Africa - Hollywood: Love Reborn

The Telegraph (UK) reports on Hollywood's rekindled love with Africa. But this time it's not about Tarzan or big game hunters. Hollywood is finally paying attention to the greed and corruption that plaques Africa and is the root cause of poverty there and not the lack of aid.

First up is Idi Amin.

The big names of Hollywood have launched a new "scramble for Africa" using the dark continent as the backdrop for a series of major new movies.

The latest in a spate of films is The Last King of Scotland, the fictional story of a Scottish doctor who witnesses the murderous regime of Idi Amin.

More are planned.

Increasingly, the films do not simply exploit the continent's wildlife and landscapes as local colour. They also reflect the growing concern for the fate of its people - and the crimes of their rulers.

In Kenya last year Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy and Rachel Weisz appeared in The Constant Gardener, based on John le Carré's novel about African corruption and greedy western drug companies.

Nicole Kidman is about to star in Emma's War, about the British aid worker Emma McCune, infamous for marrying a rebel warlord during Sudan's civil war.

Hotel Rwanda led the African assault on Hollywood, with its portrayal of one man's courage during the 1994 genocide. The film was nominated in this year's Academy Awards.

Too bad these didn't come out before Geldof's Live 8 protest. That way, instead of marching on Edinburgh, they could march on the embassies of Mugabe and others.
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