africa,

這變化將有助於創造繁榮的非洲，

an Africa that is dramatically better than it is today.

造出遠比現在好得多的非洲。

Thank you.

謝謝。

Asante sana.

Asante sana (謝謝)。

(Applause)

（掌聲）