Her Experiences

Illustration by Seun Ajibola

A pastime of mine is to hunt for independent short films or web series online. These shows are typically produced, written and directed by black creatives. Issa Rae led the way with her Youtube show Awkward Black Girl and subsequently, Black&SexyTv became key contributors to black content on Youtube. The shows on these channels focus on the black American experience, so it was please to come across An African City, written by Nicole Amartiefio, which focused on the African experience.

An African City is based on the personal and professional lives of African women who have relocated back to Ghana. The show highlights the diversity among African women with consideration given primarily to their religious and socio-economic backgrounds. One key similarities among the characters is their struggle in the dating arena. It is a honest attempt to share the reality of relocating and adapting to a new environment from a woman’s perspective. While it isshow that panders to the complaints of the women often ignoring the perspectives of men in the dating pool, it is a show unapologetically about the women.

The production, directing and acting are to be applauded including the progressive fashion presented on the show. Moreover, the normal day-to-day struggles of living in an African city is very apparent and depicted in its glory and its shame.  The second season has started and I am intrigued by the trajectory of the show over the next few years.  

Check out the first season of An African City on Youtube for free.