Director C.J. Obasi talks Afrofuturism on BBC Minute

I’m here to inform you that Afrofuturism is here to stay, the reimagining of a future filled with arts, science and technology seen through a black lens. Even though the concept has always existed, the world is finally catching up to it and from a Nigerian perspective, C.J. Obasi is one of its recognisable frontrunners. His sci-fi short film Hello, Rain has enjoyed a film festival tour from America to Europe.

Adapted from Hello Moto, a 2011 short story written by self-identified, Afrofuturist author Nnedi Okorafor, Hello Rain first premiered at the 64th edition of the Oscar-qualifying Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen festival in Germany, one of the most prestigious short film festivals in the world. Hello, Rain was last shown at the just-concluded film festival in AFRIFF in Lagos, where it vyed in the category of Best Short Film.

Obasi has been on a slew of interviews passionately talking about Hello, Rain, and he made his next stop on the snackable, news-sharing platform BBC Minute. Asked about what Afrofuturism means to him, he responded, “It’s the element of science fiction that allows us to black people and Africans in the future. For so many years, we have been underrepresented in media and film.”

Briefly, he spoke about the cultural forces that have made Afrofuturism increasingly popular, from the Civil Rights movement to the profound success of Marvel’s Black Panther. Watch the clip below.

Afrofuturism: What is it? And why does it matter? https://t.co/OEMudqWuCL pic.twitter.com/Upk7JIuMgn

— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice) November 25, 2018