As a co-production between Kenia and Germany, the ZDF-ARTE-Netflix coproduction COUNTRY QUEEN is a trailblazer: Emerging from an ambitious project that exchanges creative impulses between Africa and Europe, the series showcases the creative powers the Kenyan creative industry. The series tackles in its storylines local problems like environmental destruction and corruption while aiming at building a sustainable creative market.
Through BMZ and DW-Akademie's support but also boosts the confidence of Kenyan storytellers, demonstrating that authentic African narratives can compete with established series territories worldwide. As a result, Sub-Saharan Africa is witnessing a surge in high-end series development, piquing the interest of a global audience.
Representatives from ZDF-Arte, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, from Deutsche Welle Akademie and from the production companies in South Africa and Namibia talk about opportunities and challenges of building sustainable structures that allow cultural exchanges in both directions.
Mini Keynote: Subsaharan Africa
Pascal Schmitz (Executive Producer at AAA Entertainment)
Speakers:
Friederike Kärcher Head of Division Creative Industries, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Referatsleiterin Kreativwirtschaft, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung/BMZ)
Vincent Mbaya (Director)
Ravi Kalmaker (CEO Good Karma Fiction International)
