Africa has a wide range of things that make it a prolific continent. Some may say it's the music, dance, medicine, or even their Firestone company. The film industry makes them a continent that is becoming prolific. In the United States, our entertainment industry is called Hollywood. Especially in Nigeria, which is in West Africa, their entertainment industry is called Nollywood. Nigerians have filmed and produced so many films. Nollywood is even known in the United States. There are people who have a love of films produced in Africa. The birth of Nollywood started in the 1990s. At this time Nollywood began to gain recognition. This film industry is supported by independent, inexpensive, and quick filmmaking. It gains advantage from, “falling prices of digital recording equipment and meeting the demands of continent for authentic stories that reflect the reality on the ground” (MOCP, 2016). Most of their equipment is not state of the art like other film industries such as Hollywood. Most of the films give the viewers insights into how Nigerians live. Nollywood is continuing to make its actors play roles that are not original or realistic. On the other hand, Nollywood does have a bad reputation for the quality of their movies, “A friend of mine once commented that he does not like Nigerian movies because they are always about witchcraft and the themes are always too predictable” (BBC, 2010).
If Nollywood wants to continue to strive in the movie industry, then three filmmakers in Nollywood Ishaya Bako, Tunde Kelani, and Michelle Bello will help Nollywood become better. In this paper, I will be discussing three filmmakers in Nigeria including their aspirations toward their work, other filmmakers, and the films they have produced.
If Tunde Kelani continues to work in Nollywood, he could move this film industry into higher places and beyond because of his dynamic childhood. Kelani did not grew up like an ordinary child. The childhood he had was very extraordinary and shaped him into the great filmmaker he is known as today. At an early age he moved to Abeokuta, Nigeria to reside with his grandparents for personal reasons. He grew up with a grandfather, who is a chief and he got to see different sides of Yoruba life that others did not see. Kelani had the privilege of experiencing Yoruba culture, literature, politics, and philosophy. This article says, “...and the young boy witnessed from the quarters aspects of Yoruba ways to life with the religion, literature, philosophy and Yoruba worldview taking roots in his young mind” (Dayo Showemimo, 2014). In elementary school, he started being exposed to a more international view of the arts, and gained an interest in photography. He read a large variety of books; this allowed him to have great literacy abilities. Kelani says, “When I was very young, I took to literature, I read everything I came in contact with. My show of fantasy came from books and stories. So, I was dreaming; I was lost in the world of books and stories” (Dayo Showemimo, 2014). While attending high school, he saved up money and took additional time to learn more about photography. His additional time paid off when he landed an apprenticeship with a professional photographer. All the talents he had gained from his childhood led him to attend the London Film School. While attending the London Film School, in his spare time he got a job as a Reuters and a BBC TV correspondent. All this experienced paved the way to have made 18 films.
In 2014, Kelani filmed his 18th film, Dazzling Mirage. It was a novel that was turned into a film. The film is a love story capturing a couple living in Nigeria, who work at a hospital, that make a decision not to have children. They adopted a child who has sickle cell anemia. The movie focuses on the girl dealing with the incurable disease. Kelani feels that the Nigerian government does not support issues like this. This article says, “The Nigerian government does not treat sickle cell as a priority because it is not a communicable disease” (Marissa Moorman, 2013). Therefore, since Nollywood is supported and funded by the government, they hold the same judgement. The government having control of Nollywood means a monopoly which is not good for the film industry. This stops Nollywood from improving in the ways into needs to. Kelani’s shot his other 17 films with the Nollywood film industry, but he decided he had had enough with how it is run. This is the reason why he decided to film his 18th film independently. Kelani says, “Nollywood does not have the educational, mobilizing, historically, culturally and thinking and practice that Kelani brings to each and every production” (Marissa Moorman, 2013). Kelani is a dreamer and if Nollywood would change then he could make more films about topics Nollywood does not talk about. He would make it more authentic because of his ideas.
If Ishaya Bako continues to work in Nollywood, he could move this film industry into higher places and beyond because of the knowledge he received from college. Ishaya Bako should continue to work for Nollywood because his extreme passion and ambitious attitude should allow him to pursue his dreams in the future. It was while Bayo was in college that he gained the knowledge of a young visionary that likes to make things happen in unique ways. Later in his years of living to London, he followed his dream of going to a London film school. Since his parents were going to pay for his attendance to an expensive film school, he expressed to them that it was film or nothing. Bako was recognized while at the Academy and he was soon acceptance to attend a MA program at another London school. In 2008, he attended the London Film School to continue his passion.
It was Bako’s graduating film Braids On A Bald Head that gained him international recognition. He was fascinated with the way women conversed while being at salons in the market. He wanted his film to tell a deep story about women. Bako says, “I loved the intimacy and care that was in the hair shop...nurture, gossip, fights and advice all balled into one...between hairdressers and their clients” (Tomi Oladepo, 2012). In this film, his inspiration was women and their beauty. If Nollywood filmmakers thought more innovatively like this, then Nollywood’s negative reputation would not outweigh the positive. If more Nollywood filmmakers would get inspired by the things that goes unnoticed, then Nollywood would become more 21st century material.
Bako has a very modern, creative, and innovative mind when it comes to filmmaking. He has already identified some of the Nigerian actresses’ careers he would like to reshape. These actresses are Mannura Umar and Lucy Ameh. Both genders in Nollywood play roles in films that are mostly sequels. This article says, “In current developments, filmmakers capitalise on the sequel syndrome, as a commercial formula” (Barclays Ayakoroma, 143). He feels the industry does not give them the right material to fully showcase their talents in film. Being in Nollywood and working with them, Bako would give them better work. He knows they will do extraordinary things that will ideally enhance their careers. He would give them roles that would challenge their perspective on life.
If Michelle Bello continues to work in Nollywood, she could move this film industry into higher places and beyond because of the knowledge she obtained from her United States experience.
Evidence 3: In 2001, Bello attended American University located in Washington, DC. She gained more skills for filmmaking while in the United States. She went to film festivals and worked behind the scenes of films. After attending college in the United States, she wanted to join the Nollywood industry. She was a triple threat to this film industry because she is a woman, and has both international and local experience. This would make her a good director and allow her to help Nollywood reach the goal of being a better film industry. Not all aspiring filmmakers in Nigeria gain experience internationally. In different countries, there are various techniques that are used that makes them unique. While the women’s roles in Nigeria are still changing, Bello can one day set a standard. This resource says, “From precolonial times to the early 21st century, the role and status of women in Nigeria have continuously evolved” (Toyin Falola, 2016). As Nollywood is male dominated, she can inspire other female filmmakers to not be intimidated by the male domination.
Her debut film was called Small Boy and it became a success all across Nigeria, Africa, and the United Kingdom. The film was based on a true story. It circled around a boy in Lagos Nigeria, who runs away from his abusive parents. He learns what it feels like to cope with being a victim of domestic violence. After a year of the success of the movie, Bello began to network to address problems in the Nollywood film industry. She says, “I spent over a year researching the industry, talking to producers and directors, finding out what was going on; challenges and how we can come together” (NigeriaFilms, 2007).
The changes she has made since 2007 include becoming the CEO for her own entertainment and news company. She knew people in Nigerian had talents and wanted to bring along new people to help carry out the vision of making Nollywood better. She hopes to give the younger generation a chance to let their voices be heard. She wants to make Nollywood more modern for its audience and bring it to an international audience. This film industry is better known locally than internationally. She has high hopes for Nollywood in the near future, “Bello believes there is room for improvement in the Nigerian film industry. It is time to take our stories to the international level and audience” (NigeriaFilms, 2007).
Conclusion: In conclusion, from reading the backgrounds of three wonderful Nollywood filmmakers, I have a better sense of the improvements they can bring to help shape this film industry into something better. Their lives have inspired me to keep on going because ambition takes a person a long way. It is experiences in a person’s childhood that allows them to grab what they want to become in life. Through Bayo developing empathy at a young age, knowing that it was film or nothing. Telling his parent he would still become a filmmaker without his parents money. He was destined to work with film. Through the incredible childhood of Kelani, having a chief as a grandfather, allowed him to obtain knowledge at a young age. Reading various books at a young age, he gain the tools he needed for his future. Through Bello getting the international experience, makes her different. Her wanting to make Nollywood more modern. It was their childhoods that made who they are today.
Each of these filmmakers has had international experiences that perhaps put their knowledge of Nigeria in a special context and allows them to make more creative films. It is through these current filmmakers’ eyes that they will make Nollywood better than it is today.
They are thinking more of the future for Nollywood, instead of thinking of the past and present. These are the next leaders of Nollywood. The future of Nollywood are in the hands of three extraordinary Nollywood filmmakers Ishaya Bako, Tunde Kelani, and Michelle Bello. “The growth in the industry over the next few years will be exciting…”(NigeriaFilms, 2007).
References; Works Cited
- At 66, Tunde Kelani Produces 18th Movie. Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria’s Number 1 Entertainment Daily. (2014). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://thenet.ng/2014/11/at-66-tunde-kelani-produc...
- Ayakoroma, B. (n.d). Trends in Nollywood: A study of Selected genres
- Interview With Ishaya Bako - AMAA Film Award Winner - Ventures Africa. (2012). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://venturesafrica.com/interview-with-ishaya-ba...
- Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty. Oct 20 - Dec 23, 2016. (n.d). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://www.mocp.org/exhibitions/2016/10/nollywood-...
- Not Nollywood: An Interview with Nigerian Filmmaker Tunde Kelani. (2013). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from http://africasacountry.com/2013/10/not-nollywood-an-interview-
with-nigerian-filmmaker-tunde-kelani/
