NEXT on Sunday The Nollywood monolith and other industries
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234NEXT.com Sunday, 17 January 2010 NEXT on Sunday ArTS & CulTurE 35 F rom the stalls of Brook- lyn’s Odyssey African market in New York to its European headquar- ters in Peckham, London to the streets of Accra, Ghana, Nollywood’s dominance and growth beyond the shores of Nigeria has no boundaries. The question is has its emergence silenced other West African film industries? The themes of corruption, police brutality, rags-to- riches tales, witchcraft and the continuous fight between Christianity and the powers of darkness is one factor that has succeeded in captivating the attention of Nollywood’s audience. Its popularity goes across the board, from West African, countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, to the African Diaspora in Europe and America. It is the focus of count- less Facebook appreciation groups dedicated to promot- ing its stars. Described as a rare instance of self-representation in Africa, Nollywood producers over the years have said their foremost aim is to tell their own stories. Stella Damasus is one of Nollywood’s biggest female stars. She has worked in the industry for more than 13 years and starred in over 30 films. She says Nollywood is “One way Nigerians in the Diaspora have been able to connect with home, even as far as learning languages, nuances and gen- eral lifestyle practices.” Attracting others Nollywood seems to place no limits on itself, attract- ing actors across the ocean to appear in some of its produc- tions. Chet Bashari Anekwe, a Nigerian-born actor who grew up in Brooklyn and has worked extensively as a theatre actor in New York, made his first Nol- lywod feature film, ‘30 Days’ in 2005. It is an experience he describes as a homecoming because it was totally different to what he was used to. Anekwe says he was attracted to Nolly- wood because it is an industry that “Celebrates the culture of Nigeria and African heritage.” Anekwe and Damasus believe this is why it has appealed to the broader West African com- munity, due to the similarities in culture and social back- grounds. According to Anekwe, “Nollywood shows a different side of West Africa contrary to what the world media shows.” Nollywood is Nigeria’s bur- geoning film industry, and is just over 15 years-old. Behind Hollywood and Bollywood, it is the third largest film industry in the world. Over 2000 films are made each year, mean- ing an average of 50 films are churned out each week and distributed widely in Lagos and Onitsha, two of Nigeria’s most commercialised cities. The industry is estimated to be worth more than $250 mil- lion dollars and contributes to Nigeria’s annual GDP. The proliferation and suc- cess of Nollywood films in West Africa is due to a number of factors, according to Jonath- an Haynes. A Professor of Eng- lish at New York’s Long Island University, Haynes has written extensively about Nollywood and the Ghanaian film indus- try. He says that both indus- tries started at the same time and have been quite parallel. However, “The difference is that the Nigerian industry is much larger simply because Nigeria is a large country of 130 million people in com- parison to Ghana’s 20 million.” He also highlights the fact that Nollywood producers seized the opportunity of using digital technology rather than Cellu- loid to make films. This gave them the opportunity to make films straight to DVD and VCD discs, making them readily available to the masses. In com- parison to films made by other parts of West Africa, such as the ones shown at FESPACO, which are made on Celluloid films, with foreign sponsor- ship and go to foreign festi- vals. Hence, they become elite forms of filmmaking and do not reach the masses. Haynes said, “What’s interesting about the video films is that they are much closer to the grassroots audience as an expression of popular imagination.” Attention from the West A cultural phenomenon which has caught the attention of the West, Nollywood is the basis of three documentaries in recent years: “Welcome to Nollywood” by Jamie Melt- zer, “This is Nollywood” by Franco Sacchi, and “Nolly- wood Babylon” by Ben Addel- man and Samir Mallal, which premiered at the Sundance festival in January. Sacchi, who directed “This is Nollywood”, is a Zambian- born Italian film maker based in Boston. He says one of the fundamental factors which have contributed to Nolly- wood’s success is that “Nol- lywood has also created a star system which is really the foun- dation for a movie industry in any country. Where you have recognisable lead actors the audience can identity with and it is nice to see a brother.” He adds that though Nollywood films are popular with Afri- cans in the Diaspora and Car- ibbeans, he thinks it is yet to get the full recognition it deserves from the West. Chris Obirapu is regarded as the godfather of Nollywood because of his pioneering contributions to the indus- try. “Living In Bondage,” his ground-breaking 1992 block- buster movie is credited for revolutionising today’s boom- ing industry. He believes Nol- lywood’s biggest success was its ability “to break the stran- glehold of Hollywood and Bol- lywood influence in Nigeria.” He says these industries can no longer compete in Nigeria and across West African countries. Can other industries thrive? Asked if Nollywood had silenced other film industries in West Africa, Obirapu says, “Yes, for sure yes. The Gha- naians are trying to come up but they cannot meet up with the numbers being produced by Nollywood.” He cites the emergence of cable television like Africa Magic, which shows Nollywood movies 24 hours a day and is carried on the South African owned MultiChoice DSTV. A multi-channel satel- lite television service in many parts of Africa, this means the West African film indus- try market is indeed crowded with Nollywood movies. How- ever, he points out that this is because Nollywood producers have taken advantage of a vac- uum that had been created due to the lack of a home-grown film industry for many years. Anekwe, who also adds that the presence of Nollywood spread so fast, taking a lot of people unawares, says it is yet to fully tell the stories of Nigerians and West Africans the way it should be told. “I think we are really lacking in the areas of telling historical stories. There are some really great, rich and deep historical and traditional stories akin to Roots and Braveheart that are yet to be told. “There are deep intricate things that go on from the political, cultural and social side that we are yet to hear. The deep background stories, is what Nollywood should be telling next.” There is life beyond Nolly- wood in West African cinema and the floor is open to all. In the meantime, Nollywood producers have the uphill task of making films that are of international standards and can confidently compete with its Hollywood and Bol- lywood counterparts in order to attract a bigger market and audience share outside Niger- ia, West Africa and the African Diaspora. Chet Bashari Anekwe says Nollywood “celebrates the culture of Nigeria and African heritage.” PHOTO By ViNCeNT NguyeN Stella Damasus is one of Nollywood’s most recognisable stars PHOTO COurTeSy SD. “I thInk we are really lackIng In the areas of tellIng hIstorIcal storIes. there are some really great, rIch and deep hIstorIcal and tradItIonal storIes akIn to roots and Braveheart that are yet to Be told.” The Nollywood monolith and other industries By BeliNda OTas Is the burgeoning Nigerian film industry squeezing out cinema from other African countries?
Transcript of NEXT on Sunday The Nollywood monolith and other industries
234NEXT.com Sunday, 17 January 2010 NEXT on Sunday ArTS & CulTurE 35
From the stalls of Brook-lyn’s Odyssey African market in New York
to its European headquar-ters in Peckham, London to the streets of Accra, Ghana, Nollywood’s dominance and growth beyond the shores of Nigeria has no boundaries. The question is has its emergence silenced other West African film industries?
The themes of corruption, police brutality, rags-to-riches tales, witchcraft and the continuous fight between Christianity and the powers of darkness is one factor that has succeeded in captivating the attention of Nollywood’s audience. Its popularity goes across the board, from West African, countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, to the African Diaspora in Europe and America.
It is the focus of count-less Facebook appreciation groups dedicated to promot-ing its stars. Described as a rare instance of self-representation in Africa, Nollywood producers over the years have said their foremost aim is to tell their own stories. Stella Damasus is one of Nollywood’s biggest female stars. She has worked in the industry for more than 13 years and starred in over 30 films. She says Nollywood is “One way Nigerians in the Diaspora have been able to connect with home, even as far as learning languages, nuances and gen-eral lifestyle practices.”
Attracting othersNollywood seems to place
no limits on itself, attract-ing actors across the ocean to appear in some of its produc-tions. Chet Bashari Anekwe, a Nigerian-born actor who grew up in Brooklyn and has worked extensively as a theatre actor in
New York, made his first Nol-lywod feature film, ‘30 Days’ in 2005. It is an experience he describes as a homecoming because it was totally different to what he was used to. Anekwe says he was attracted to Nolly-wood because it is an industry that “Celebrates the culture of Nigeria and African heritage.” Anekwe and Damasus believe this is why it has appealed to the broader West African com-munity, due to the similarities in culture and social back-grounds. According to Anekwe, “Nollywood shows a different side of West Africa contrary to what the world media shows.”
Nollywood is Nigeria’s bur-geoning film industry, and is just over 15 years-old. Behind Hollywood and Bollywood, it is the third largest film industry in the world. Over 2000 films are made each year, mean-ing an average of 50 films are churned out each week and distributed widely in Lagos and Onitsha, two of Nigeria’s most commercialised cities. The industry is estimated to be worth more than $250 mil-lion dollars and contributes to Nigeria’s annual GDP.
The proliferation and suc-cess of Nollywood films in West Africa is due to a number of factors, according to Jonath-an Haynes. A Professor of Eng-lish at New York’s Long Island University, Haynes has written extensively about Nollywood and the Ghanaian film indus-try. He says that both indus-tries started at the same time and have been quite parallel. However, “The difference is that the Nigerian industry is much larger simply because Nigeria is a large country of 130 million people in com-parison to Ghana’s 20 million.” He also highlights the fact that Nollywood producers seized the opportunity of using digital technology rather than Cellu-loid to make films. This gave them the opportunity to make films straight to DVD and VCD discs, making them readily available to the masses. In com-parison to films made by other parts of West Africa, such as the ones shown at FESPACO, which are made on Celluloid
films, with foreign sponsor-ship and go to foreign festi-vals. Hence, they become elite forms of filmmaking and do not reach the masses. Haynes said, “What’s interesting about the video films is that they are much closer to the grassroots audience as an expression of popular imagination.”
Attention from the WestA cultural phenomenon
which has caught the attention of the West, Nollywood is the basis of three documentaries in recent years: “Welcome to Nollywood” by Jamie Melt-zer, “This is Nollywood” by Franco Sacchi, and “Nolly-wood Babylon” by Ben Addel-man and Samir Mallal, which premiered at the Sundance festival in January.
Sacchi, who directed “This is Nollywood”, is a Zambian-born Italian film maker based in Boston. He says one of the fundamental factors which have contributed to Nolly-wood’s success is that “Nol-lywood has also created a star system which is really the foun-dation for a movie industry in any country. Where you have recognisable lead actors the audience can identity with and it is nice to see a brother.” He adds that though Nollywood films are popular with Afri-cans in the Diaspora and Car-ibbeans, he thinks it is yet to get the full recognition it deserves from the West.
Chris Obirapu is regarded as the godfather of Nollywood because of his pioneering contributions to the indus-try. “Living In Bondage,” his ground-breaking 1992 block-buster movie is credited for revolutionising today’s boom-ing industry. He believes Nol-lywood’s biggest success was its ability “to break the stran-glehold of Hollywood and Bol-lywood influence in Nigeria.” He says these industries can no longer compete in Nigeria and across West African countries.
Can other industries thrive?Asked if Nollywood had
silenced other film industries in West Africa, Obirapu says, “Yes, for sure yes. The Gha-naians are trying to come up
but they cannot meet up with the numbers being produced by Nollywood.” He cites the emergence of cable television like Africa Magic, which shows Nollywood movies 24 hours a day and is carried on the South African owned MultiChoice DSTV. A multi-channel satel-lite television service in many parts of Africa, this means the West African film indus-try market is indeed crowded with Nollywood movies. How-ever, he points out that this is because Nollywood producers have taken advantage of a vac-uum that had been created due to the lack of a home-grown film industry for many years.
Anekwe, who also adds that the presence of Nollywood spread so fast, taking a lot of people unawares, says it is yet to fully tell the stories of Nigerians and West Africans the way it should be told. “I think we are really lacking in the areas of telling historical
stories. There are some really great, rich and deep historical and traditional stories akin to Roots and Braveheart that are yet to be told.
“There are deep intricate things that go on from the political, cultural and social side that we are yet to hear. The deep background stories, is what Nollywood should be telling next.”
There is life beyond Nolly-
wood in West African cinema and the floor is open to all. In the meantime, Nollywood producers have the uphill task of making films that are of international standards and can confidently compete with its Hollywood and Bol-lywood counterparts in order to attract a bigger market and audience share outside Niger-ia, West Africa and the African Diaspora.
Chet Bashari Anekwe says Nollywood “celebrates the culture of Nigeria and African heritage.” PHOTO By ViNCeNT NguyeN
Stella Damasus is one of Nollywood’s most recognisable stars PHOTO COurTeSy SD.
“I thInk we are really lackIng In the areas of tellIng hIstorIcal storIes. there are some really great, rIch and deep hIstorIcal and tradItIonal storIes akIn to roots and Braveheart that are yet to Be told.”
The Nollywood monolith and other industries
By BeliNda OTas
Is the burgeoning Nigerian film industry squeezing out cinema from other African countries?
