This week, Equator's Nesrine Malik talks to the writer Carey Baraka about a piece that isn't out yet – but will be soon, in the first print issue of Equator next month. To receive it, make sure you're subscribed to our Insider or Patron tier of membership.

For both Nesrine and Carey, the film The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) is a significant childhood memory, even if they now view it very differently. The movie was an instant global hit that led to a series of sequels and million-dollar paydays for its creators. But as Carey rewatched the film decades later, the nostalgia he held collided with a far more uncomfortable truth, and he explains how deeply the film relied on racist tropes and inaccurate portrayals of African people. In writing his forthcoming essay for Equator – part reconsideration, part travelogue, part film criticism – Carey shares what he uncovered: a director who mythologised the production and embellished stories about how he “discovered” the cast; how he portrayed them as naïve and untouched by modernity; and how these narratives weren’t just misleading but instrumental in shaping how audiences perceived both the film and the people in it.

What do the creation of this film and its legacy say about how stories about Africa are told, even down to the present day? Who gets to decide which stories are told, and how? This episode is an exploration of how the media shapes perception, how myths get constructed around creative work, and what it means to revisit the stories that shaped us with clearer eyes.

If you haven't already, sign up today to get Equator's first print issue, which includes Carey's gripping piece on The Gods Must Be Crazy.

This is the last episode of Season 1 of the Equator podcast. Stay tuned for Season 2!