I have always been fascinated by Ousmane Sembene, who was originally a writer but he decided to become a filmmaker because he realised most people in Senegal were not literate and couldn’t read his stories but everyone could understand a film. He is now often seen to be the father of African cinema, a very inspiring figure whose films even now are made primarily for the communities in the parts of Africa that he is concerned about.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/12/guardianobituaries.obituaries