Famous Nigerian author and poet Chinua Achebe once wrote that “One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised”. Choosing between integrity and compromise are a huge part of filmmaking- which is better for the story and the viewing experience, sticking to the facts or omitting information to create a more palatable narrative? The debate over right and wrong in cinema is a tale of its own, one as old as time. Sometimes it’s about a story being told, sometimes it’s about the casting and other creative decisions, sometimes it comes down to naming conventions. That might sound like a strange thing to debate in the wonderful world of filmmaking, but if you take a step outside of Hollywood you can see why it’s such a sensitive, albeit fascinating conversation.
That -ollywood naming convention is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m sure you’ve heard of Bollywood, at the very least in name only. It’s taken to other parts of the world, with some lesser known and others parts of a vibrant and thriving scene. Nollywood and the film industry of Nigeria is a great example of how the integrity of identity and the compromise for marketing can butt heads.
Controversy Behind the Name ‘Nollywood’
I won’t use ‘Nollywood’ and ‘Nigeria’s film industry’ interchangeably because it’s hard to classify what counts as ‘Nollywood’. The origins of the term ‘Nollywood’ are debated, but we know its earliest use in media was in 2002. Both Japanese-Canadian journalist Norimitsu Onishi and European blogger and correspondent Matt Steinglass used it in different articles they wrote for The New York Times.
We get a little more insight from Nigerian journalist and filmmaker, Alex Eyengho. In 2012 he said Nollywood is “the totality of activities taking place in the Nigerian film industry, be it in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Itsekiri, Edo, Efik, Ijaw, Urhobo or any other of the over 300 Nigerian languages”. (Fun fact, he was the first African to become Vice President of the International Federation of Film Producers Association)
That tells us a little about its history and application, but why the controversy? One could argue that the name is helping elevate Nigerian cinema and voices to a more global audience, leading to representation and cultural awareness. Here’s where it gets a little sticky. Nollywood has also been used to describe English-language films from Ghana which are co-produced and/or distributed through Nigerian companies. Not a big deal, right? The keywords here are ‘English-language films’. As in films made where the primary language spoken is a European one. Further, stakeholders take issue with the term since it was coined by a foreigner. To associate Nigerian cinema with Western cinema is seen as a form of erasure and imperialism. I don’t think I need to do a deep dive on African history to illustrate why that’s problematic.
There’s also the fact that Nollywood follows that naming convention I mentioned earlier. This too is seen as a form of erasure, detracting from the unique identity behind the films. Rather than being treated as something unique and exclusive to Nigeria and the Nigerian experience, it comes across as being a carbon copy of Hollywood transplanted to the Western African country.
Nigerian filmmakers like Tunde Kelani have argued that using Nollywood as a catch-all term completely overlooks Nigerian cinema which existed long before. Colonial Nigeria was a popular site for filmmakers who created content for local audiences. English filmmaker Geoffrey Barkas made the earliest Nigerian feature film in 1926; it was also the first film to feature Nigerian actors in a prominent speaking role. Commercial cinema was becoming a huge part of the social scene in Lagos by the 1930s. By the 1940s there was an active effort to do away with the colonial filmmaking industry practices, and make it more inherently African. New cinema houses were being built the moment Nigeria achieved independence in 1960.
Nollywood’s Impact on African Cinema
Nigeria’s booming film industry has also ruffled a few feathers in Africa. Africa isn’t homogenous, despite what a lot of ignorant people like to believe. Each country has a rich history of powerful kingdoms, beautiful artwork, hundreds of languages, and spiritual traditions that have left their mark in other parts of the world. But Nigerian cinema has begun to overshadow the rest of Africa’s various cinematic industries.
This became especially controversial in the tail end of the Video Film Era, which was from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. The Video Film Era was the home viewing equivalent of their cinema’s Golden Age- rather than a boom in ticket sales and filling theater seats, there was a boom in VHS purchases and at home viewership. For this reason it was also called the Home Video Era.
This was when Nigerian films began dominating the African film industry as a whole. This was seen as a threat to the identity and art of other African countries. They had begun to adopt Nigerian slang and fashion, popularized by the high volume of Nigerian content. And by high volume, I mean EXTREMELY high volume. When the Video Film Era reached its peak in 2008, Nigeria’s film industry had become the second largest film producer in the world – a title it still holds to this day, coming in second to Hollywood. By the 2010s films were being made everyday in 3-4 days, with roughly 200 new movies coming out each month. Today, roughly 2500 films are made each year.
The volume was weighed against claims of unprofessionalism and poor infrastructure. Piracy was also peaking, as were claims that the industry was overrun by people who knew nothing about the filmmaking process. Despite this, the industry was the country’s highest employer at the time.
Nigerian-Ghanian Relations
Ghana in particular experienced a change in its relationship with its fellow West African country. Nigerian filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with Venus Films, a Ghanian production company, in 2006. Many Ghanian actors found employment in Nigeria’s film industry as a result. This led to claims that Ghanian actors were taking jobs that rightfully belonged to Nigerian actors. This happened to coincide with Nigerian filmmakers shooting their movies in Ghana to cut production costs associated with filmmaking in Lagos, and other large Nigerian cities.
Not everyone felt that this was harmful to Nigerian cinema. In 2014 Vanguard, one of Nigeria’s most popular publications, spoke to various Nigerian actors to get their opinions on the matter. Actress Mercy Aigbe said that these claims were discriminatory, and that there shouldn’t be a hierarchy amongst African countries. Actress Theresa Edem said that the competition this invites is good for business, and that “A united Africa sells anyday, anytime”. Still, actor Bob-Manuel criticized Nigeria’s love of foreign things, calling this trend a “sad reflection…even if it’s from smaller countries around us”.
Roots of Nigerian Cinema’s Fame
So how did Nigeria become the filmmaking powerhouse that it is today? Its popularity can be attributed to various factors. The Yoruba, one of the largest ethnic groups in Western Africa, are known for their traveling theater traditions. These traveling troupes began filming their productions to help share their stories to a larger audience. It was cheap and easy, so the large volume that we still see today should come as no surprise – it’s been there from the start.
The stories themselves had a lot to do with it too. The stories were unlike anything seen in the Western world before, with themes touching on daily life in Nigeria to myths and legends that were relatively unknown in other parts of the world. We can only watch so many superhero movies before they all start to feel the same, especially when they’re constantly rebooting properties whose origin stories we’ve literally seen multiple times already.
Once it became clear just how profitable this model was, the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria began creating their own films. Though the roots of what became Nollywood had already been planted, the Nollywood boom took place in 1992 when Igbo filmmaker Chris Obi Rapu made Living in Bondage. This film is considered the beginning of Nollywood as we know it today.
Nollywood in the West
The term ‘Nollywood USA’ is often applied to works created by Nigerian diaspora filmmakers, and they typically feature both diaspora actors as well as famous Nigerian actors. They premiere in Nigeria, sometimes even achieving full-blown nationwide theatrical releases. Nollywood also exists as a category on Netflix so viewers worldwide can take in these stories and get to know Nigeria through its cinematic content.
The Final Take
(Yeah, that was a pun, and I’m not sorry, it was too good to pass up)
What can independent actors and filmmakers learn from the fascinating history of Nigerian cinema? First, it’s a prime example of what Teddy Roosevelt meant when he said “Do what you can with what you have where you are”. Few resources, small budgets, and minimal experience- the bar was low, as it was a new industry, yet look at the heights it’s reached in only 40 years!
Second, it’s the epitome of grassroots and indie. It was born from a love of craft and storytelling, not a quick cash grab. While those claims did eventually come from how quick and easy it is to make a movie in Nigeria, that doesn’t take away from the entrepreneurial spirit behind it all.
Third, filmmaking in Nigeria began as a practice rooted in conquest and exploitation, but the people of Nigeria were able to take control of it and use it as a vehicle for exploring and sharing their voices and stories with the rest of the world. Again, Nigeria comes in second to Hollywood in terms of film production on a global scale. It has provided jobs for hundreds of thousands of people and contributed to the country’s economy in ways that were largely unprecedented. It’s a powerful story in and of itself.
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