Interview with Brent Huffman and Xiaoli Zhou, makers of documentary The Colony

Huffman filming in a Dakar market

A month ago, I posted a link to The Colony, a documentary about the Chinese in Senegal, on African Boots. Since then, the video has been viewed over 25,000 times on Youtube and been featured on Boing Boing.

The Colony has a pessimistic title. Its narrative is similarly pessimistic. The version circulating  at the moment is a 20 minute long edit of what will eventually be an hour long documentary, so its portrayal of the relationships between ordinary Chinese and Seneglese people might be a little unbalanced, but according to filmmakers Brent Huffman and, to a lesser extent, Xiaoli Zhou, there is plenty to be pessimistic about. Huffman says he saw no attempt by the Chinese to integrate into Senegalese society, only a disturbing amount of corruption, secrecy and racism. He also documented a growing hatred of the Chinese amongst the Senegalese middle class. According to Huffman, this might well lead to a more overt, militarized colonization of Africa, as China is forced to secure its interests there against growing social unrest. Zhou, a citizen  of the People’s Republic, does little to temper this view.

You can read the full interview below. If you’d like more information on The Colony, go to German Camera Productions.

What interested you in China’s involvement in Africa?

Brent: My interest in China in Africa began with stories from international outlets about China’s economic involvement in Africa. At the time, China already had an economic agreement with almost every African nation. For whatever reason, this news was being largely ignored or under-reported by many mainstream American media outlets outside of print stories from The New York Times. Many international stories coming out about this topic, like those from the BBC, had a very critical and unfair slant against China. As an American who has lived and worked in China and who has a Chinese wife (co-director Xiaoli Zhou), China’s efforts overseas are always of immense interest to me.

So I set out to make an unbiased documentary ideally being one of the first films made on this topic.

The anthropologist in me was also immensely interested in the mix of two very different cultures with vastly different worldviews. I want to avoid the pitfall of speaking in stereotypes here, but in my experience I have found the Chinese to be a relatively closed and conservative society where people have a tireless work ethic. Africans are more open and warm to outsiders, but lack the socialist industrial drive and communist sensibility of their Chinese counterparts.

Adama Gaye Senegalese author of The Dragon and the Ostrich compared the Chinese to a powerful aggressive dragon taking what it wanted and he compared the Africans to an ostrich with its head stuck in the ground fearful of engaging with outsiders and dealing with its future.

In images from print stories, I saw two seemingly opposite cultures thrown together by economic opportunity. This surreal culture-clash juxtaposition was very appealing to me. I wanted to see this play out firsthand. Is this a friendly or aggressive relationship? Can these two very different cultures cooperate for a common goal? I also wanted to see how Chinese immigrants were making Africa “home” and how this process was changing the unique landscape of Africa.

Although China’s billion dollar natural resource and infrastructure deals with the African governments have been the favorite topic of outlets like the BBC, I wanted to focus the film more on a rather ignored phenomenon – the small Chinese businesses that have been expanding and growing rapidly across the continent. They have become visible in nearly every corner of Africa. In fact, according to researchers, the majority of the Chinese companies operating in Africa today are small and medium size businesses.

Xiaoli: To add to what Brent has already explained above, we really wanted to have both voices heard in the film and to examine why so many Chinese are immigrating to Africa and what kind of impact the Chinese businesses are having on the local African communities – good and bad.

How would you say your perspectives on the issue were different going in?

Brent: Documentary filmmakers have to be open to the discovery that the story is not what they originally thought. In arriving in Dakar and recently Liberia, I was shocked at how visible the Chinese presence is in these African countries. Many African nations are mired in hopeless economic prospects, yet in these places the economy was booming for the Chinese. With the Chinese, unthinkable growth was possible even in countries long abandoned by the West.

Cranes, enormous dump trucks, and construction equipment of all kinds bearing Chinese logos all imported from China could be seen feverishly building late into the night. And Chinese workers brought over from China can be seen overseeing all aspects of construction.

There are Chinese restaurants serving genuine Chinese cuisine everywhere. On my second trip to the country I lived on authentic steamed fish and dumplings. Chinese goods like cars, motorcycles, pots and pans, shoes, pesticide, clothing, plastic toys, etc., are very popular among local consumers. Everywhere I looked I saw evidence of Chinese activity in Dakar from large scale fishing companies and stadiums to toothbrushes and cheap jewelry sold on the street.

China in Africa is much bigger than I had originally imagined. Chinese are involved in many areas of the African economy from selling Chinese-made imports, to mining, to growing crops like rice, to oil extraction, etc.

The list goes on and on.

Why did you choose to focus on Senegal or, more accurately, Dakar?

Brent: I chose Senegal in West Africa for what I had hoped would be easier access to a visible Chinese community. The small Chinese businesses were flourishing in Dakar in a rapidly expanding Chinatown.

The Chinese president Hu Jintao had also made a diplomatic visit to the capital where the President of Senegal presented Chinese President Hu Jintao a giant golden key “opening the door to Africa”.

Xiaoli: Senegal is also relatively unknown to most western audience compared to resource-rich countries such as Angola, Zambia, etc.

How long did you spend in Senegal?

Brent: A little over a month in total, over two trips. We spent a lot of time doing research beforehand, making contacts over the phone and via email.

You had two ‘fixers’ – a Mandarin speaker and a Senegalese – work with you while you were making The Colony. How important was their involvement?

Brent: The fixers were absolutely essential in gaining access to both communities. Many Senegalese think the media should pay its subjects to act in front of the camera for whatever end the producer’s desire. I never pay for interviews and would never want anyone to perform for the camera. My Senegalese fixer Daour Wade is a children’s storybook author and director of radio soap operas. He helped me gain access and the trust of the Senegalese characters in the film.

Likewise Anna Wang, a Hollywood producer who had worked for the Weinstein company in LA, was crucial in gaining access to the Chinese community. Chinese simply won’t talk to an outsider who doesn’t speak Mandarin and who isn’t Mainland Chinese.

Co-director Xiaoli Zhou also had to spend many hours getting an official OK from the Chinese embassy in Dakar before anyone in the Chinese community would agree to speak to us on camera.

Why do you think there is so much secrecy? China’s involvement in African countries is supposed to be a positive thing.

Brent: It is a positive thing…for China. Perhaps once the West wakes up to what China has been up to not only in Africa, but in South America and India it will be too late to intervene. Perhaps it is already too late, the US being too poor to do much anyway.

Why did you call the film The Colony?

Brent: I feel the Chinese involvement in Africa is a new form of economic colonization. While Chinese aren’t interested in placing their own puppet dictator in power, they are buying access to whatever they want. Many are making Africa “home” until the resources run out. The Chinese retailers have more permanent roots as Africa will likely always be a market for Chinese-made goods.

The Colony also refers to China’s greater role in colonizing Africa. Consider the following statistics:

• China has diplomatic relations with 49 of 53 African nations.
• In 2008, total trade volume between China and Africa topped $107 billion from about $10 billion in 2000 and a 45% increase from 2007. China is the biggest trading partner for many African nations.
• China now depends on Africa for nearly one third of its oil imports.
• In Africa today, there are hundreds of thousands of Chinese building roads, bridges and power plants, running shops, factories and mines.
• China’s total investment in Africa rose an astonishing 80% in 2009 despite the global financial crisis. The Chinese government has pledged a new $10 billion in cheap loans to African countries.

Did the Chinese people you met in Senegal have something common? A distinguishing personality trait or common aspiration? And why did they come to Senegal?

Brent: In pursuit of personal profit and less competition, Chinese are migrating to Africa in large numbers, which is seen by them as a land of untapped opportunity and potential. They do have something in common and that is their ability to adapt to a foreign environment, learn how to do business within the cultural framework, and their willingness to take risks. Much like Western “pioneers” in the US, the brave Chinese entrepreneurs trek into the new Wild West in search of personal fortune.

Did the Chinese show an interest in Senegal’s culture, and were they attempting to build personal connections with the locals?

Brent: Only to the extent that is necessary for business, for example the culture of bribery in Senegal. The Chinese are quick learners when it comes to adapting to the cultural economy of a location. But as far as actively taking part in some cultural activity such as sports, dance, or music – this is something I didn’t see.

Xiaoli: Chinese business owners do hire local Senegalese to work in their stores, but again it’s for business. Language could be an issue. Even for someone who has learned to speak the local language Wolof, it seems to be difficult to make a real Senegalese friend. Liu Bo, one of our main Chinese characters said it’s mainly because they don’t share the same interests. They don’t even like the same type of tea, according to Liu. Overall, Chinese would like to hang out with Chinese.

Did the Chinese you met see their presence as temporary or permanent?

Brent: They see their presence in Africa as permanent. Senegal is home.

Xiaoli: At least for a very long term if they can’t predict too far ahead. They are also thinking about expanding their businesses not only in Senegal, but also into other African nations.

Do you think that the Chinese in Senegal mostly abided by and respected the country’s laws? Or was there a sense of lawlessness or even extra-territoriality?

Brent: Chinese are very intelligent and know the meaning of good PR. If they do something “lawless” like pay off a corrupt dictator for exclusive access to resources, they do under the table so that your average citizen wouldn’t know such an event took place. That is part of this “new economic colonialism,” this awareness or public perception and attempt to keep a positive public image while still doing these lawless activities.

Xiaoli: Well, if we are talking about the private Chinese business owners in Senegal where there isn’t much known natural resources, I believe they would do whatever they can within their power and ability to survive and succeed. Bad business practices do exist just like back in China or elsewhere in the world, but then the other question would be if the Senegalese government has taken any measures against such practices to protect the local business owners. The film is more focused on the retail sector, and I don’t think the individual Chinese entrepreneurs are driven by the political interests of the Chinese government. They do whatever they can for the sake of pursuing their personal wealth.

What was the attitude on the Senegalese to China and Chinese immigrants? Did you hear the optimism I read so often, about Africa moving towards the growth rates of India and China largely as a result of China’s involvement in the continent? Or are racist attitudes starting to develop?

Brent: The average Senegalese might be ignorant to China’s involvement in the country, but there is a growing sense among Senegalese that the goods they are selling are of low quality and broke easily. There is even a slang in Wolof calling cheap goods “Chinese.”

Anyone whose business is directly affected by the Chinese is very angry about the Chinese cutting into his business. There is genuine hatred expressed by these Africans. The Africans I spoke to aren’t racist, however. The racism I experienced came from the Chinese towards the Africans.

Xiaoli: I think it depends on whom you talk to. If you talk to the local business owners who are being forced out of business by their Chinese competitors, then you hear extremely angry words. But if you ask a local low-income consumer who can only afford cheap products sold by the Chinese or a local Senegalese who is hired by a Chinese business owner, it would be a different story. According to some of the interviews and footage that couldn’t make into film, there is also this growing enthusiasm of learning the Chinese language and Chinese Kung Fu among the Senegalese.

Brent, you’ve said elsewhere that “there’s tension, like something terrible is going to happen, and the Senegalese won’t just stand by and let this happen forever.” Can you explain what you mean? And Xiaoli, do you agree? If not, why?

Brent: Yes, I read a New York Times story about China’s relationship with Peru that I felt really captured my feelings and foretold the future of China in Africa as I saw it.

In Peru, China began with a friendly relationship in 1992 promising fair treatment and benefits to the local residents. Things began to turn for the worse when Peruvians realized the Chinese were exploiting them with low wages and dangerous conditions. The Chinese failed to follow through with their promises and were imported dangerous low quality goods to sell to Peruvians. Like Chinese in Africa, the Chinese didn’t mix with Peruvians. They live in their own compounds and ate meals in their own cafeterias. Peruvian workers felt they were treated like slaves without a voice. After years of this treatment, workers finally revolted violently attacking the mine.

I feel the same things will happen in Senegal as the Senegalese come to resent the way they are treated by the Chinese. The more powerless and voiceless a people become, the more likely they are to react violently as a last ditch effort to change things. I think the Chinese will respond to this violence by militarizing their operations using private security to guard walled in compounds. Any sort of communication between the two groups will end.

Xiaoli: Violent incidents against the Chinese have been seen for quite a long time in many African nations. Talking about the focus of this film, tension is almost unavoidable in the business world as long as there is fierce competition. It’s hard to predict what exactly is going to happen, and I try not to. The China-Africa relations are rather complicated as there are many different levels of involvement by the Chinese in Africa – the government, the big corporations, the small businesses, etc. How the tensions are going to develop also depends on how the African governments are going to respond, and whether the Chinese are going to make a bigger effort to integrate into the local communities. There is a lot of work for both sides to do. And of course, it’s not impossible that something bigger and more violent could happen in Senegal against the Chinese retailers if the current conflict keeps growing. When that happens or when the interests of many individual Chinese are being targeted and threatened, I believe the Chinese government will take measures accordingly.

What aspect of Chinese involvement in Senegal do you think will benefit the people there most?

Brent: Ultimately probably infrastructure like roads and bridges. Adama Gaye author of The Dragon and the Ostrich put it best when he stated in an interview (cut from the Al Jazeera version) that Africans need to take initiative when dealing with the Chinese. That is the only way Africans can benefit from the economic growth possible with the Chinese. They need to engage with China head-on and demand reciprocal ends for all citizens and fair wages and ethical treatment for workers.