Nollywood – Nigerian Video Films: From Rages to Riches Lecture 9 http://nollywoodvienna.wordpress.com/ Derek Barker www.derekbarker.info Dr.Derek.Barker@gmail.com

Tunde Kelani Born 26 February 1948 Yoruba speaker Active in film production as producer, writer, director for 4 decades Formally trained Approx. 19 film credits on celluloid and digital formats (cf. Lancelot Imasuen with nearly 200 video films, no training)

Art house film or popular film? Ma’ami Art house film or popular film?

Tunde Kelani Ma’ami 12’’ 27” 53” 1’01” 1’24”

Qs 1 Ma’ami Provide a plot summary (half page)

2. What are the key themes of the movie? Qs 2 2. What are the key themes of the movie?

3. Describe representations of: Fathers Mothers Communities Qs 3 3. Describe representations of: Fathers Mothers Communities Politicians

4. Is the film progressive or conservative? Is it a political film? Qs 4 4. Is the film progressive or conservative? Is it a political film?

Approaches to film studies Jonathan Haynes Auteurism Film history and preservation Genre studies Manthia Diawara Narrativisation

List of films Living in Bondage (Chris Obi-Rapu, 1992) Domitilla (Zeb Ejiro, 1996) Owo Blow (Tade Ogidan, 1997) Osuofia in London I & II (Kingsley Ogoro, 2003) Mothers-in-law (Chika Onu, 2004) Beautiful Faces (Kabat Esosa Egbon, 2004) Through the Glass (Stephanie Okereke, 2008) The Figurine (Kunle Afolayan, 2009) Ma’ami (Tunde Kelani, 2012) So Daya (Rosy International, 2013)

How to understand the Nollywood phenomenon Onookome Okome – Nollywood as authentic voice of the (poor) people versus the (rich) powerful; a democratic / grass roots movement Birgit Meyer – Nollywood a function of (increasing) democratization Lindsey Green-Simms – Nollywood as systematically ignoring real / politically important problems / incurably conservative Kwaw Ansah – Nollywood as “juju, juju, juju!”

Onookome Okome Nollywood (popular Nigerian video film as contrasted to art house productions) shuns the grand ambition of debating (de)colonization… it focuses instead on the social and cultural forces of the local and how they cope with the global on their own terms

Onookome Okome … Nollywood film defines the situation of the crushed and defeated who… like the video filmmakers and the characters in the constructed world of Nollywood films, do not give up hope of social mobility

Onookome Okome Nollywood and the cultural products it sells constitutes a social document … of contemporary Nigerian social and cultural history from the bottom up.

Onookome Okome Members of the popular audience patronize Nollywood and respond to it on a daily basis because the social and symbolic metaphors embedded in its narratives provide answers they seek to the many questions of everyday existence in a brutal postcolonial city such as Lagos.

Popular culture as democratic Your thoughts? Is Nollywood an example of a popular (suppressed) voice rising up against the oppressors? Does it provide answers to the poor?

Birgit Meyer Video movies began to flourish in the very same period when the state withdrew from immediate control over media as radio, television, and film in the aftermath of the introduction of democratic institutions

Popular culture as domain of free speech Are Nigerian video films truly free? In what ways are popular forms of art free / unfree?

What is censorship?

Censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.

Lindsey Green-Simms Nollywood films never question the fact that one could and indeed should have a car [or other product], and concerns about a more equal and democratic approach to urban transportation [or any other public good] never enter the narrative.

Lindsey Green-Simms Furthermore, they ignore the global, geopolitical problems that are generated as car ownership becomes more widespread, and it is particularly egregious that video films turn a blind eye to the records of Shell and other oil companies in their own backyard.

Kwaw Ansah Nigeria hasn’t realized what Africans have gone through… We have stories to tell in Africa. 90% of the film I see are juju, juju, juju, what is it? I know Nigerians, I grew up with them, they were the best traders, they come to our village and were hardworking people.

Kwaw Ansah And I didn’t see many Nigerians making it through juju! … What is this wrong impression that every successful person from Nigeria should have gone through juju? Hollywood has made so much against the black race and when we have the opportunity to tell our own stories, we are confirming the same thing!

Who is right? Lindsey Green-Simms or Onookome Okome Onookome Okome – Nollywood as authentic voice of the (poor) people versus the (rich) powerful; a democratic / grass roots movement, telling their own stories Lindsey Green-Simms – Nollywood as systematically ignoring real / politically important problems / incurably conservative, promoter of wrong-headed notions and negative stereotypes of a “juju” nation

Tunde Kulani on “Saworoide” and self-censorship We had produced Saworoide as nothing more than a sort of passive observation of those dictatorship days (of Sani Abacha, head of state 1993-1998). Because the Nigerian film industry is a private enterprise, all the producers would just produce very safe stories, family issues, comedies, and love stories, but nothing about politics for fear of jeopardizing their investment.

Tunde Kulani on “Saworoide” and self-censorship So everybody played it safe. Saworoide was a tame attempt to document the evil of military rule. You know the print media on the other hand did very well because they openly criticized dictatorship. Of course some journalists had to go into exile and all that. But none of the filmmakers would dare that, so everybody just seemingly turned a blind eye and just went for their businesses.

Questions Reflect once again on “Ma’ami”: In what ways is the director “free” or “unfree” to tell the story he/she wants to tell? Which social norms are confirmed in the film / which norms are questioned?

Before Lecture 10 (Friday 16 January 2015) do 3 things: Homework Before Lecture 10 (Friday 16 January 2015) do 3 things: Watch the film “Domitilla” by Zeb Ejiro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQZSr92n2Hw 2) Read “Aesthetics and Politics” by Lola Frost 3) Review the film by posting a comment on the blog