Invictus came out this Friday but I am yet to see it. However, according to New York Times, it is “a movie that hits you squarely with its visceral impact and stays in your mind for a long time after.”1 In other words, it is a movie worth watching. I am yet to see the movie so I will side with the critics and assume that it’s a must see at least for the American audience. However, the South Africans are seeing it differently. In their view, casting international/American stars to tell South African history without consulting South Africans, “compromises and distorts national identity.” I think this a legitimate accusation to make, however I think it is wrong to assume that Hollywood has an interest in telling African history or history of any other foreign country so to speak. Hollywood tells a story when it believes it is going to profit from the venture. Therefore, no matter what the story is, the focus is the American audience and American audience loves American stars. If we are that worried about the distortion of our history, I think it is high time we started telling our own stories using the resources we have. Otherwise, Hollywood and Western media in general are going to keep telling our stories and writing them in the way they see fit.
