Senator Obama goes to Africa is a travelogue / movie propaganda made by Bob Hercules and Keith Walke. The directors follow the then senator Obama through this short African odyssey. In this documentary, Barack Obama visits the city of Kisumu in western Kenya, the capital of the country, Nairobi, as well as South Africa and a Darfur refugee camp in Chad. Arguably, Obama scheduled this trip with two primary goals in mind. On what end, it was meant to prove that senator Obama can play a key role in US foreign policy and that he can successfully represent his country abroad. On the hand, this trip gives him the opportunity to talk about a series of timely issues such as famine, HIV/AIDS and the massacres in Darfur. Narrated by Obama himself, this documentary has some artistic cohesion and it captures Obama’s personality, candor and familiarity with some broad African issues but nothing more concrete than that. Obama is lively, outspoken, thoughtful and passionate and he seems genuinely honest about his connection to the continent. On a different note, the “voice-overs” are rather sparse in that a significant percentage of the documentary goes without any commentaries whatsoever.
To me, the most emotional part of the movie is not his return to Kisumu, but his visit to the refugee camp in Chad. He is exposed to terrifying stories about their daily struggles and the lives they are condemned to live. Both Barack and Michele are devastated by what they hear and pledge to take a direct interest in the region. But the Darfur issue, like all the other major themes in this documentary, is treated in rather shallow and superficial terms. The hard questions are never asked and to a great extent Obama seems very cautious not to upset anyone in his travels. Which, in turn, upsets me as a viewer with a ground knowledge of African politics and realities.
I cannot say I didn’t like the movie as a whole but the complete lack of objectivity and impartial narrative line was something I was rather uncomfortable with. Given the fact that I’ve been an Obama supporter from 2006 I didn’t need any convincing that the current president is a great politician, which means that I expected more from this DVD. I didn’t get it. At the end of the 60 minute long documentary, we still don’t know what Obama’s view of African politics is, what his vision for the continent might look like and whether he approves or disproves of how politics is made across Africa or say the least in his father’s native country. He takes an equidistant stand on African current affairs and his speeches are rather broad and definitely not indicative of what his thoughts and views of the continent are.
In some ways, watching this documentary made me think how disappointed I would have felt, if I were an average Kenyan who might have had the chance to meet Obama on this trip. The senator sounds so interested in African politics, in the small businesses or the social issues he addresses and he definitely gives you the feeling that this great American will in fact give his best in trying to enact change in US foreign politics. Everywhere he goes, specifically in Kenya, he is welcome like a local hero, a man who succeeded in his life and is now ready to give back to his community. I’m not saying that Obama is socially or culturally Kenyan, in fact I believe quite the opposite (that he is truly American) but to the people he meets and interacts with, that’s how he looks like.
Obama makes what turned out to be an unfulfilled promise in this documentary. In one of his speeches he promises to try to shape the United States’ policy towards Africa so that the interests of the countries he visits will be addressed to their benefits. Five years later we see that his pledge has yet to be addressed. Perhaps now President Obama is the one who should watch this documentary, as he clearly suggests that the continent might be of great significance to America’s interests which has yet to be seen in US foreign policy.
I rate this documentary 6/10
Movie Trailer
