I am in awe of an industry with such far-reaching influences and impact as Nollywood. I admire any platform which emerges out of Nigeria and has the ability to influence culture and society while giving utmost visibility to the country.
Nollywood easily falls into this category. A globally visible platform for the projection of a country, a people, a society and a way of life. There ends my admiration for and begins my chagrin with Nollywood.
A medium for mass participation such as any media platform, and movies is a media platform, has responsibilities attached to it. Like the traditional news and information media, Nollywood has the responsibility to inform and entertain.
What messages do I get from Nollywood?
Nollywood's success is seemingly being built on the Ugly, Dark and Bizarre. Neanderthal Men with painted faces. Badly dressed Men and Women with poor makeup skills sneaking in and out of strange enclaves ruled by caped overweight men slaughtering fowls and tossing cowries. Promotion of poor accents and bad language introducing previously unheard of words into our lexicon and consciousness.
The commercial value of Nollywood can not be denied. A hugely successful, in monetary terms, industry creating numerous jobs and opportunities for many who probably would have otherwise been illicitly engaged or otherwise.
I feel Nollywood has reached a point where it now needs to take on the responsibility of positive projection of Nigeria and Nigerians along with the comedic and 'reality' portrayals of Nigeria.
We are all not illiterate, semi-literate and living in huts. We resisted and continue to resist this notion particularly when it is suggested by foreigners.
We all do not spend our time in Internet Cafes sending ridiculous chance emails to strangers.
We all may have dodged a bullet at one time or the other by not ending up with a Jennifa-type but still live and work in a society full of many non-Jennifas.
We all do not live in grossly-decorated concrete jails neither do we all live with gunge streaming through our living quarters. Regardless of the ratio of those who do to those who do not, positive features encourage positive notions.
While this is not meant to paint a far-fetched picture of the realities of Nigeria, it is more a plea to project what is good and indeed present in today's Nigeria.
Where are the intelligently crafted movies which inspire the next Nigerian? Where do we and indeed those outside the country learn of the possibilities and creativity abound in the country?
Period movies from other countries are even awe-inspiring and portray a time and place you wish to transport yourself to while watching and more importantly, learning.
This begs the question, Is Nollywood simply catering to the inane desires to explore and cynically view Nigeria and its people for commercial purposes?
What impact for the larger population and the future?
Maybe, just maybe, one day Nollywood movies would sweep the boards at International Movie awards. Not likely. There is more to movie-making and production than poor cinematography, poor acting, poor social messages and poor make-up.
Little wonder that Nollywood failed woefully at the recent African Movies Awards which saw the emergence of movie-makers from other countries in categories that Nollywood films can only dream of. Trailblazers are never always the longest survivors.
Yeah. Jennifa was funny and a sensation in context. I certainly won't be employing Gbo'gbo Bigz Girls any time soon as I need the space for others to move around. 'Silifa upon Silifa' is not a dress code I am ready to introduce in the front office just yet.
Not all our women frantically chew gum like they are trying avert the skies falling down. Not all of them hang about street corners, clubs, malls and workplaces actively seeking out Mugus to pay their bills.
Where are the movies which show the better-dressed, better-learned and better-spoken Nigerians? Maybe there are none or no such Nigerians. Maybe Nollywood is a true reflection of the 'slumdogs' we all really are regardless of where or what we pretend to be anywhere in the world.
Blame not the foreigner for thinking we all still wear grass skirts with nicely carved bones through our nostrils. The evidence of empty crates at airport perimeter fences may be the clues to how we arrived at their doorsteps.
The next time I am returning to a foreign country and I get a request to bring back a Nollywood movie on the occult and dark side of our pre-supposed ways of life, I will shoot somebody!
Finally, I am not sure what the upcoming generation of Nigerians, children, will see in Nollywood movies and aspire to. A red-caped Medicine man or Jeri-curled preacher are no longer fashionable career choices for many.
What do you think?
