Cinema of Nigeria
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The cinema of Nigeria is a developing industry that has become increasingly productive in recent years. Although Nigerian films have been produced since the 1960s, the rise of digital cinema has resulted in a growing video film industry. The Nigerian video feature film industry is sometimes colloquially known as Nollywood. The term is of uncertain date and origin, but is derived from Hollywood in the same manner as Bollywood, as the other Indian film industries (such as Tollywood and Kollywood), and as Lollywood (which refers to the Cinema of Pakistan and also to a movie slot on German kids' TV channel KI.KA).
According to Hala Gorani and Jeff Koinange of Cable News Network (CNN), Nigeria has a multi-billion dollar movie industry, churning out some 200 "home videos" every month to become the third largest in the world after the United States and India (visit cnn.com/transcripts and www.isop.ucla.edu).
Many foreign and local critics have criticized Nollywood for its trite plots, poor dialogue, terrible sound, and poor production values. Some worry that the prevalence of witchcraft and violence in the movies may encourage negative stereotypes about Africans. Yet in just 13 years, Nollywood has grown from nothing into an industry that employs thousands of people.
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[edit] History
The first Nigerian films were made by filmmakers such as Ola Balogun and Hubert Ogunde in the 1960s, but they were frustrated by the high cost of film production. However, television broadcasting in Nigeria began in the 1960s and received much government support in its early years. By the mid-1980s every state had its own broadcasting station. Law limited foreign television content so producers in Lagos began televising local popular theater productions. Many of these were circulated on video as well, and a small scale informal video movie trade developed. Nigerian film is thus a video movie industry; Nigerians call them 'home videos'.
There is some debate concerning what caused this small local market in videos to explode into a booming industry that has pushed foreign media off the shelves in much of Africa and is now marketed all over the world. Use of English rather than local languages served to expand the market. Aggressive marketing using posters, trailers, and television advertising also played a role in Nollywood's success. Many point to the 1992 release of Living in Bondage, a film about a businessman whose dealings with a money cult result in the death of his wife, as the industry's first blockbuster. Since then, thousands of movies have been released. One of the first Nigerian movie to reach international fame was the 2003 release Osuofia In London, starring Nkem Owoh, the famous Nigerian comedic actor. Modern Nigerian cinema’s most prolific auteur is Chico Ejiro, who directed over 80 films in a 5-year period and brags that he can complete production on a movie in as little as three days. Ejiro’s brother Zeb is the best-known director of these videos outside of the country.
The first Nollywood films were produced with traditional analog video, such as Betacam SP, but today all Nollywood movies are produced using digital video technology.
Only recently, Time magazine published an article rating the industry as the third-largest after Hollywood and Bollywood.
[edit] Production
Nollywood has one studio in Tinapa, Calabar but most movies are not in the Hollywood sense. Video movies are shot in locations all over Nigeria with distinct regional variations between the northern movies (made primarily in the Hausa Language), the western Yoruba-language movies, the Igbo movies shot in the east, and the popular English-language productions shot in the southeast. many of the big producers have offices in Surulere, Lagos. Shooting films in Nigeria is extremely difficult. Lagos, home to 15 million people (expected to be 24 million by 2010), is a nightmare of snarled traffic, pollution, decaying infrastructure, and frequent power outages.
Nigerian directors adopt new technologies as soon as they become affordable. Bulky videotape cameras gave way to their digital descendents, which are now being replaced by HD cameras. Editing, music, and other post-production work is done with common computer-based systems.
[edit] Distribution
The primary distribution centres are Idumota Market on Lagos Island, and Onitsha in Anambra State.
Currently, Nigerian films outsell Hollywood films in Nigeria and many other African countries. Some 300 producers churn out movies at an astonishing rate—somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 a year. The films go straight to DVD and VCD discs. Thirty new titles are delivered to Nigerian shops and market stalls every week, where an average film sells 50,000 copies. A hit may sell several hundred thousand. Discs sell for two dollars each, making them affordable for most Nigerians and providing astounding returns for the producers.
Nigerian video movies are available in even the most remote areas of the continent. The last few years have seen the growing popularity of Nollywood films among African diaspora in both Europe and North America.
[edit] Themes
Many Nollywood movies have themes that deal with the moral dilemmas facing modern Africans. Some movies promote the Christian or Islamic faiths, and some movies are overtly evangelical. Others, however, address questions of religious diversity, such as the popular film Not Without My Daughter, about a Muslim man and a Christian woman who want to marry but go through many obstacles.
In the documentary film This Is Nollywood by Franco Sacchi and Robert Caputo, Nollywood filmmakers are shown to be conscious of the responsibility they have toward their society. Acclaimed director Bond Emeruwa says they feel an obligation to “put a message in there.” Many of Nollywood films deal with AIDS, corruption, women’s rights, and other topics of concern to ordinary Africans. Nollywood directors know they have struck a lucrative and long-neglected market—movies that offer audiences characters they can identify with in stories that relate to their everyday lives.
[edit] Nigerian films
[edit] Notable Nollywood actors
- Saint Obi
- Osita Iheme
- Chinedu Ikedieze
- Stella Damasus-Aboderin
- Ejike Asiegbu
- Regina Askia
- Liz Benson
- Yemi Blaq
- Richard Mofe Damijo
- Rita Dominic
- Dakore Egbuson
- Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
- Desmond Elliot
- Jim Iyke
- Oby Kechere
- Jide Kosoko
- Genevieve Nnaji
- Ramsey Tokunbo Nouah Jr.
- Ernerst Obi
- Zack Orji
- Nkem Owoh
- Shola Sobowale
- Stephanie Okereke
- Kanayo O. Kanayo
- Patience Ozokwor
- Monalisa Chinda
- Chibueze Okechukwu
- Gentle Jack
- Oge Okoye
- Caroline Ekanem
- Uche Jombo
- Maureen Solomon
- Sam Loco Efe
- Mercy Johnson
- Bukky Ajayi
- Uche Iwuji
- Golria Young
- Norbert Young
- John Njamah
- Chiege Alisigwe
- J.T Tom West
- Emma Ehumadu
- Okey McAnthony
- Chioma Chukwuka
- Victor Osuagwu
- Thelma Okoduwa
- Pete Edochie
- Nkiru Sylvanus
- Saint Obi
- Chidi Mokeme
- Rita Edochie
- Tammy Oposunju
- Mary-Ann Apollo
- Clarion Oduneye
- Uche Obi-Osotule
- Ebele Okaro
- Grace Amah
- Hanks Anuku
- Nonso Diobi
- Ini Edo
[edit] Nigerian Movies
Faith in Christ, Faith in Christ 2, Family Love, Family Love 2,
[edit] External links
- African Movie Channel - The premier video on demand TV channel dedicated to African movies
- Nollywood Movie Trailers
- MercatorNet: Nollywood's challenge to Hollywood
- Daniel Künzler, The Nigerian video industry as an example of import substitution. Paper presented at the Sociological Institute of the University of Bergen (Norway), October 30, 2006
- New Nigerian Cinema: An Interview with Akin Adesokan, January, 2006
- Directory for professional film, video and broadcast TV in Nigeria
- Nigerian & African Filmmakers' forums
- The largest online community of fans of Nigerian Nollywood movies
- Nollywood Star Profiles
- Largest Nollywood Movie Profiles and Selections Online
- This is Nollywood - Documentary film that captures the spirit of Nollywood
- Nollywood.com - Nigerian movies and stars
- The Nollywood Project This site has Nollywood movie trailers
- Nollywood, What's in a Name? by Jonathan Haynes, The Guardian
- Juju and Justice at the Movies: Vigilantes in Nigerian Popular Videos, By John C. McCall, African Studies Review
- Africa Update: Special Issue on the Nigerian Film Industry
- Nigerian home video: a worthwhile project? By Makinde Adeniran
- Africans, Camera, Action: Nollywood Catches World's Eye
- Nollywood, in a Starring Role by Neely Tucker, Washington Post
- Nigerian film lights Zambia's screens, BBC article
- Nollywood becomes the third-biggest movie industry
- Izogn Movies Watch Nollywood movies online (Windows only)
- Nollywood movie "30 DAYS" starring Genevieve Nnaji, Joke Silva and Segun Arinze
- A review of the Film 30 Days by Sola Osofisan
- Blogs on Nigerian Movies and Stars
- Great African Mind: Nigerian Largest Web Portal.
- Great African Mind: Cinema in Nigeria and daily Movies
