The first part of this book traces the development of African cinema, from colonization to Afrocentrism, through themes such as the decolonization of the imagination and the quest for legendary African origins. The second part of the book analyzes specific films, particularly through narrative and in terms of their African specificity. Finally, the author explores the social and economic contexts of the African cinema and television industry. Winner of the French National Film Center's best film book of and now available in four languages, this is book which takes us into a process of learning how to look.