DAR ES-SALAM.- To the British star of the seventh art Idris Elba He was granted a piece of land in Zanzibar (Tanzania) to set up a study of cine similar to those in Hollywood, said a local minister.
The actor and rapper, with roots in Sierra Leone and Ghana, had already shown interest in developing the film industry in Africa.
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago of Tanzania located on the eastern coast of the continent.
“Idris Elba is looking to build a modern studio, similar to Hollywood, Nollywood (in Nigeria) or Bollywood (in India),” Zanzibar’s Investment Minister Shariff Ali Shariff said on Thursday.
Grant of 80 hectares to Idris Elba
The Zanzibar government granted the actor 80 hectares of land in Fumba, south of Unguja Island, according to the minister himself, who declined to give further details of the agreement.
“I don’t know what we will call it (the film industry) in Zanzibar, Zallywood or Zawood, I don’t know,” he told industry players at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
According to local media, the study could boost Tanzania’s budding efforts in international film production.
The study project was already discussed last year by Idris Elba himself, actor of the series Luther, and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Famous for its turquoise waters, white sand beaches and spice plantations, Zanzibar relies heavily on tourism.
FUENTE: AFP