Matthias Krings – författare

Global Nollywood considers this first truly African cinema beyond its Nigerian origins. In 15 lively essays, this volume traces the engagement of the Nigerian video film industry with the African continent and the rest of the world. Topics such as Nollywood as a theoretical construct, the development of a new, critical film language, and Nollywood's transformation outside of Nigeria reveal the broader implications of this film form as it travels and develops. Highlighting controversies surrounding commodification, globalization, and the development of the film industry on a wider scale, this volume gives sustained attention to Nollywood as a uniquely African cultural production.

Global Nollywood considers this first truly African cinema beyond its Nigerian origins. In 15 lively essays, this volume traces the engagement of the Nigerian video film industry with the African continent and the rest of the world. Topics such as Nollywood as a theoretical construct, the development of a new, critical film language, and Nollywood's transformation outside of Nigeria reveal the broader implications of this film form as it travels and develops. Highlighting controversies surrounding commodification, globalization, and the development of the film industry on a wider scale, this volume gives sustained attention to Nollywood as a uniquely African cultural production.

Why would a Hollywood film become a Nigerian video remake, a Tanzanian comic book, or a Congolese music video? Matthias Krings explores the myriad ways Africans respond to the relentless onslaught of global culture. He seeks out places where they have adapted pervasive cultural forms to their own purposes as photo novels, comic books, songs, posters, and even scam letters. These African appropriations reveal the broad scope of cultural mediation that is characteristic of our hyperlinked age. Krings argues that there is no longer an "original" or "faithful copy," but only endless transformations that thrive in the fertile ground of African popular culture.

Why would a Hollywood film become a Nigerian video remake, a Tanzanian comic book, or a Congolese music video? Matthias Krings explores the myriad ways Africans respond to the relentless onslaught of global culture. He seeks out places where they have adapted pervasive cultural forms to their own purposes as photo novels, comic books, songs, posters, and even scam letters. These African appropriations reveal the broad scope of cultural mediation that is characteristic of our hyperlinked age. Krings argues that there is no longer an "original" or "faithful copy," but only endless transformations that thrive in the fertile ground of African popular culture.

This book takes a critical look at contemporary digital forms of African popular cultural production, examining how they articulate relationships between Africa and Europe, and between Africans and Europeans.The current state of African popular arts has been made possible by two major media transformations—mass media liberalisation and increased internet connectivity across the continent. With increased globalisation, encounters between Africa and Europe have become more dispersed, dynamic, persistent, and mutable. However, these emerging relationships are haunted by a difficult past, the harrowing systems of enslavement and colonialism, historically framed by false narratives. Through detailed analysis of cinema narration, video films, comedy skits, social media performances, and lip-sync impressions, the contributors reveal how African creators remix and revise European cultural forms whilst asserting their own agency and resistance. The collection demonstrates how digital platforms have become sites of counter-hegemonic cultural production, where African artists negotiate complex postcolonial relationships through creative appropriation and transformation.Essential reading for scholars of African studies, cultural studies, media studies, and postcolonial theory, this volume offers fresh insights into how contemporary African popular culture engages with European influences whilst maintaining distinctive African voices and perspectives. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of African Cultural Studies.

Dis.Ordering Distribution explores the intricate relationship between distribution and production, drawing on empirical evidence from two vibrant centers of cultural production: Africa and Asia. Delving into how cultural entrepreneurs engage with global distribution platforms and the resulting impact on the creation of cultural artifacts, the analysis reveals that digital platforms are not merely end-point distribution tools but are also reshaping production processes.The first section, “Infrastructures, Formats, and Rules”, examines the triad of infrastructures, formats, and rules, highlighting their historical significance and their role in shaping consumer behavior through distribution platforms. The second section, “Distribution as a Force Shaping Production” focuses on memes as a case study to illustrate the close link between distribution and production and how memes as a ubiquitous element of contemporary media culture, exemplify how distribution influences production. The final section, “Cultural Entrepreneurs in the Platform Business” brings attention to the physical spaces within a platform-dominated environment. It discusses how cultural entrepreneurs, such as artists and musicians, leverage their networks and data collection methods to promote their work, emphasizing the continued importance of local production and distribution sites.This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of how digital platforms are transforming cultural production and distribution.