African cinema is experiencing a quiet but powerful shift. Beyond spectacle and trends, a new generation of filmmakers is prioritizing emotional truth, cultural ownership, and intentional storytelling.
In this interview with EIIAFRICA, we speak with a filmmaker and creative director whose work spans short films, branded content, exhibitions, and visual art—each project grounded in honesty and lived experience.
From Curiosity to Craft
The filmmaker’s journey into visual storytelling began long before formal film education. It started with curiosity—watching people, studying spaces, and paying attention to emotions.
That curiosity eventually evolved into discipline. Through early experimentation and consistent practice, he developed a storytelling approach that now defines his work: emotionally grounded, visually restrained, and deeply human.
“I’ve always been interested in translating feeling into visuals,” he explains. “The goal has never been perfection, but truth.”
Finding Power Behind the Camera
A pivotal realization shaped his career direction early on—he was more interested in how stories were told than in being visible within them.
Working behind the camera gave him control over mood, rhythm, framing, and meaning. That sense of authorship, he says, is what made directing feel natural.
African Life as a Creative Reference Point
While influenced by African filmmakers and global directors who approach film with poetic intention, his strongest inspiration remains everyday African life.
The streets, conversations, silences, and contradictions of the continent consistently inform his visual language. This influence shows up in work that feels intimate yet expansive, expressive yet restrained.
A Process Led by Intention
For him, every project begins with one key question: What should this feel like?
Only after defining the emotional core does he move into aesthetics and execution. Concepts are shaped through research, writing, visual references, and sound, with space left for organic moments during production.
Ideas often start small—an image, a feeling, a fragment—and grow naturally once the foundation is clear.
Directing With Trust and Clarity
Balancing creativity with client expectations, he emphasizes listening as the starting point. When collaborators feel understood, creative alignment becomes easier.
On set, preparation is essential. Clear planning allows him to remain calm under pressure, even when faced with tight timelines or unexpected challenges.
When working with actors or talent, his approach is rooted in trust rather than control. Context matters more than instruction, and over-directing is avoided in favor of guided collaboration.
Personal Work, Representation, and Industry Growth
Among his most meaningful projects are his short films and visual art exhibitions—works that allowed him to take creative risks and explore themes such as identity, memory, and mental health without compromise.
He notes a significant evolution within the African creative industry, pointing to stronger narrative ownership and increased visual confidence.
“African creatives are no longer asking for permission,” he says. “We’re setting our own standards.”
Representation, in his view, is not optional. Storytelling carries responsibility, shaping how people see themselves and their worlds.
Technology, AI, and the Future
Technology has streamlined his workflow, removing limitations and allowing greater focus on ideas. While he sees value in innovation, he remains clear on one point: tools should never replace human experience.
AI, he believes, can enhance creativity if used responsibly—but authenticity cannot be automated.
He also views short-form content and traditional filmmaking as complementary rather than competing formats, each serving different storytelling needs.
Looking Ahead
When asked about his dream project, his answer reflects the core of his philosophy: a quiet, deeply human African story that feels timeless.
During periods of burnout, he steps away from work, trusting life itself as the most reliable source of inspiration. The advice that continues to guide him is simple but powerful—make the work honest, not perfect.
Looking to the future, his vision includes directing larger films, exhibiting internationally, and building a body of work that is both culturally rooted and globally respected.
At EIIAFRICA, we believe the future of African cinema lies in voices like this—intentional, grounded, and uncompromising in their pursuit of truth.