Аннотация:This article explores the state of affairs in Zimbabwe’s film industry. It addresses the question: does a Zimbabwean film industry exist? The complex answer depends on at least two parameters. The first is one’s chosen definition of a film industry. The second is the extent of one’s knowledge of realities on the ground. The article argues that the Zimbabwean film industry, like most in Africa, is necessarily a work in progress. That is, it is constantly adapting to social, political and economic conditions in the search for a sustainable model or growth. Since 1980, the industry has been in a prolonged search for itself. A general feature has been the search for ways with which to replace thirty-year old colonial heritages of filmmaking, distribution and exhibition. Today what was traditionally a minority activity is becoming open to broader participation. The future, though, remains an unknown x. Funding, distribution and profitability are still sore points. For the first time, however, what seem like true foundations are being laid.
