6 Best Movies Filmed in Africa

Best Movies Filmed In Africa, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Africa is the second largest and second-most-populous continent after Asia and features a rich culture and history. If you want to explore the country from the comfort of your home, then check out some of the best movies filmed in Africa.

Most of them revolve around war-ridden years and their violent history, but also capture heroic citizens who have done outstanding work to help their community. Most of the best movies filmed in Africa also revolve around true stories, like the drama of a child soldier in Beasts of No Nation. Keep reading to learn about the best Africa-filmed movies.

6. Beasts of No Nation, Netflix (2015)

6 Best Movies Filmed In Africa — Credit: Netflix

The war drama released by Netflix is a 2015 film and is one of the best movies filmed in Africa. Beasts of No Nation follows a young boy who becomes a child soldier as his country experiences a horrific civil war.

The movie is primarily shot in Ghana, a country in West Africa that lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The film is based on the 2005 novel sharing the same name by Uzodinma Iweala.

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5. Sometimes in April, Amazon (2005)

Another unique and interesting movie filmed in Africa is Sometimes in April, a 2005 made-for-television historical drama film about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Written and directed by the Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, the film features an ensemble cast including Idris Elba, Oris Erhuero, Carole Karemera, and Debra Winger.

The story follows the Hutu nationalist who raises arms against their Tutsi countrymen in Rwanda in 1994 for a violent uprising and is one of the best movies filmed in Africa.

4. Black Hawk Down, Hulu (2001)

One of the best movies filmed in Africa is Black Hawk Down, a 2001 war film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. Based on the 1999 non-fiction book by journalist Mark Bowden, the film follows the crew of a Black Hawk helicopter that was shot during the Battle of Mogadishu.

The film features a large ensemble cast. There were filming locations in Morocco, particularly in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, because of how its urban setting added another layer of authenticity to the story.

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3. Captain Phillips, Netflix (2013)

Captain Phillips is a 2013 biographical action-thriller film based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking and is one of the best movies filmed in Africa.

The film stars Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi, following the story of Captain Richard Phillips, an American merchant mariner who was taken hostage by Somali pirates, the first cargo ship hijacked in over 200 years, Several scenes were filmed in Morocco, located in the Maghreb region of North Africa.

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2. Blood Diamond, Prime Video (2006)

One of the best movies filmed in Africa is the 2006 political war thriller film called Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds that are mined in war zones and sold to finance conflicts, thereby profiting warlords and diamond companies around the world.

The movie is set during the Sierra Leone Civil War between 1991 and 2002 and follows a fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen who match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond. Filming took place on location in South Africa in Cape Town and Port Edward, as well as in Mozambique and London.

1. Hotel Rwanda, Pluto TV (2004)

Hotel Rwanda is one of the best movies filmed in Africa. The 2004 docudrama was an adaptation from a screenplay by George and Keir Pearson starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. The story is based on the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which occurred in 1994 in Spring. The film follows the main character’s efforts to save his family and more than 1,000 refugees by providing them shelter in the besieged Hotel des Mille Collines. Primary filming locations included Kigali, Rwanda, which is located in Central Africa, and Johannesburg, South Africa.