I can assure you, wherever two or more African filmmakers are gathered discussing the prospects of reaching western audiences with African stories, you’re bound to hear this line: “The West simply doesn’t understand our stories.” I first heard it in film school and accepted it without serious consideration. I simply didn’t have the knowledge or experience to contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

It’s been over a decade since I left film school, and after building a vast portfolio in screenwriting and filmmaking, nothing irks me more than that line. Not because I think it’s entirely untrue or unmerited, but because I believe it holds African screenwriters back from appealing to a wider international audience.

If you’re an African filmmaker or screenwriter with no intention of appealing to an international audience, this message is not for you, and that’s fine. Not everyone wants to cross over. However, for those of us wishing to  widen our options and opportunities for success by tapping into the international market, it’s imperative we move past this block. Why not? In everything else, we’ve done exactly that despite the challenges. In banking, commerce, tech, and most recently Afrobeats music, we’ve made huge strides. Today, platforms like TikTok and other notable social media sites are replete with Afrobeats music permeating every aspect of Western life. How many people in New York or Berlin who listen to Burna Boy’s “Last Last” understand the lyrics? Why do we continue to shy away from international screenwriting competitions under the guise of “they don’t understand our stories”?

To be honest, in my experience, that line is sometimes used to justify bad writing. Learning the art of good narrative writing—three-act structure, good dialogue, and pacing—should be a requirement for anyone seeking a career in screenwriting. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t subvert it or seek to create something new, but you must at least understand it and learn how it is deployed to enhance the quality of a script. For aspiring screenwriters in Africa, there are hardly any avenues for training and honing your skills. So take advantage of screenwriting competitions; try to enter at least two major competitions a year. Increase your opportunities for success by demonstrating that you understand what it takes to produce a script that sells internationally. Don’t fall for the temptation of “they don’t understand our stories” because, whether you like it or not, the best opportunities for improving and developing your craft as a screenwriter lie outside the continent. Learn the ropes there and bring your experience to bear on your work.

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