Mannerless Nigerian Movies: A Controversial Genre

The Controversial Rise of Nollywood

Nollywood‚ a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood‚ is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. 1 The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s‚ traced to an article in The New York Times. 2 3 Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts‚ there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term‚ which has made it a subject of several controversies.

NIGERIAN VIDEO FILMS ARE THE LEADING FORM OF NIGERIAN POPULAR CULTURE.1 By the mid-1990s‚ they were appearing at a rate of about 500 a year; by now‚ there is an annual torrent of more than 1‚000 films‚ which are ... forth ⏤ all the myriad social tensions and controversies to which the videos have responded with literally thousands of stories ...

Nollywood‚ a portmanteau of Nigeria ... to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s‚ traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts‚ there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term‚ which has made it a subject of several controversies...

End Of The Wicked is a 1999 Nigerian horror film directed by Teco Benson and written by Helen Ukpabio. 1 The film was blamed for a rise in witchcraft accusations against children in the 1990s and early 2000s. ... The movie was very controversial in Nigeria and abroad and was heavily criticized for blurring the line between fact and fiction ...

This became especially controversial in the tail end of the Video Film Era‚ which was from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. ... Nigerias film industry had become the second largest film producer in the world ⏤ a title it still holds to this day‚ coming in second to Hollywood. By the 2010s films were being made everyday in 3-4 days‚ with .;.

Relatively few films have been censored for political reasons.6 There have been a few dramatic exceptions to the rule of avoiding political controversy and danger‚ such as Gbenga Adewusis Maradona (a.k.a. Babangida Must Go)‚ a fiery Yoruba-language agit-prop film produced during the insurrectionary aftermath of the annulment of the 12 June ...

The author also observes that the adoption of video film became the reason for sporadic and occasional use of celluloid in filmmaking in Nigeria while video technology gradually took the industry into a phase in its history that is yet unfolding and characterized by debilities and possibilities‚ as well as controversies among practitioners ...

The cinema of Nigeria‚ often referred to informally as Nollywood‚ consists of films produced in Nigeria; its history dates back to as early as the late 19th century and into the colonial era in the early 20th century. The history and development of the Nigerian motion picture industry is sometimes...

Controversies involving films in Nigeria‚ as topics of prolonged public dispute or debate‚ usually concerning matters of conflicting opinion or point of view in Nigeria. Pages in category Film controversies in Nigeria The following 2 pages are in this category‚ out of 2 total.

3 MEN IN LOVE Another highly controversial Nollywood movie. It has a gay theme. The gay roles were played by John Dumelo and Muna Obiekwe. Their romantic roles‚ generated much controversies as Nigerians criticised them for such roles while few commended them for their boldness in executing such roles.

Danny Glover and Eliane Cavalleiro‚ left‚ at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Governors Awards in Los Angeles‚ California‚ November 8‚ 2014. Glover stars in the controversial Nigerian film 93 Days‚ about the... Danny Glover and Eliane Cavalleiro‚ left‚ at the Academy of Motion...

Since Nollywood has been a term for the entire Nigerian film industry‚ it was argued that Living in Bondage cannot be used to celebrate the Nigerian film industry‚ stating that the film wasnt‚ in fact‚ the first Nigerian video film‚ neither was it the first successful video film‚ much less the first Nigerian film.

Findings in the study reveal that gender-stereotypical representation is highly persistent in Nollywood films‚ where women are often portrayed in roles that depict them as sex objects‚ weak‚ and often dependent on men. Men‚ on the other hand‚ are often depicted to be independent‚ successful‚ and breadwinners.

End Of The Wicked is a controversial 1999 Nigerian horror film directed by Teco Benson and written by Helen Ukpabio. The film was blamed for a rise in witchcraft accusations against children in the 1990s and early 2000s. English-language Nigerian films 315T;

The following are the highest-grossing Nigerian films of all time in Nigerian cinemas. Revenues from special screenings‚ DVD sales‚ online streaming and theatrical screenings outside English-speaking West Africa are excluded from this gross total.

Информация с сайта https://dreamreachmedia.com/what-is-nollywood-nigerias-film-industry/: Famous Nigerian author and poet Chinua Achebe once wrote that One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. Choosing between integrity and compromise are a huge part of filmmaking- which is better for the story and the viewing experience‚ sticking to the facts or omitting information to create a more palatable narrative? The debate over right and wrong in cinema is a tale of its own‚ one as old as time. Sometimes its about a story being told‚ sometimes its about the casting and other creative decisions‚ sometimes it comes down to naming conventions. That might sound like a strange thing to debate in the wonderful world of filmmaking‚ but if you take a step outside of Hollywood you can see why its such a sensitive‚ albeit fascinating conversation.

That -ollywood naming convention is exactly what Im talking about. Im sure youve heard of Bollywood‚ at the very least in name only. Its taken to other parts of the world‚ with some lesser known and others parts of a vibrant and thriving scene. Nollywood and the film industry of Nigeria is a great example of how the integrity of identity and the compromise for marketing can butt heads.

I wont use Nollywood and Nigerias film industry interchangeably because its hard to classify what counts as Nollywood. The origins of the term Nollywood are debated‚ but we know its earliest use in media was in 2002. Both Japanese-Canadian journalist Norimitsu Onishi and European blogger and correspondent Matt Steinglass used it in different articles they wrote for The New York Times. We get a little more insight from Nigerian journalist and filmmaker‚ Alex Eyengho. In 2012 he said Nollywood is the totality of activities taking place in the Nigerian film industry‚ be it in English‚ Yoruba‚ Hausa‚ Igbo‚ Itsekiri‚ Edo‚ Efik‚ Ijaw‚ Urhobo or any other of the over 300 Nigerian languages. (Fun fact‚ he was the first African to become Vice President of the International Federation of Film Producers Association)

That tells us a little about its history and application‚ but why the controversy? One could argue that the name is helping elevate Nigerian cinema and voices to a more global audience‚ leading to representation and cultural awareness. Heres where it gets a little sticky. Nollywood has also been used to describe English-language films from Ghana which are co-produced and/or distributed through Nigerian companies. Not a big deal‚ right? The keywords here are English-language films. As in films made where the primary language spoken is a European one. Further‚ stakeholders take issue with the term since it was coined by a foreigner. To associate Nigerian cinema with Western cinema is seen as a form of erasure and imperialism. I dont think I need to do a deep dive on African history to illustrate why thats problematic.

Theres also the fact that Nollywood follows that naming convention I mentioned earlier. This too is seen as a form of erasure‚ detracting from the unique identity behind the films. Rather than being treated as something unique and exclusive to Nigeria and the Nigerian experience‚ it comes across as being a carbon copy of Hollywood transplanted to the Western African country.

Nigerian filmmakers like Tunde Kelani have argued that using Nollywood as a catch-all term completely overlooks Nigerian cinema which existed long before. Colonial Nigeria was a popular site for filmmakers who created content for local audiences. English filmmaker Geoffrey Barkas made the earliest Nigerian feature film in 1926; it was also the first film to feature Nigerian actors in a prominent speaking role. Commercial cinema was becoming a huge part of the social scene in Lagos by the 1930s. By the 1940s there was an active effort to do away with the colonial filmmaking industry practices‚ and make it more inherently African. New cinema houses were being built the moment Nigeria achieved independence in 1960. Nigerias booming film industry has also ruffled a few feathers in Africa. Africa isnt homogenous‚ despite what a lot of ignorant people like to believe. Each country has a rich history of powerful kingdoms‚ beautiful artwork‚ hundreds of languages‚ and spiritual traditions that have left their mark in other parts of the world. But Nigerian cinema has begun to overshadow the rest of Africas various cinematic industries.

This became especially controversial in the tail end of the Video Film Era‚ which was from the late 1980s to mid 2010s; The Video Film Era was the home viewing equivalent of their cinemas Golden Age- rather than a boom in ticket sales and filling theater seats‚ there was a boom in VHS purchases and at home viewership. For this reason it was also called the Home Video Era.

This was when Nigerian films began dominating the African film industry as a whole. This was seen as a threat to the identity and art of other African countries. They had begun to adopt Nigerian slang and fashion‚ popularized by the high volume of Nigerian content. And by high volume‚ I mean EXTREMELY high volume. When the Video Film Era reached its peak in 2008‚ Nigerias film industry had become the second largest film producer in the world a title it still holds to this day‚ coming in second to Hollywood. By the 2010s films were being made everyday in 3-4 days‚ with roughly 200 new movies coming out each month. Today‚ roughly 2500 films are made each year.

The volume was weighed against claims of unprofessionalism and poor infrastructure. Piracy was also peaking‚ as were claims that the industry was overrun by people who knew nothing about the filmmaking process. Despite this‚ the industry was the countrys highest employer at the time.

Ghana in particular experienced a change in its relationship with its fellow West African country.  Nigerian filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with Venus Films‚ a Ghanian production company‚ in 2006. Many Ghanian actors found employment in Nigerias film industry as a result. This led to claims that Ghanian actors were taking jobs that rightfully belonged to Nigerian actors. This happened to coincide with Nigerian filmmakers shooting their movies in Ghana to cut production costs associated with filmmaking in Lagos‚ and other large Nigerian cities.

Not everyone felt that this was harmful to Nigerian cinema. In 2014 Vanguard ‚ one of Nigerias most popular publications‚ spoke to various Nigerian actors to get their opinions on the matter . Actress Mercy Aigbe said that these claims were discriminatory‚ and that there shouldnt be a hierarchy amongst African countries. Actress Theresa Edem said that the competition this invites is good for business‚ and that A united Africa sells anyday‚ anytime. Still‚ actor Bob-Manuel criticized Nigerias love of foreign things‚ calling this trend a sad reflectioneven if its from smaller countries around us.

So how did Nigeria become the filmmaking powerhouse that it is today? Its popularity can be attributed to various factors. The Yoruba‚ one of the largest ethnic groups in Western Africa‚ are known for their traveling theater traditions. These traveling troupes began filming their productions to help share their stories to a larger audience. It was cheap and easy‚ so the large volume that we still see today should come as no surprise its been there from the start.

The stories themselves had a lot to do with it too. The stories were unlike anything seen in the Western world before‚ with themes touching on daily life in Nigeria to myths and legends that were relatively unknown in other parts of the world. We can only watch so many superhero movies before they all start to feel the same‚ especially when theyre constantly rebooting properties whose origin stories weve literally seen multiple times already.

Once it became clear just how profitable this model was‚ the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria began creating their own films. Though the roots of what became Nollywood had already been planted‚ the Nollywood boom took place in 1992 when Igbo filmmaker Chris Obi Rapu made Living in Bondage. This film is considered the beginning of Nollywood as we know it today.

The term Nollywood USA is often applied to works created by Nigerian diaspora filmmakers‚ and they typically feature both diaspora actors as well as famous Nigerian actors. They premiere in Nigeria‚ sometimes even achieving full-blown nationwide theatrical releases. Nollywood also exists as a category on Netflix so viewers worldwide can take in these stories and get to know Nigeria through its cinematic content.

(Yeah‚ that was a pun‚ and Im not sorry‚ it was too good to pass up)

What can independent actors and filmmakers learn from the fascinating history of Nigerian cinema? First‚ its a prime example of what Teddy Roosevelt meant when he said Do what you can with what you have where yo [...] [...] [end of information from the Internet]

Themes of Mannerless Nigerian Films

Many Nollywood films‚ especially those produced during the "Video Film Era‚" are often criticized for their portrayal of "mannerless" characters and storylines. These films frequently feature themes of wealth‚ power‚ and social status‚ often depicting characters who engage in unethical or immoral behavior to achieve their goals. The emphasis on these themes‚ while sometimes reflective of societal realities‚ has contributed to the perception of Nollywood as a genre rife with "mannerless" content.

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