After decades of limited African representation in media, it’s refreshing to see Africa being portrayed more authentically, especially through compelling storytelling that highlights the talent of brilliant actors, writers, directors, producers, and all those involved. While this is the bare minimum, it’s worth celebrating, especially after years of African representation being reduced to stereotypes, clichés, and misconceptions. When African storytellers take control of the narrative, it becomes a powerful form of art.

A perfect example of this is when African traditions and cultures are seamlessly woven into storytelling. Recently, I watched the Netflix original Umjolo: My Beginning, My End!—a beautiful film that perfectly embodies the ‘right person, wrong time’ concept. The film follows Mayibuye, a teacher engaged to be married, who meets Zweli on her 30th birthday and instantly falls in love. While her engagement prevents them from being together, another obstacle arises: Zweli is set to marry his late brother’s wife, a tradition known as a ‘Levirate Marriage,’ which is common in many cultures around the world, including Africa.

Another film that explores Levirate marriages is Neria, the 1993 Zimbabwean film written by the remarkable Tsitsi Dangarembga. In this story, Neria suddenly becomes a widow and is faced with the tradition of marrying Phineas, her late husband’s brother, who views her as property and seeks to inherit his brother’s possessions. Though tradition dictates that she should accept this, Neria refuses to remain passive. She stands her ground, deciding that culture does not define her.

Levirate marriages, common across many African cultures, are a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is instructed (by the family) to marry his brother’s widow. This practice is intended to protect the paternal lineage [Read more here]