Friday, September 29, 2017
A Ugandan review of the John Akii-Bua autobiograpical film ''An African Tragegy''
That it took me this long to finally settle down to watch this tragic film of John Akii-Bua the first Ugandan to win an Olympic gold medal is a little Ugandan tragedy of its own. And this viewing was courtesy of the French cultural centre in Kampala. Now, you know why 'the tragedy' bit is not entirely misplaced. But I am getting ahead of myself. The film is an autobiographical account of Ugandan 1972 Olympic gold medalist, John Akii-Bua in Amin's 1970s Uganda. The story is told based on Akii-Bua's own unpublished written notes of his life although the production betrays a British-centric lens even when the majority of characters are actually Ugandan. John Akii-Bua's British coach who led him to the 1972 Munich gold medal is a dominant voice in the film. This is really helpful as well. Before watching this film I was unaware of how prominent a role the coach played in Akii-Bua's rise. Perhaps it shouldnt be suprising that Akii-Bua's decline starts with the return of his British coach to the United Kingdom an exit forced by a Uganda in the throes of Amin's reign of terror.
The film makes intelligent use of interviews with sports greats who ideally were Akii-Bua contemporaries.These include British and American 400 metre hurdle specialists-Akii-Bua's track and field speciality.
Perhaps because of its British connections, the film takes an unhealthy dose of commentary on the Idi Amin personality. And this is not to say that Amin has nothing to do with Akii-Bua's rise and fall. Quiet the contrary. But I am familiar with the British obsession with the personality of Idi Amin. The Last King of Scotland is only one among a slew of indulgences in pax Aminiccana.
The film itself is a commendable piece of work and I thoroughly recommend. And mostly to Ugandans who I am sure have watched it less than the International audience.
I must say the film is a pretty sad tale really. It left it me a little depressed as I really felt sorry for John Akii Bua and what could have been. His rise from utter obscurity in rural Uganda after the premature death of his father when he was only a small boy and is own premature death at 47 are gut wrenching facts and then that heart-breaking boycott of the 1976 Olympics by African countries on account of Apartheid South Africa. Akii-Bua was meant to defend his 1972 gold medal during the 1976 olympics which was not to be. He ends up as an utter destitute in a Kenyan refugee camp after barely escaping certain death during Amin's ouster by the Tanzanians in 1979. Again that bit about the African tragedy..how an Olympic gold medalist could end up in a nondescript existence in a Kenyan refugee camp is truly astonishing. That goes to show how Africans value their heroes. Akii-Bua died a poor man even when he was a senior police officer.
Although Amin is rightfully demonized, from the film I got the sense that Akii-Bua only enjoyed the spoils of his stardom only in Amin's Uganda. A house gift and stratospheric promotion in the Ugandan police. It was downhill from there on after Amin's fall.
Sad but true, Akii-Bua's reluctance to ply his trade outside Uganda meant his true potential was never realized. His decline is a microcosm of the African tragedy of misrule, ethnicity, corruption, public decay, political instability, poor work ethic..and you can go on and on. Akii-Bua did eventually find his way to Germany after being sported by a PUMA sports wear executive on television in a Kenyan refugee camp. He has an uneasy relationship with Germany and returns to Uganda to find a country which has moved on. I know why Americans like Hollywood endings. This is not one of them
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