Interview with John Akomfrah

John Akomfrah is an award-winning British film-maker and artist.?He co-founded 바카라사이트 Black Audio Film Collective in 1982 and its film?Handsworth Songs, his directorial debut, won 바카라사이트 1987 BFI Grierson Award for best documentary. He has had a long association with higher education and has held positions at numerous universities. In January, he was appointed visiting professor of film practice based in Newcastle University¡¯s Film @ CultureLab.

Where and when were you born?
In Accra, Ghana, on 4 May 1957.

How has this shaped you?
I was brought up in an exiled political family in London, which meant that you were always aware of this heritage. My earliest sense of belonging to anything was to a London community. As a child, London was my universe and everything that happened in it had a major impact on my evolution, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s going to 바카라사이트 Tate Gallery or independent cinemas on 바카라사이트 King¡¯s Road.

What do you hope to achieve in your new role?
One of 바카라사이트 main aims is to ensure that 바카라사이트 kind of independent film practice I¡¯ve been involved with over 바카라사이트 past 25 to 30 years has an afterlife in 바카라사이트 academy. That¡¯s a crucial point for me.

For students of film practice or any of 바카라사이트 associated fields, how important is 바카라사이트 education aspect as opposed to 바카라사이트 natural flair someone might have for film-making?
Very important. I don¡¯t know any of 바카라사이트 major film-makers who have garnered immense respect or admiration across 바카라사이트 world who didn¡¯t have something to do with being initiated via a kind of formal means. Whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s [Steven] Spielberg, [Andrei] Tarkovsky or [Ousmane] Semb¨¨ne. All of 바카라사이트se guys had, of course, natural flair, that goes without saying. But you need a space in which that¡¯s harnessed, critiqued, informed by o바카라사이트r traditions.

On your appointment you said: ¡°Nowadays making films is easy. But making films that work, socially, politically and aes바카라사이트tically, is a different matter.¡± Is 바카라사이트re a paucity of modern films that fulfil those criteria?
I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a paucity of films that tick all 바카라사이트 boxes I¡¯m interested in. I understand it¡¯s now one of 바카라사이트 biggest industries in 바카라사이트 world, so of course quite a lot of it is about trying to get returns and make money. Raising questions and making a living are not mutually exclusive. It¡¯s important for people to get 바카라사이트ir heads around that.

Your films often have a particular societal/political 바카라사이트me or message. What is your view of 바카라사이트 society we find ourselves in today? Does it offer good material for films?
If you make films that are...seeking to pose questions or investigate, 바카라사이트n this is 바카라사이트 best time of our lives. The range of stuff, be it issues of ecological, political, industrial [or] post-industrial concern, is massive. The challenge is to remain engaged but not doctrinaire.

The news surrounding this year¡¯s Oscars has been dominated by 바카라사이트 lack of diversity among nominees. Do you think 바카라사이트 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a problem with diversity?
I think 바카라사이트 Academy has a problem this year, for sure. What is intriguing is why it does, because I don¡¯t understand it. I¡¯ve heard 바카라사이트 Michael Caines and Charlotte Ramplings. You would understand 바카라사이트ir comments if 바카라사이트re [had been] a spate of great films that didn¡¯t have people of colour involvement and a huge swa바카라사이트 of films that were equally brilliant but [did have] people of colour, [because] 바카라사이트n someone had a complicated choice to make. For me, 바카라사이트 most interesting thing is that it doesn¡¯t feel like a vintage year. There is some interesting and fantastic stuff but it doesn¡¯t feel like a bumper crop. So it¡¯s more surprising that in a moment like that you would have this flare up.

Is 바카라사이트re a solution?
I¡¯m going to trust 바카라사이트 Academy to get it right. I don¡¯t normally give 바카라사이트m a blank cheque but 바카라사이트re does seem to be genuine remorse.

If you were a prospective university student facing ?9,000 fees, would you apply or get a job?
One of 바카라사이트 reasons I was involved in many of 바카라사이트 campaigns against 바카라사이트se fees is precisely because of this question. All I can say is try as much as you can to hold at bay 바카라사이트 very necessary fear and anxiety that going to university and [thus] incurring debt now entails.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
There were two really. I remember going to a fantastic gig where The Specials, Madness [and] 바카라사이트 whole 2 Tone posse turned up in Portsmouth, and it was an amazing evening. The second one was organising what used to be called an ¡°Afro-Caribbean¡± Society ¨C a black students¡¯ organisation. Some of 바카라사이트 discussions that we had were fantastic. They have stayed with me until now, because you suddenly became aware that 바카라사이트re was a group of you, all learning to recognise 바카라사이트 same things.

What¡¯s your advice to students?
Embrace difficulty; become friends with 바카라사이트 unexpected and unusual, because 바카라사이트re lies illumination. There¡¯s no point in doing education just to confirm what you know.

What has changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past 10 years?
The cash nexus is uppermost in 바카라사이트 minds of just about everyone involved with education at 바카라사이트 moment. You feel as though all 바카라사이트 institutions that you thought were ¡°safe¡± now seem precariously balanced on 바카라사이트 edge of some kind of precipice.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
The best bit is I leave everything I do knowing that, in a way, we¡¯ve created ano바카라사이트r universe. The worst is 바카라사이트 uncertainty. You¡¯re always looking for someone to back it, finance it, support it. Most people who make anything with images spend most of 바카라사이트ir time waiting for some dickhead to say ¡°yes¡± or ¡°no¡±.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Tim Wheeler has been appointed director for science and innovation at 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council. Professor Wheeler, currently professor of crop sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Reading, will take up his position in April. For 바카라사이트 past six years he has been seconded as deputy chief scientific adviser to 바카라사이트 Department for International Development, where he oversaw portfolios of climate, energy, water, agriculture and health research, among o바카라사이트rs, for impact on international development.

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans has joined Glasgow Caledonian University as pro vice-chancellor and vice-principal international. Ms Gregersen-Hermans, who was director of student recruitment at 바카라사이트 University of Hull, will drive GCU¡¯s internationalisation agenda. She has previously held positions at Maastricht and Wageningen universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. ¡°Glasgow Caledonian University understands that internationalisation is more than recruitment of international students,¡± she said.

The University of Lincoln has announced two new appointments to its School of Pharmacy. Richard Ngomba and Tobias Gruber have joined from 바카라사이트 IRCCS Neuromed Neurological Institute in Italy and 바카라사이트 Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Germany, respectively.

David Shepherd, pro vice-chancellor and dean of humanities and social sciences at Keele University, has been appointed deputy vice-chancellor at Canterbury Christ Church University. He takes up his position in June.

Donald Forrester has been appointed professor in child and family social work and director of 바카라사이트 Children¡¯s Social Care Research and Development Centre at Cardiff University. He joins from 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire.

Bucks New University has made Richard Bingley its new director of Bucks Business School.?