Cinema of Eritrea

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Cinema Odeon in 1930s
Cinema Impero in Asmara In the 1930s
Old camera constructed in Cinema Impero

The history of cinema in Eritrea dates back to the country's colonial rule under the Kingdom of Italy.[1][2] In connection with the growth of Italian cinema in the 1930s, so too did the rise of cinema occur in Asmara, Eritrea.[1] In 1937, Asmara's Opera was converted into a dual-use theatre and cinema. By the following year, Asmara had a total of nine movie theatres.[1]

The Italian missionary film was first introduced in a 1922 work produced in the country by Capuchin monks collaborating with the colonial government.[3] Despite the country's independence, film screenings in Eritrea are mostly still confined to English and Italian language movies.[2]

Films like Eva Nera [it] were produced in Eritrea and shown the culture and differences between the Eritrean people. Directed by Giuliano Tomei, it was told through a viewpoint of Domenico Meccoli.[4][5]

European influence continues to this day, such as "European Film Weeks", which have been held annually for the last 15 years.[6] Almost 100% of the films produced in Eritrea fall under the "Fiction" category.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Plastow, Jane (29 June 2016). "Teatro Asmara: understanding Eritrean drama through a study of the national theatre". Journal of African Cultural Studies. 29 (3): 311–330. doi:10.1080/13696815.2016.1201759. S2CID 163365452.
  2. ^ a b Indira, Mannar; Lakshmi, P. Vijaya (2012). "Global Television and Eritrean Society". Indian Journal of Media Studies. 6 (1&2). Tirupati: Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam. ISSN 0972-9348. Retrieved 24 November 2019 – via Researchgate.net.
  3. ^ Piredda, Maria Francesca (2013). "Cinema and Popular Preaching: the Italian Missionary Film and Fiamme". In Bayman, Louis; Rigoletto, Sergio (eds.). Popular Italian Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-0-230-30016-3.
  4. ^ Baratieri, Daniela (2010). Memories and Silences Haunted by Fascism: Italian Colonialism, MCMXXX-MCMLX. Peter Lang. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-3-03911-802-1. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  5. ^ Chiti, Roberto; Poppi, Roberto (1991). Dizionario del cinema italiano: Dal 1945 al 1959 (in Italian). Gremese Editore. ISBN 978-88-7605-548-5.
  6. ^ "15th European Film Week 2019 in Eritrea". EEAS – European Commission (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Eritrea". uis.unesco.org. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2020.