GIVE ME A BREAK

It was reported some time ago that Nigeria viz Nollywood is the second largest producer of movies in the world. Of course, a lot of theatre and movie practitioners in the country were literarily over the moon at that piece of information. A lot of them gloated and ‘yapped’ about how Nigeria was still able to clinch the number two spot in spite of the numerous challenges plaguing the movie industry.

But we do need to examine that report carefully and also make an holistic appraisal of the situation on ground before jumping to conclusions.

Firstly, the keyword here is ‘largest.’ It doesn’t take into consideration vital aspects like quality, camera, cast, storyline, and audio-visual output……rather, it only recognizes the volume of movies produced.

Bottom line is that we might be producing a lot of films on a yearly basis, but the important question to ask is: Are the films of standard quality? Can they compete at international film festivals and stand a chance of winning awards? Can they be compared to their counterparts in Hollywood and Bollywood?

Truly, the funds, infrastructure, technical know-how and government support is more in those countries, but we also need to take a critical look at the things that we have being able to achieve with the little that we have here.
One major problem I have with Nigerian movies is their story-line. They are usually weak, unintelligent and often times not creative enough.

As a matter of fact, the writer in me cringes when I watch some films. I feel insulted and embarrassed because a lot of these scripts are obviously poorly researched.

Films are a major form of entertainment, but they are also meant to educate and inform, and sadly a lot of our films are not doing that. If you watch the average Hollywood movie in which the lead character is a doctor, there is a very high probability that you’ll learn two or more things about the practice of doctors in reality.

A lot of work goes into their scripts and they do not hesitate to get professional advice when necessary.

The Nigerian police, as an example, has being very bastardized by a lot of Nigerian films. We all know that the Nigerian police in reality have their shortcomings but their portrayal in home videos leave a lot to be desired.

Even the courtroom and lawyers have suffered the same battery. There seems to be no order and procedure in the way ‘ Nollywood’ courts are run. The dressing and appearance of the lawyers are often not good enough.

The same thing goes with doctors and hospitals. The average ‘nurse’ in a Nollywood  movie is usually timid and does nothing other than smile and run in a dull choreographed fashion. The Nollywood doctors are also usually unsympathetic and tactless in delivering bad news to the relatives of their patients. This sends a wrong signal to the outside community whose only insight into Nigeria and the way of life of its citizens is through our films.

I am not postulating that Nigerian movies should represent a skewed reality but my point is that more work and care can go into our films to make sure that our messages are largely factual and positive.

Script writers should also endeavor to be consistent with their characterization and the story thread. It is only in a Nollywood film that a character will bear “Tunde” at the beginning and then midway into the film, the name changes to “Bode.”

Also the choice of location is usually flawed. Instances abound where living rooms have being converted to police stations. That in itself is not bad, provided that the right props are used.

I once watched a film where almost all the scenes were shot in the same house, and yet the director wanted us, the viewers, to believe that different locations were used. As I said before, even that in itself is not bad provided we see different parts of the house, but no, it was obvious even to the blind that the same house was used because the painting was of same colour, the wood paneling was of the same texture, the curtains were the same, the gate was the same…….need I say more?

Another aspect where I have problems with some Nollywood films is in the use of cameras and lightening. Some of the pictures of our films are dull and not clear enough. Also there are lots of background noises, most common of which is the sound of generators and running children. I believe that this can be taken care of my proper editing.

However, I will be most unfair if I do not acknowledge the fact that there are indeed some Nollywood productions to be proud of. Some of our actors, actresses, producers and directors actually put in a great deal of effort into their work, and by so doing, they have been able to break some barriers internationally.

We need a clean break from watery scripts and shoddy movies. It is not about the number of movies we are able to churn out in a year. Rather, we need films that are beautifully done and movies that meet international standards. Then, and only then, should we thump our chest in satisfaction. But for now, a lot of work still needs to be done!

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR FILM AFRIQUE BY TOFARATI IGE