Nollywood apparently makes billions of dollars and has become the staple entertainment for millions across the continent. But some believe mass production is compromising standards.
What do you think? Is Nollywood ruining Africa’s young film industry? Do you watch Nollywood films and if so why? If not, why not? Do you think Africa’s film industry would be taken more seriously on the global stage if it weren’t for Nollywood? Or would your life just not be the same without Nollywood films?
These are interesting questions put forward by a recent BBC programme.
Some of the comments generated include:
- Yes, I watch Nollywood movies and I belief that it is an inspiration and motivation for other Africans to start making films in and about the continent. No argument about the quality of the early Nollywood films. They have started paying more attention to quality. Nollywood films actually brought the Continent into the world arena in a way never seen by western film makers. Nollywood tells the story of Africa in African way.
- I am always at a loss why Nollywood directors seem not to notice the long, boring, often irrelevant dialogue that go on in most scenes. Some scenes take as long as 15-30 minutes with one single actor still jibbering on about something a Hollywood actor would have said in 3 seconds.
- I’ve only watched a handful of these films, and that’s because the storylines are much too predictable: a wealthy, corrupt politician and/or drug baron, living in ten different mansions or more, with many more top-of-the-range cars than he can ever find any rational use for, seduces any number of bimbos, each of whom is now scheming to join his battalion of wives and concubines, by consulting a shaman or two. They amount, at best, to a normalization (if not a celebration) of the very excessive materialism and superstitious beliefs that have made it impossible for us to challenge those who rob us blind.
- Nollywood is a positive influence on the African film industry. The genius of it is that they have found a way to mass-produce films for an audience that mostly subsists on less than $2/day. Once Africa’s purchasing power rises, so will the quality of Nollywood movies.
- For now though, they fill a vital gap of telling African stories that Africans can identify with. And I believe that regardless of quality these are preferred to movies like ‘blood diamond’ and ‘last king of Scotland’ which were made by non-Africans and are almost universally reviled among Africans for their inability to capture African humanity…
I have watched a lot Nollywood movies. I quite agree they are budget movies but one, as an African, cannot deny the storyline. They depict more of African societal belief and lifestyles. I have also watched many – Hollywood movies (though sophisticated) but the storyline are mostly not real, and I can tell the difference. Whenever I watch Nollywood movies, I learn real life lessons.
- I personally do not watch Nollywood films as they just do not appeal to me. However I know a lot of people from the West Indies who have a different aspect of Africa because of exposure to Nollywood. I think Nollywood is a testament to the genius of making do with what you have. Through Nollywood the myth of Africans all living in shacks has definitely been dispelled.
Here are just some of the comments to give readers a flavour from the post Is Nollywood destroying Africa’s film industry?of what some people think
What do you think?
Photo Source: ThePhoenix.com
Nollywood movies ?
As a frenchman quite interested and involved in African artistic, political, creative issues, I first think that they are fantastic documents about contemporary issues and life in Nigeria and most of West-African countries.
They talk about what people live in this region of the world, about their daily worries, about their dreams.
Yes, it could be better : there are other dreams in life than moving in big cars and luxury houses… than having rich man problems… In Nigeria like in France or anywhere else, most of the people follow the crowd and want what they are told they need.
But Nollywood became a real industry in less than 20 years and many people live on that. The generated income for an actor may not be so big, it could be like being a tailor… It can also be bigger, but like in soccer, not everybody can be Zidane !
I really think that this is something that should be promoted and supported. And it is definitely a very dynamic aspect of creativity that some people manage to develop. For this only reason Nollywood deserve a lot of interest and respect. At least, they DO things, not only talk.