Nollywood...to God be the gloryBy Olupohunda Bayo
Published: May 26, 2007
Print The average Nigerians who buy these movies have no choice and they will continue to have limited options because practitioners have refused to do things right and the regulatory authorities lack the bite to enforce and insist that movie making should be in line with what is obtained in other climes.
The attitude of Nollywood practitioners - cast and crew leaves a sour taste in the mouth. How many of our ‘star’ actors and actresses are trained? What we see is poor delivery of roles and diction. The new generation of artists is the worst. When some of the so-called ‘stars’ appear in one or two poorly produced and drab home videos, he begins to see himself or herself as a star actor or actress. What does being a star means? Nollywood practitioners need to have an attitude change. The fact that that you appear in a movie does not make you a star. We should take some deep lesson from the more advanced film industry in other climes. The idea of being a star is mundane. There are more serious issues to set right in Nollywood. That is producing the ‘stars’. The old generation practitioners need to insist that things were done in the proper way.
I had written about ego previously in this piece. Where did this idea of ‘waka pass’ come from? I understand they are the extras in the making of a movie. It is a very strange phenomenon. In a movie production, the location driver is as important as the lead actor or actress. The man who acts the role of a gateman ( a common feature in Nollywood movies ) is not the least in the production process. So who coined the name waka pass? Well! This is for you my Nollywood "star". The ‘waka pass’ in a movie produced in "common" South Africa earns more than you the "star "actor or actress in our Mighty Nollywood. How about that for starters! I think people deserve to be treated with respect. Isn’t there dignity in labour? I was told recently that a ‘star’ actress in Nollywood walked into set, delivered her role and walked out without saying a word to other "waka passes" Ego tripping!
The regulatory authorities need to begin to take a serious look at the happening in Nollywood. The film industry of any country is too serious to be left in the hands of charlatans like we now have. The sector is too strategic to be left in the hands of opportunists. The sad irony at present is that real professionals do not have the financial muscle to turn their dream into reality by producing movies of high quality. I shudder at the growing list of scripts written by professionals while charlatans have a field day. The government should act in this regard by commissioning professional producers to do movies that will tell our story. This will also go a long way in helping to project Nigeria positively to the outside world more than the propagandist Heart of Africa Project.
Saddest still, the home videos we have now are being shown and touted as the Nigeria movies on international channels like the African Magic Channel on DStv. This is disastrous! I am looking forward to the day when our producers will take the centre stage at the Cannes Film Festival and other festivals globally. As for Nollywood, the names must first change for any meaningful things to start happening.
This chaos in our film industry began during the locust years of military dictatorship. Prior to this, there was some order in the sub-sector. The Ogunde and Duro Ladipo Theatre Productions began a revolution of having their films premiered in cinemas across the country. Though done in Yoruba language, one can see an emerging trend in the culture of movie production that was gaining popularity and setting the direction in which our movie industry should be headed. These productions toured the major cities, towns and villages and tickets were sold out. I remembered as a young boy growing up in the early 80s how the adults emptied themselves into the local cinema in town to see Ogunde’s Aye and Jaiyesimi among other productions.
What became of Ososa’s Film Village? I do not think that film village has witnessed any production since the demise of the doyen of Nigerian theatre. Such is the ingenuity for establishing a film village where artists could engage in what they know best. How many of our Nollywooders can remember these doyens of our theatre? An industry without a sense of history is heading nowhere. Where are we really heading in the movie industry? What image are we projecting? I propose that our story should create the Nigerian dream and project it to the outside world. After all, isn’t a film industry an agenda setting tool for a developing nation like ours? Who will tell our story better than we? Should will leave it to African Magic, CNN, and most recently the ABC to drag us in the mud? The Nollywood practitioners should wake up. The government should quit these ambush propagandist measures and make a structured effort by providing an enabling environment for these to thrive.
No doubt, the industry has thoroughbred professionals. Kudos to Kelani, Eddie Ugboma, Don Pedro, Tade Ogidan, the youthful but boastful Jeta Amata (he still has a lot to learn though) etc. Actors like Mofe Damijo, Olu Jacobs and the elders should insist that things be done professionally. Enough of stereotype roles. For example, I don’t know what else Ramsey Noah, Jim Iyke, Pat Attah etc can do apart from acting the lover boy. God! Those roles are boring and drab. They should be cast in more challenging roles. Not kissing throughout a whole production and the women shedding tears for the heart-breaking actions of the men mentioned above.
We are yet to see an epic in the industry! Serious minded people are tired of seeing these unending love scenes and the antics of a fetish wielding Dibia. We are all patiently waiting for the day will we see a lot of epic movies that will compete anywhere in the world, telling the Nigerian story, then we shall all gladly proclaim, ‘To God be the glory’.
- Bayo is project director, Accessure Educational, Lagos
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