Director Frank Rajah Arase really steps up his game in his newest and latest outing titled The Heart of Men, a film with numerous plot twists, exceptional casting, and some pretty entertaining scenes mimicking coitus. If there’s one thing this movie isn’t short on, it’s star power. Having assembled probably the most popular actors working in Ghana today, Abdul Salam Mumuni and Frank Rajah have gone above and beyond this time with a cast that includes names like Prince David Osei, Kofi Adjorlolo, Jackie Appiah, John Dumelo, Yvonne Nelson, Martha Ankomah, Nadia Buari and Majid Michel.

Heart of Men is a dynamic film driven by sound, sight and wonderfully colored character performances.  The music provided by Okyeame Qouphi and Afra Marley are some of the most interesting and engaging musical accompaniments I’ve ever heard (or seen) in any African movie today. With this being said, you really get a gist of how it all works when Tracy (Yvonne Nelson) steps out of a bathroom wearing nothing but a white towel that says AIRPORT WEST HOTEL written vertically across one end. The music is cued, and one of what is several slow-motion sequences throughout the course of the film begins to take place.

Heart of Men isn’t without its fair share of mishaps, but these things could be overshadowed by the fact that the film is actually far more entertaining than it is accurate. So, have what you may, let us now examine some of the cons.

SPOILERS

• The police discover a young woman’s body near the side of a road which is identified by Richie (Majid Michel) as being Tracy. It is then shown to the viewer later that the body found was not actually that of Tracy’s but really someone else who was identified as being Tracy. No information is ever provided as to who or where the misidentified body ever came from. Then later on, Tracy and Richie plan their wedding, where pretty much everyone knows of it and is invited. So the question here is, how can someone marry a dead woman who was never even divorced from her first husband, which in this case is Kay (John Dumelo)?
• In the beginning of the film, Richie Adams is described as being a prominent attorney whose entire career is practically owed to his best friend Kay, who provided both the emotional and needed financial support for him to become a lawyer. Later, Richie Adams is still described as being a barrister, but also a renowned bachelor, a two-timing heart breaker and a successfully popular porn star around town. No information is ever given as to how or why Richie becomes a porn star, other than that he is known for impregnating numerous women, two of which are his nieces and are sisters, having them perform dilation and curettage procedures for each time he is made aware of any of the their pregnancies.
• Why didn’t Richie simply choose to be with Tracy even before her meeting with Kay, which led to their eventual marriage?
• One thing that is apparent in this film is that several of the actors at one point or another look directly into the camera. The first occurrence happens with the police officer who questions Richie about the presumed and misidentified body of Tracy. The second involves another policeman who takes a personal liking to the adult film career of Richie Adams and tells him specifically that he has learned many things from watching his movies. And finally, the last and most obvious case of this cinematic faux pas comes when Yvonne Nelson “herself” looks directly into the camera during the dance club scene (featuring music by Samini) and waves, as if she completely forgot that the movie was still being filmed as opposed to a music video. lol
• This last one isn’t really a con, but simply an observation. I’ve noticed this in a few of his movies of late, and it’s that Majid Michel’s hair is beginning to whiten and thin, similar to the very talented and seasoned Nigerian bred actor Ramsey Nouah. Something like this can be used to an actor’s benefit, particularly actors of a certain age, as their physical appearance can now be perceived as an asset and utilized to take on more challenging and demanding roles.

The highlight of this movie has to be the scenes of its full-on mimicry and impersonation of coital acts. They’re pretty fun to watch! Yvonne Nelson literally frightens poor Majid Michel (who comes off as “fresh meat”) as she goes for a piece of his huge nose, and puts Mr. Michel at a complete loss. He quickly flinches his head back and away from this “mad” woman, only to realize that it is not hunger but passion that is her sole motivation. It is then that she is now able to ever so softly, sensitively caress the sides of his face and accomplish her sensuous goal of taking the most satisfying bite of his fine and delish nose, that lands her within her desired rapture.

If this scene I described between Yvonne Nelson and Majid Michel could be regarded as being hot, then the scene following it between Majid Michel and Jackie Appiah could be described as being steaming red. Jackie Appiah and Majid Michel have a working history together prior to Heart of Men having both made their film debut in Divine Love and having been seen starring alongside each other in Passion of the Soul and Tears of Womanhood; they also were once opposing forces in Her Excellency. So one can only imagine how comfortable their on-screen relationship is (transmitting movie chemistry), especially on a film like Heart of Men. I’m not actually sure as to whether if it’s Majid Michel or Jackie Appiah who commit the cinematic non-crime of “realness”, when during the close-up of one of the slo-mo sequences, they seem to be so engaged in liplock and osculation, there is actually an exchange of lingua that takes place between the two.

One great scene has Richie singing the lyrics aloud to TLC’s “The Scrub is Mine” (remix) along with Tracy, Whitney (Jackie Appiah) and Alici (Luckie E Lawson); Alici being one of Tracy’s bridesmaids. The scene is significant for two reasons. One being that they’re all out shopping for Tracy’s wedding gown, and two being that, although Whitney is Tracy’s maid of honor, it’s pretty hard to distinguish as to whether or not anyone is aware as to who is sleeping with who.

Prince David Osei plays the character of Ray, Richie’s best man, who seems to have it in for the fact that Richie never tends to encounter any serious repercussions though he lives his life as a frolicking lothario. Martha Ankomah plays the role of Diana, one of many who having met the Don Juan, was raped by Richie when she was twelve, loses her virginity in the process, suffers three abortions, and is now left unable to bear any children. Jackie Appiah must really be commended here for having taken on not one, but two roles, playing the role of both Whitney and Adline, Yvonne (Anita Kuma) and Whitney’s mother.

In closing, I highly recommend buying the DVD version (original) of this movie. Heart of Men is pretty entertaining and features some cool character performances from Ghana’s best! I give this movie a full 4 out of 4 flags of Ghana.

http://www.heartofmenmovie.com/

So basically this is the third time I’m doing a post on this movie,IJE and trust me that means something.I stumbled upon a couple of  pictures from the movie and I just thought it will be nice to share the them with you guys.I must say this movie is gonna be maaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhddddddd.

I mus say Nigerian movies are really really stepping up,I need not say much really,you know what they say about pictures being worth a thousand words.Look for your self and tell me what you think.

P.S for more details on the movie(release date,premier,cinema)  click here

This is a real good movie, and one of the better films of 2009!

Overview

In this film, Ramsey Nouah plays the role of Terso, an ambitious business man who needs just one thing in the form of Liz (Nse Ikpe-Etim) to complete his vainglorious pursuit of the “perfect” life; but in Liz’s case it means the perfect trophy wife. Terso’s younger brother Bobby (Majid Michael) is a up and coming fashion photographer, who becomes fond of Liz, especially after he finds out she was a former fashion model before marrying his brother.

Development

Story/Screenplay

The story was conceived by Emem Isong, while the screenplay is credited to Uyai Ikpe-Etim and Nse Ikpe-Etim. The concept is great, but there are a few things I do not favor. I do not like the film’s storytelling style of the narrative (telling a story within a story), because I think the format works better for literature as opposed to film. In literature, readers are not bound by the illusions of times and places, but rather are given freedom to control both the pacing (time) and visualization (place) of a narrative by reading stories in chapters, and using mental imagery through their imaginations. Also, the way the movie ends is quite theatrical and likened to a theatre stage performance.

The side story is not as interesting, and seems somewhat irrelevant to the main one.

Score: 9/10

Pre-production

Performances

Ramsey Nouah

Ramsey Nouah should be nominated for this performance! It’s that good.

Score: 10/10

Majid Michael

Sensational! Majid Michael speaks a bit of Nigerian Pidgin in this movie, when Bobby tells Terso that he is “Naija for life”.

Score: 10/10

Mercy Johnson

Mercy Johnson is Boma, a woman scorned after having a one-night stand with a married man (Rob Loner), that seemingly turns into a casual relationship. I’ll describe Mercy’s performance with one word…P-A-S-S-I-O-N!

Score: 8/10

Desmond Elliott

In this film, Desmond assumes the role of Mr. Okoro, a prominent businessman who dutifully aids Bobby with his goal of becoming successful in the field of fashion photography. Desmond Elliott also directed this film together with Daniel Ademinokan. Desmond plays his role to a tee! I’ve never seen him any better.

Score: 10/10

Nse Ikpe-Etim

As noted, Nse is also credited with writing the film’s script. I think she does an amazing job in the role as Liz, and has great screen chemistry with both male lead actors.

Score: 9/10

Production

Lighting & Sound

Lighting and sound is fantastic! Lighting was handled by Jacob David, and sound was maintained by Ololade Gentle.

Score: 9/10

Make-up & Wardrobe

Excellent! The actors looked and dressed their parts accordingly, but not only that, they looked like stars.

Make-up was done by Temisan Etsede and Annabel Ewere, and wardrobe was handled by Uche Nancy and Ogochukwu Okechi.

Score: 10/10

Post-production

Editing

Scenes transitioned fairly smooth from one another throughout the course of the entire film; editing was done by Uche Alexmoore.

Score: 9/10

Music/Film Scoring

Music was conducted by Austin Erowele, and was really well done. Nice job Austin!

Score: 9/10

Conclusion

Closing words

In closing, I would highly recommend this film for several reasons. Despite having one scene in which I feel both actors seemed awkwardly rigid in their deliveries (the scene Liz questions Terso’s fidelity), Ramsey Nouah gives a performance that is unmatched. Terso’s passive aggressive personality is evident throughout the film, as he never raises his voice nor becomes angry, building up unto an amazing and unforgettable climax! This film provides a great lesson in relational compatibility, which is illustrated perfectly during a dinner scene of part one. Terso leads a conversation at the table about the current President of the United States Barack Obama, and how he strongly feels that the best post for Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of State. If not demonstrating Terso’s innate sexism, this scene significantly differentiates the compatibility of Michelle and Barack Obama’s relationship, and the incompatibility of Liz and Terso’s relationship.

Aggregate score

93% rating

Personal score

I give this film 3 and a 1/2 out of 4 stars!

This post is now copyrighted by me and people may not be used/copied without a written agreement. How often aren’t we meet by a text like that? And more to the point today who even cares?

Every day thousands of people download films, games, books, music etc. basically every media can be transformed into a computer format, it’s then available uploaded and distributed through the web for all to see and use without consent. Only 30% of the Swedish population consider downloading copyrighted material as a form of theft according to a survey preformed by MMS. That means 70% of the population didn’t even care about my first line and would gladly reproduce this material if it provided them with any use. And to be frank I could probably care less if they did. In fact I would probably feel flattered if anyone did so.

Sure I see the point of copyright and I understand that illegal file sharing does not give money to the producers of the movie, music or what ever media is being stolen. But I can also see people going to more concerts and the visits to the cinemas haven’t moved since the first real introduction of the internet. People will still pay for the experience of something they can’t get at home.

What struck me when watching Good Copy, Bad Copy was that when in Nollywood they said there is no reason to copy our films since the retail price on them is already so low that you actually don’t profit if you make a copy and sell it on. And despite the low price for there’s sales it still makes a profit. What is it we have missed there? How can people sell it for cheap and still make a profit? The answer is availability. By making the movie available to everyone at once they make sure that everyone that is interested in that particular movie has access to it right away and don’t have to wait for later release dates.

I understand that this is not a plausible way for all media’s or producers. But creative commons open doors in this aspect for photographers, writers etc. by making there work available for example private use only they can still make money off company’s looking to profit of there work. Sharing is caring after all.

I could bore you and deaden my brain cells by reciting the monotonous storyline found from movie to movie to movie in Nollywood. Start watching a movie and provided it is a Nolleywood production you can very easily within seconds deduce the plot line, the twist (a word I grudgingly use) and of cause predict the movie’s outcome. If you’re at a lost for what I mean then you’re their target audience. Out of the goodness of my heart here is a hint of what to expect, right before the credits role you get an eyeful of Thanks be to God. Who five minutes before came through with a miraculous breakthrough. If art imitates life, then the moral sold by Nollywood is that God, will come through for you… eventually, sometime right before the very end!

Even with tragedies Nigerians must have their happy ending. So the previously thwarted couple wind up together, while the wicked get punished. All this in the 5 minutes buildup to the third sequel’s end

Sorry to make this my pulpit but does Nollywood know who God is. Nolly lacks the creativity and believability. Their miracles are all the same and therefore a trivial part to their formula. You suffer, you pray and pray, and pray and then a coincidental answer. Any god worth his salt, even the lesser sangos, oguns, oyas, osuns would not withhold a solution to the good and trade in prayers. By nature God is mysterious, “His ways are not our ways,” so why the heck would he do something as obvious to answer your prayer, when he has been ignoring you all along. If he wants to make a point, I bet he is a lot smoother than causing a guilty conscience confession or giving an inexplicable cure. We are talking about the dude who allowed Joseph to be taken into slavery in anticipation for a famine decades later.

I appreciate that Nollywood has created a livelihood for thousands of Nigeria. But there is a difference between making money to get by and reinvesting thousands in the creation of further garbage. Come on, Nollywood is a billion dollar industry and they can’t put together one Cannes worthy movie each year? Really? Nigeria is the birthplace of Wole Soyinka, Chinu Achebe & that Purple Hibiscus chick. My point being that this country is not devoid of true writing talent. Our scripts suck because our writers suck period.

Here is a thought FIRE all writers and hire real talent, don’t just rely on a good storyline, makes sure that the one on one conversations are true to life and for god sake when you give him credit, make it be of something he would do. When next I watch a miracle I want it to be so unbelievable that only God could have done it.

Since the inception of film-making in Nigeria 15 years ago, the world has been waiting for one Nollywood film that stands apart from the rest, one that will capture the minds and hearts of movie-goers worldwide, one that will leave a timeless memory, capable of illustrating the creativity, tradition, and essence of Nigerian culture. IJE is that movie.  Typically, Nollywood movies neglect the way films should be made by ignoring production value, focusing instead on famous actors and actresses. IJE which means “the journey” in the Nigerian language Igbo, will undeniably revolutionize the way Nigerian movies are viewed and created, as it is the first Nollywood film to include features common to Hollywood movies.

Unprecedented in scope, IJE tells a tale of Chioma, a child growing up in the Nigerian countryside, who warned her restless sister, Anya, about the trappings of the American Dream.  Now ten years later, Anya is accused of killing three men in a Hollywood Hills mansion—one of them her record producer-husband.  Chioma travels from Nigeria to Los Angeles, and with the help of a young, unproven attorney, discovers that the dark secret her sister wants to keep hidden might be the only thing that can win her freedom. A majority of the film was shot in the U.S. on 35mm, but it has flash back scenes that were shot on location in Jos, Nigeria.

Directed and produced by Nigerian Born Chineze Anyaene, “IJE” is a compelling drama with organic twists and turns. Anyaene is the youngest female director, and the first woman to film 35mm in Nollywood. Also produced by Paula Moreno, one of the first Producers in L.A. to take on the challenge of filming a Nollywood feature, the film boasts of an internationally diverse cast, such as Nigerian A-lister’s Genevieve Nnaji, who was recently profiled by Oprah Winfrey as one of the most famous people in the world, Nigeria’s sweetheart Omotola Ekeinde, and critically acclaimed actor Clem Ohameze. Hispanic sensation Odalys Garcia and upcoming actor Ulrich Que join the brilliant cast, a component that makes the film widely appealing to international audiences. Anyaene and Moreno, two trailblazing minority women, are determined to make a change in the international movie industry by merging the Hollywood and Nollywood industries.

IJE: THE JOURNEY is set for an exclusive screening at Warner Bros. on November 14, 2009 in Burbank, CA. For more information, marketing, and promotional opportunities please contact priscabu09@gmail.com

Hollywood markiert in unserer westlichen Wahrnehmung den Ort, an dem Träume produziert werden. Ein Ort, an dem Geschichten erzählt und Mythen gemacht werden. Mit einem geschätzten Output von 500 Filmen pro Jahr liegt das amerikanische Film-Mekka aber weit hinter dem indischen Bollywood. Aber das kennt ja jeder. Und nicht nur in USA oder Indien werden Träume gemacht. Es gibt weltweit eine klare Nummer Drei in der Rangliste der größten Filmproduktionsländer: Das so genannte afrikanische Pendant zu Bollywood. Es wird mit Bezug auf das Produktionsland Nigeria einfach “Nollywood” genannt und hat einen ähnlich hohen Output wie die indische Industrie (ca. 500 bis 1000 Filme pro Jahr) – jedoch mit dem Unterschied, dass dort noch in sieben Tagen gecastet, gedreht, postproduziert und verbreitet wird, war in der quasi professionalisierten indischen Filmindustrie nicht mehr der Fall ist. Die Filmbedingungen in Nigeria würden einen westlichen Filmemacher jedenfalls schaudern lassen.

Der südafrikanische Fotograf Pieter Hugo hat sich auf die Suche begeben und eine fantastische Fotoserie über die Darsteller geschossen. Die Fotos entwickeln eine zusätzliche Kraft, wenn man sich vergegenwärtigt, dass das Geschichtenerzählen in Afrika eine uralte Tradition und daher von einer ungeahnten Kreativität geprägt ist.

An Erzählstoff mangelt es den Filmemachern dementsprechend nicht. Es sind eher die finanziellen Mittel, die dem Dreh Grenzen setzen. Aber das ist auch ein Grund, warum diese Fotoserie so besonders geworden ist: sie zeigt den naiven schöpferischen Willen der Filmemacher kombiniert mit dem Druck, schnell  produzieren zu müssen, was der Umsetzung etwas in unseren Augen leicht Lächerliches verleiht.

Die Serie erinnert mich stark daran, wie meine Freunde und ich als 14-Jährige mit der Home-Videokamera meiner Eltern Filme gemacht haben. Alles war erlaubt und jede Verkleidung denkbar, solange die Geschichte spannend war. Schließlich wollten wir unterhalten (auch wenn wir uns nicht als Black Jesus oder Nackt-Darth-Vader verkleidet haben).

Alle Fotos aus der Serie hier auf der Portfolio-Page von Pieter Hugo.

A atriz nigeriana Genevieve Nnaji já fez mais de 100 filmes e é o sucesso do momento no país

É provável que você nunca tenha ouvido falar na atriz que ilustra esta página. Mas ela é uma estrela, acredite. Com mais de 100 filmes no currículo, Genevieve Nnaji, 30 anos, faz parte do grupo das atrizes mais aclamadas de Nollywood, a indústria de filmes da Nigéria. De seus estúdios saem 45 filmes por semana – três vezes a produção de Hollywood, a indústria de cinema americana que originou o trocadilho do nome. Isso faz da Nigéria a maior produtora de filmes do mundo, à frente também de Bollywood, a indústria indiana.

O sucesso de Nollywood chama a atenção antes de tudo pelo contraste. A região africana é cenário de pobreza extrema. Uma criança nigeriana nasce com poucas chances de viver além dos 46 anos, e metade da população ganha menos de US$ 1 por dia. Mesmo assim, cerca de 90% das pessoas dizem assistir a pelo menos um filme por semana. Isso é possível por causa do formato peculiar com que as obras são distribuídas. Esqueça poltronas e ar-condicionado. As salas de cinema na Nigéria são um espaço com 20 cadeiras, um grande aparelho de TV e um DVD. Os filmes são exibidos em troca de alguns centavos ou vendidos em camelôs. Resultado: um negócio de US$ 540 milhões. Na Nigéria existe uma sala simples de cinema para cada grupo de 750 habitantes. No Brasil, há uma para cada 90 mil habitantes.

Além da distribuição, há diferenças também na produção dos filmes. Eles costumam ser feitos com orçamento que não ultrapassa os U$ 40 mil, e a toque de caixa. Com dinheiro contado, é preciso usar pelo menor tempo possível equipamentos alugados e locações. Os roteiros são filmados com câmeras digitais e as histórias invariavelmente retratam tradições, feitiçaria e corrupção. “Eles fazem sucesso porque tratam de temas que têm a ver com a realidade da população”, disse a Época NEGÓCIOS o italiano Franco Sacchi, diretor de um documentário sobre a indústria cinematográfica nigeriana. O resultado não é uma obra-prima da sétima arte. Mas o suficiente para alçar Genevieve e outras atrizes à categoria de superstars – e Angelina Jolie, à de solene desconhecida.

Veja o trailer de Bleending Love, um dos filmes mais vistos de Nollywood:

Fonte: Portal G1

A while back I covered this fascinating photographer’s work which my wife and I discovered at the 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville. In the Nollywood series, Pieter Hugo explores the multilayered reality of the Nigerian film industry that is said to be the third largest in the world, releasing approximately 1000 movies each year onto the home video market.
Shot by South African photographer Pieter Hugo they have recently been published in this book designed by Damien Poulain.
www.pieterhugo.com

Okay so the first thing that attracted me to this movie was the poster , not your typical Naija movie poster eh? I must say Naija movies are really upping their game, first it was ‘The Figurine’ now ‘IJE’ I wonder whats next???

Basically IJE tells the story of 2 sisters; Genevieve and Omotola and their many travails in life.The movie was shot in Lagos and Los Angeles.

Its definately a MUST SEE but sadly it wont be out till March 2010

Totally looking forward to it.

Are you?

New Writing from Africa 2009: Original Short Stories by Young African Writers, Ed. by J.M. Coetzee. (Johnson & Kingjames Books) ₨175

A collection that spans the continent’s 55 countries, the book has a natural bias towards communities where English is used as an official language or lingua franca, and includes stories from Botswana, Cameroon, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. These stories were selected from the 1000+ submitted for the inaugural South African Centre of International PEN PEN/Studzinski Literary Award. In his Final Comment, Coetzee writes,

A final observation on the fact that all the prizewinners in this Africa-wide competition have turned out to be South Africans with (I would guess) English as their mother tongue. Why should this be so?

Part of the explanation is simply that most of the stories submitted were by South Africans. Another part—though by the nature of things I cannot be sure of this—is that, as a reader, I may by attuned to nuances in South African varieties of English that I hear only imperfectly in other African Englishes. A third part is that, unfortunately, educational standards in Africa vary, not only from country to country but from one community to another within national states…

We must face the unhappy fact that the playing field on which the PEN/Studzinski Literary Award was contested was not a level one, and will probably not be level for a long while yet.

Coetzee’s observations are indeed reflected in the anthology, which presents itself more definitively than it should, without including the expansive African literatures being written in Arabic, French, Portuguese, and other African languages. Still, as a compendium of young, up-and-coming African short story writers writing in English, it’s a pleasure to read and a fantastic lesson in cross-cultural perspective, with stories about a South African house-servant, ordinary Zimbabweans, a family in Cameroon, and African children. Prizewinner Karen Jayes leads a promising pool of writers, destined to shape the future of South African literature.

Nolllywood, Pieter Hugo. (Prestel) $49.95

A telling portrait of the world’s third largest—and perhaps scariest—film industry, Nollywood contains Pieter Hugo’s staged photographs of popular characters. Accompanied by fiction about the industry by Chris Abani, and an essay by Zina Saro-Wiwa, the book is second best as an introduction only to the films themselves. Abani’s storyboard in 10 frames sets the tone for the book, which culls scenery from the industry’s 1000+ yearly films. The photographs themselves can only be described in two words: fucking scary. Most featured protagonists appear to be from horror movies, ranging from the red-eyed Nigerian vampire to the voluptuous beauty pierced through and through with a machete just below her sternum to the naked Nigerian man with a Darth Vader helmet to children chalked white with mysterious afflictions. Pieter Hugo himself makes a cameo toward the book’s end, as a solitary white man, dressed only in his olive briefs and a ski mask, wielding a machete.

DS

PROFECIA NOLLYWOODIANA

Cristãos nigerianos fazem os melhores filmes para se assistir chapado

“Nollywood é a resposta à CNN”, diz uma estrela de Nollywood Babylon, um documentário canadense sobre a indústria cinematográfica nigeriana—uma verdadeira fábrica de filmes que solta 25.000 filmes por ano, cada um deles feito com menos de US$10.000. Fiquei tão intrigado com a ideia de filmes nigerianos feitos com pouca grana, que em uma viagem recente a Monróvia, Libéria, arranjei um monte de filmes de Nollywood em uma barraquinha de DVDs chamada Trans International Entertainment Business Center, que também vende churrasquinho de frango.

Comprei filmes como Deadly Consequence, Emotional Problems e Romantic Issues e assisti a todos com grande decepção. Todos imitavam novelas americanas e eram feitos em vilas nigerianas empoeiradas. Não dava para levar a sério o enredo de nenhum deles, e o áudio era sempre tão ruim que ficava impossível de assistir por mais de dez minutos. Mas aí comecei a assistir a um filme ou, para ser mais específico, um QUARTETO de filmes feitos pelo Pastor Kenneth Okonkwo, consi-derado um dos produtores mais importantes de Nollywood. O filme chama 666 e é a coisa mais hilária, retardada e zoada que eu já vi para se assistir quando tem um monte de gente muito louca de sei lá o que na sala da sua casa às 4 da manhã.

Os quatro episódios de 666 (cada um em seu próprio DVD) seguem a saga do diabo para dominar o mundo e como ele alista moradores de vilas nigerianas para tanto. O diabo é um nigeriano gordão, careca e barbudo. Ele tem um time de concubinas que sentam ao lado de seu trono no inferno. Ele fica constantemente cercado por chamas e está sempre rindo como um maníaco enquanto diz como vai destruir o mundo. “Eu sou Lúcifer! Vou dominar o mundo!”, ele berra enquanto suas putas malvadas riem.

Na primeira cena de 666, o diabo manda dois assassinos subirem à Terra para raptarem uma mulher grávida. Em um túnel, eles abrem a barriga dela e roubam o bebê, que é batizado na ordem satânica. Ao longo do filme, Satã aterroriza o povo da Nigéria, apesar dos esforços do Pastor Okonkwo (sim, ele também é o herói do filme). Okonkwo fica atacando o inferno com relâmpagos, que surgem com o poder de suas preces extremas. Na segunda parte do quarteto, a criança sequestrada retorna à Terra causando todo tipo de problemas. Ele seduz uma mulher de quase 30 anos soltando raios laser dos olhos; sai para beber em bares e num deles possui uma mulher que depois mata um padre. Aí, quando uma gangue de cristãos o captura e tenta apunhalá-lo ritualisticamente até a morte, ele usa seus poderes para imprimir um adorável 666 na testa de cada um deles.

Coisas esquisitas acontecem a cada 5 minutos nesses filmes. Os efeitos especiais (olhos demoníacos duvidosos e lasers vindos do Céu) são acompanhados por barulhos como zow! e zap! que parecem tirados de um fliperama do final da década de 70. É muito engraçado, e mesmo que bem longe de serem uma resposta à CNN, devem ser procurados por todo mundo que está lendo isso e transformado em um filme cult. Eu não sei quantos de vocês conseguirão ir para a Nigéria ou Libéria para comprar DVDs em breve, então vou colocar no YouTube. Procure por “666, Nigeria,Vice”. Fechado? Fechado.

O texto é da autoria de Andy Capper e foi originalmente publicado na revista Vice, que ganhou uma versão brasileira esse ano. A última edição, de número 4, trata exclusivamente de cinema e traz entrevistas enormes com Dario Argento, David Lynch, Werner Herzog e Eduardo Coutinho, além dessa matéria e outras tão bizarras quanto. O acabamento gráfico da publicação é de primeira linha e os exemplares, gratuitos, são distribuídos nos mais diversos pontos. O meu veio daqui. A revista também pode ser adquirida nesse site, mediante pagamento dos dez reais cobrados pelos Correios.

'Johnny Mad Dog'

Here’s a little pub quiz question for you: which country has the second largest film industry in the world?

If you answered the US, China, India or France then YOU WRONG, as they used to say on Banzai!. You very wrong indeed. In terms of the number of films produced every year, it is the Nigerian industry that holds this accolade, its annual production of 2000-odd features surpassed only by the might of Bollywood.

And yet I’ve never seen a Nigerian film, and I’m willing to bet that you haven’t either. ‘Nollywood’ films are produced predominantly for the local market, where they go straight to DVD and outsell the Hollywood competition by ten-to-one.

The Africa that we outsiders normally see in the cinema is very different. In films like The Last King of Scotland, The Constant Gardener and Shooting Dogs, Africa is a place where white foreigners venture at their peril; a place where they encounter the raw savagery of nature firsthand and uncover a dark, corrupt, hitherto-unknown side to themselves. Even in the best of these films, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the continent and its people are nothing more than an exotic backdrop to this process of self-discovery. 

So it’s refreshing when, just occasionally, a film about Africans themselves makes it onto screens around the world. One such film is Johnny Mad Dog, the story of a band of brutalised child soldiers, which is released in the UK this week. Set in an unnamed West African country, the film stars a group of real-life former child soldiers as the eponymous hero and his gang. Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s frantic, high-octane approach has left festival audiences shaken and has earned comparisons with Brazil’s City of God.

At the other end of the continent, films from South Africa have been punching above their weight recently too. This year’s District 9 was an alien adventure movie that, in theory, could have been made in New York or London or Sydney. But, as it happens, it was made in Johannesburg, with the Apartheid-era parallels in its story of an alien ghetto played up to maximum effect. Along with films like Bunny Chow (2006) and the Oscar-winning Tsotsi (2005), District 9 testifies to the growing confidence of the South African industry and its ability to make movies for an international audience.

'District 9'

Elsewhere in Africa you might need to look a little harder to find evidence of much home-grown film-making. The sad truth is that in countries where hunger, war and poverty are an everyday part of life, cinema is very low on most people’s list of priorities.

Having said that, small-scale indigenous kinds of cinema do exist in Africa, often in some of the most unlikely places. Since the Sixties, it has been the Francophone countries that have largely led the way. Film-makers like Senegal’s Ousmane Sembene and Mali’s Souleyman Cissé trained in the Soviet Union before coming home and making films that, while funded by European backers, addressed specifically African issues. 

Sembene, often called ‘the father of African cinema’, never shied away from controversy; his films cover subjects including emigration, corruption, the rise of Islam, female circumcision, and inter-communal strife. This may all sound a little dry and preachy on paper, but Sembene’s films (or at least the ones I’ve seen) are rooted in small communities, and full of humour and compassion. Unfortunately, they’re also rather difficult to see. In the UK, only the director’s last film Moolaade (2004) is available on DVD (he died in 2007). His great works – La Noire de… (1966), Xala (1974), Guelwaar (1992) – can mostly be found only on imported VHS tapes, or not at all. Sembene’s place in the history of film is at least as important as that of Pasolini or Wenders or dozens of other box-set-padding auteurs, so hopefully this state of affairs won’t last for long.

Ousmane Sembene's 'Xala'

Also only available on import is Hyènes (Hyenas), a 1992 film by Sembene’s compatriot Djibril Diop Mambéty. This is a real shame, firstly because Mambéty was self-trained and made only two features, and secondly because Hyènes is exactly the sort of accessible, dramatic piece that might convince more people that African cinema is worth a look. The film tells the story of the return to her impoverished hometown of a woman grown rich overseas. She offers to share her newfound wealth with the townsfolk on one condition: that they kill the man who wronged her many years before and who is now in line to be the next mayor. It feels like a Western and, in all truth, would be very good remade as a Western. Unfortunately Mambéty wouldn’t be in much of a position to benefit from this, as he’s been dead since 1998.

A film-maker who is very much alive, with works that can be more easily tracked down is Abderrahmane Sissako, who was born in Mauritania and raised in neighbouring Mali. His Bamako (2006) is a timely but perhaps overly didactic attempt to, quite literally, put the World Bank on trial for its activities in Africa. Sissako does this by way of a dramatised court session in a dusty Malian town. Interspersed with the ‘trial’ footage is the story of a singer who is preparing to escape to the capital and a rather odd mini-spaghetti-western starring Danny Glover. (Insert your own joke here about him being too old for this shit.)

Better, I think, is Sissako’s Waiting for Happiness (2002), a tale of borders and emigration set amidst the shifting sands of a coastal town on the edge of the Sahara. Through a series of interlinked tales, the director explores the relationship between Africa and the wider world. A westernised young man stays with his mother while waiting for some unspecified passport difficulties to be resolved; two men wait to escape to Europe while war ships patrol the coastal waters; a young boy learns a trade from an old, wise electrician; a young girl learns to sing and play the harp. Not much happens at all but, if you’re in the mood for something a little slow and reflective, it’s all rather beautiful.

Also worth a look, and available on DVD, are Abouna (2002) and Daratt (2006), two recent films by the Chadian director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.

I’m well aware that I’ve done a lot of dropping of unfamiliar names here, and a lot of mentioning of films that are almost impossible to see. Unfortunately it’s difficult to write about African cinema without doing this. So much of it exists in an almost mythical state, known only by reputation or the memory of a distant, chanced-upon viewing. Hopefully, one day soon, someone will do for African cinema what Second Run has done for East European cinema by releasing a whole load of lost classics on DVD. Until then, there’s a lot of exploring still to do, and a lot of good stuff to be found.

Kinder in Lagos, Nigeria (The Advocacy Project, flickr)

In afrikanischen Kulturen ist die Wirksamkeit magischer Praktiken traditionell weit verbreitet. Wie in den USA und in anderen Teilen der Welt hat in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten eine „Fundamentalisierung“ des Christentums auch in Afrika stattgefunden. Eine Folge davon ist die starke Zunahme des Glaubens an die Macht von übernatürlichen Kräften und die kaum noch überschaubaren, neu entstandenen, fundamentalistischen Sekten und Freikirchen in vielen afrikanischen Ländern.

Die Konjunktur von Geistern, Hexen und Zauberern in Afrika steht in engem Zusammenhang mit der Globalisierung und den daraus entstandenen weltweiten instabilen wirtschaftlichen und politischen Verhältnissen. Der Zerfall der traditionellen Familienstrukturen, die zunehmende Armut und Verelendung, Hungersnöte, die epidemische Ausbreitung von HIV-Infektionen und AIDS, anhaltende Bürgerkriege, Binnenmigrationen und Naturkatastrophen als Folgen des Klimawandels wie Dürren, Erdbeben und Überschwemmungen, bilden den Nährboden für den Glauben an die Macht des Übernatürlichen. „Hexerei ist eine klar identifizierbare Ursache für Dinge, die man ansonsten schwer oder gar nicht erklären kann“, so die Autorin Jill Schnoebelen des UNHCR-Reports zum Thema Hexerei und Menschenrechte.

Von vermeintlichen Hexen wird angenommen, dass sie durch magische Fähigkeiten Unglück verursachen, zum Beispiel Krankheiten, Landkonflikte, Scheidungen, Brände, Unfälle bis hin zu Tod und Naturkatastrophen. Oft gelten sie als Inkarnation des Bösen. Sie richten angeblich ihre schädlichen Aktivitäten gegen ihre nächsten Nachbarn und Verwandte, seltener gegen Fremde. Im Kontext von Hexerei werden Neid-, Konkurrenz- und Konfliktmotive besonders betont. Dem UNHCR-Bericht zufolge müssen besonders Mädchen und Frauen als “Sündenböcke” herhalten. Andere Risikogruppen sind ältere Frauen, Menschen mit Albinismus, AIDS-Kranke, psychisch Kranke, Flüchtlinge, die in Camps leben, aber auch besonders schöne und erfolgreiche Frauen und Männer. Angehörige von ethnischen Minderheiten sind in den jeweiligen Ländern Afrikas unterschiedlich betroffen. Fast alle werden von nahestehenden Personen, oftmals sogar von Familienangehörigen, der Hexerei angeklagt. In den Jahren zwischen 1998 und 2001 wurden dem UNHCR-Bericht zufolge in Tansania 17.220 Frauen der praktizierenden Hexerei angeklagt. Zehn Prozent von ihnen wurden getötet, viele davon waren über 50-jährige Frauen. Im Norden Ghanas gibt es ein ganzes Dorf, in dem ausschließlich Frauen leben, die von ihren Verwandten als Hexen verfolgt werden.

Eine weitere Risikogruppe sind Kinder. Seit den 1990er Jahren werden in einigen afrikanischen Ländern wie zum Beispiel Nigeria, Benin, der Demokratischen Republik Kongo, Angola, Sambia und Tansania auch Kinder der Hexerei beschuldigt – ein Phänomen, das es zuvor nicht gegeben hat. Oft handelt es sich dabei um Kinder mit Behinderungen und Krankheiten, um bewaffnete Kindersoldaten oder um rebellische, „unartige“ Kinder. Ihnen werden magische Fähigkeiten zugeschrieben, mit denen sie in der Lage sind zum Beispiel Krankheiten, finanzielle Not, Arbeitslosigkeit und Tod über ihre Familien und Gemeinden zu bringen. Solche stigmatisierten Kinder werden häufig von ihren Müttern ausgesetzt. Der UNHCR schätzt, dass in Nigeria innerhalb der letzten zehn Jahre etwa 5000 Kinder ausgesetzt wurden, weil ihre Eltern glaubten, sie wären Hexen. In dem UNHCR-Bericht ist sogar von 25.000 ausgestoßenen Kindern in Kinshasa, der Hauptstadt der Demokratischen Republik Kongo die Rede. In der Stadt leben viele der verstoßenen Kinder auf der Straße. Die meisten von ihnen sind zwischen 10 und 13 Jahre alt, aber auch Fünfjährige befinden sich unter ihnen. Das Ministerium für Soziale Angelegenheiten in Tansania berichtete in der Sunday Times am 5. Februar 2006, dass schätzungsweise über 50.000 Kinder in tausenden Kirchen in Tansania festgehalten wurden, wo sie auf eine zeremonielle „Austreibung“ warten mussten.

Die Tageszeitung und Spiegel Online berichten, dass vor allem in Nigeria an sogenannten „Hexenkindern“ – auch Babys werden der Hexerei beschuldigt -, schwere Menschenrechtsverletzungen, oft in den vielen Kirchenhäusern im Namen Gottes, verübt werden. Tausende unschuldige Kinder und Jugendliche müssen als „Strafe“ für ihre „bösartigen Aktivitäten“ gegen Bezahlung, langwierige schwarzmagische Zeremonien zur „Austreibung des Bösen“ über sich ergehen lassen, ausgeführt von Pastoren, Priestern, Bischöfen und selbst ernannten Propheten, die sich damit ein gutes Leben finanzieren. Die „Hexenkinder“ werden bedroht, gequält, geschlagen, sie müssen hungern, sie werden verstoßen, in den Busch getrieben, verfolgt, regelrecht gejagt, mit Benzin übergossen und angezündet, ihnen werden Säuren eingeflößt, sie werden vergiftet, wochenlang an beiden Fußgelenken an Bäume gefesselt, von Pastoren angekettet, lebendig begraben, gefoltert oder getötet. Die Hilfsorganisation „Stepping Stones Nigeria“ berichtet, dass in zwei von 36 Bundesstaaten Nigerias in den letzten 10 Jahren über 15.000 Jungen und Mädchen wegen Hexerei verfolgt und rund 1000 getötet wurden. Allein im Monat September 2009 wurden drei der beschuldigten Kinder umgebracht und drei weitere in Brand gesteckt.

Vor einigen Jahren wurde in Nigeria ein Gesetz erlassen, das den Missbrauch der Kinder unter Strafe stellt. Das Gesetz wurde aber nicht in allen Provinzen angenommen. Für die meisten Kinder sind deshalb Zufluchtsstellen oft die einzige Rettung vor dem sicheren Tod. Helfer beschützen die Kinder, sammeln Geld, bauen Schulen und reden mit den Eltern, damit diese die Kinder wieder in die Familien zurückholen. Das Gegenteil ist aber eher der Fall, denn wöchentlich werden bis zu zehn weitere Kinder in den Waisenhäusern aufgenommen.

Anfang Juli 2009 berichtete „Stepping Stones Nigeria“, dass im nigerianischen Bundesstaat Akwa Ibom ein Kinderzentrum der Humanitären Organisation „Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network“ (CRARN) in der Stadt Esit Eket von mehreren Polizisten überfallen wurde. Die Polizisten brachen in das Haus ein und beschlagnahmten Computer, persönliche Gegenstände und Dokumente. Mehrere Kinder wurden geschlagen, zwei davon so schwer, dass sie im Krankenhaus behandelt werden mussten. Außerdem wurden zwei Mitarbeiter von CRARN willkürlich verhaftet und ohne Anklage auf der Polizeiwache in Esit Eket in Arrest gehalten, bis sie gegen eine Kaution freigelassen wurden. Es ist zu vermuten, dass das mutwillige Zusammenschlagen unschuldiger Kinder und die gesetzwidrige Verhaftung von CRARN-Mitarbeitern Teil einer weitreichenden Einschüchterungskampagne gegen die Organisation und ihrer Unterstützer ist.

Der Glaube an die Macht von übernatürlichen Kräften durchzieht in afrikanischen Gesellschaften alle Bevölkerungsschichten. Die Macht des Okkulten ist im alltäglichen Leben ständig und überall präsent. Eine Vielzahl von Amuletten, Tinkturen und Orakel sollen vor dem Einfluss böser Mächte schützen. In der Bevölkerung wird die Macht des Okkulten durch Filme und Fantasieromane noch zusätzlich geschürt. Der Glaube an Geister, Hexen und Zauberern wird in den Medien wie Zeitungen und Zeitschriften, Radio, Fernsehen und Video publik gemacht und verbreitet. Seit den 1990er Jahren wird in größerem Umfang in Anlehnung an Hollywood in den USA und Bollywood in Indien, der nigerianische Film unter dem Namen „Nollywood“ (in Ghana unter „Ghollywood“) äußerst gewinnbringend vermarktet. In den zahlreichen low-budget Nollywood-Filmproduktionen werden verschiedene Genres aus Dramatik, Tragik, Romantik und Action vermischt. Wichtige Themen sind Religion, okkulte Mächte, Verbrechen, Liebe, Verrat, Mord, Kannibalismus, Korruption und postkoloniale Konflikte. Geistwesen, übernatürliche Kräfte, die filmtechnisch oft als computeranimierte Blitze dargestellt werden, Hexen und Zauberer, spielen in den populären Horror-Videos eine zentrale Rolle.

Die nigerianische selbsternannte Prophetin Helen Ukpabio produzierte mehrere, mittlerweile weit verbreitete Videofilme, die angebliche „Hexenkinder“ bei Hexenritualen und dem Verzehr von Menschenfleisch zeigen. Gutgläubige Menschen sollen davon überzeugt werden, dass die „Hexenkinder“ sehr gefährlich sind. Die Hilfsorganisation „Stepping Stones Nigeria“ betreibt in der Bevölkerung engagierte und kritische Aufklärungsarbeit gegen den tödlichen Geisterwahn. Sie versucht Druck auf die Regierung des Bundesstaates Akwa Ibom, auf die Polizei und auf die Gesetzgebung auszuüben. Die Organisation benutzt das Medium Internet, um die Medienöffentlichkeit über die dramatische Entwicklung in Nigeria zu informieren. “Stepping Stones Nigeria” bittet die internationale Gemeinschaft sie bei ihrer Arbeit zu unterstützen und sich dafür einzusetzen, das Leben der unschuldigen Kinder zu schützen.

Via FormatMag

My friend Florine, another post-post-colonial woman – a Haitian-American artist – is currently in Kumasi, Ghana and has been there for about 4 months. I hope she stays there longer to experience the unique place that is Ghana and I hope she will really come to understand the dynamics and vibrancy of being a Caribbean-American woman in Ghana in the midst of the simple details of everyday living and the complex trials of regular existence. Ghana is not Nigeria but the West African aesthetic is similar. Its people are just as animated. Ghanaians can be much quieter – and less lively like the intense and hot-blooded Nigerians who are saga-filled and profoundly dramatic.

For the last few days, Florine and I have been having an elaborate Facebook conversation about the sagas and dramas of people in Ghana – and she asked the question:  why did I not tell her that the dramas of life here are really like those in Nollywood movies?

I laughed out loudly because I honestly have only watched maybe one full seating of a Nollywood movie. You wonder, how did I escape that scenario? Well, after growing up in Nigeria and watching daily life and Nigeria TV soap operas prior to the advent of Nollywood movies…I knew what was the mix and felt I had been there – done that, and was not returning to the scene of the crime – those overly and badly acted, poorly lit but mesmerizing and capturing three-part serial soap dramas.

Nollywood Movies are really like Nigerian life – a bit over the top but they do speak some truth about people’s lives in Nigeria. Every time, I arrive in Lagos – and spend more than a week, I always run into a Nollywood actor; they amuse me – it’s not like a Hollywood star-struck experience or running into a famous New York City actor in Chelsea. It is usually so ordinary that I can become dismissive by the encounter. Nollywood actors seem to think I should know them or have seen their “great” work. Most times, I haven’t the faintest idea who they are or what film they had just been in. I am often told who they are by whoever I am lunching with or whoever is present during the encounter.

My most memorable Nollywood encounter is laughable and somewhat unbecoming for the actress – so, I best not mention – her royal highness. It was in February this year, and I was again in Lagos to spend time at my store as I periodically do.  The “Naija princess” (it’s another term for the highness and Naija means Nigerian) came in and spent about thirty minutes shopping, selecting items and piled them up on the counter. She then announced with her sun-shaded screwed-up face, “I am ready – and I would like to pay by check? “Check? In Nigeria? And you are not a regular customer?” The three things my manager, Mariam and I were both thinking. But in timely customer service standard, Mariam said, “I am sorry, madam, we do not accept checks. We only accept cash”.

There begins the drama.  Nollywood princess shakes her head, twists her body and rolls her eyes behind the shaded glasses. “Huh, what kind of place is this?” And I hear the distinct sucking of her teeth and the tapping of her shoes. Usually at this point, I pipe in and I did so, “Madam, I am sorry, my manger is right. We do not take checks and nobody else does in the entire shopping center. The bank is open around the corner and we can walk the check over to cash it if you would prefer.” She responds, no, no and storms out angrily – leaving the entire lot on the counter. And Mariam remarks – that is one of Nollywood’s superstars behaving badly – and you know, she does not even have the money to back that check! Last week she did the same thing a few doors down. She left a check – and the salesgirl was so impressed she took it…and later the check bounced.

My friend Issa arrived from Nigeria last week and stopped by the store in Brooklyn to chat and catch up yet again. It seems to be our quarterly ritual. He does it here with me in Brooklyn and I with him in Lagos when I am there.  Issa is like me an observer of the Nollywood crew. We trade stories of incidents and today we talk about Arise Magazine and what we like about it.

I call Issa my Yoruba-American friend, it is a compliment – one that says that his roots are Yoruba but he is more an American in his take on things. He is what in Nigeria – we call a “Been-To” – a Nigerian who has been overseas, either educated here, lived or worked overseas. He is like me in some ways except I am loaded with other identities – a Nigerian-American with Caribbean heritage.  A “been-to” is a type of Nigerian that I will consider a post-post colonial person but some of them are not as evolved and worldly and remain in the post-colonial category like the Nollywood Naija princess.

In May, when I was in Lagos and the last time I saw Issa, he was in “full form”; and I can truly say that we were in a Nollywood episode. It was just like life -and very much dramatic. Issa drove two old friends of his and I around Lagos for lunch and “sight-seeing” and somewhere on a major highway, a guy side-swiped his car – and in true – Nollyood form, he got out and grabbed the other driver and set out to fight. No, I am not joking, it was one of those fights that looked like it was straight out of a movie. His friends and I sat in the car and just watched – maybe we were just paralyzed, simply shocked or just amazed about what we were witnessing. But, I felt like we were Nollywood film makers watching a great scene being produced. Drama! Drama! Drama! I say no more.

The May incident brought back memories of another road event from last year trip. Same road, different friend…AP is what I will call him, for anonymity sake. It’s late evening again in Lagos and traffic is crawling along the highway and all of a sudden, an impatient bus driver side-swiped AP. Like another dramatic scene from Nollywood, AP jumped out of his car and grabbed the bus driver out of his car –  through his bus window and shook him vigorously and senseless. Then, AP’s girlfriend jumped out of the other side of the car, shouted and yelled in Yoruba violently then swung at the bus-driver. This incident may have lasted about five minutes – and through it, I was sitting quietly in the back of the car in the middle of the highway watching the scenario evolve. Should I have been shocked? Scared? I just cannot explain it except…this is Nigeria. You have got to get your “angst” out…and the best place seems to be on the streets of Lagos.

Nigeria is a daily Nollywood episode; some days have low drama ratings while others have nerve-racking, neck-breaking high drama. You just have to keep smiling and cruising along. Either you get it, or you just don’t. This place catches you like a bad Nollywood movie but I rather not be elsewhere. It’s like high fever, it catches your soul, burns you and renders you prisoner. I know it, because when I am away from it, I miss it and when I am in it, I can’t wait to get out. Just like that three-part Nollywood movie, it is addictive.

My friend Florine, another post-post-colonial woman – a Haitian-American artist,  is currently in Kumasi, Ghana and has been there for about 4 months. I hope she stays longer, to experience the unique place like Ghana and really come to understand the dynamics of being a woman in Ghana and the details of regular life. Ghana is not Nigeria but the West African aesthetic is similar. Ghanaians can be much quieter – and  less lively like the dramas of Nigerians.

Florine and I have been having an elaborate Facebook conversation about the sagas and dramas of people in Ghana – and she asked the question:  why did I not tell her that the dramas are really like those in Nollywood movies?

I laugh out loudly because I honestly have only watched maybe one full seating of a Nollywood movie – how did I escape that scenario? Well, after growing up in Nigeria and watching daily life and Nigeria TV soap operas prior to the Nollywood movies…I had been there – done that and was not returning to the scene of those dramas.

Nollywood Movies are really like Nigerian life – a bit over the top but they speak truth about people’s life in Nigeria. Every time, I arrive in Lagos – and spend more than a week, I always run into a Nollywood actor; they amuse me – it’s not like a Hollywood experience or running into an actor in Chelsea. Nollywood actors seem to think I should know them or have seen their “great” work.

My friend Issa arrived from Nigeria last week and stopped by the store in Brooklyn to chat. I call him Yoruba-American, but he is what in Nigeria – we call a “Been-To”- a Nigerian who has been overseas and lived or worked overseas, like me. This type of Nigerian can be considered post-post colonial person.

The last time I saw Issa in “full form”, we were in a Nollywood episode. It was just like life -and very much dramatic. Issa drove two friends of his and I around Lagos for lunch and “sight-seeing” and somewhere on a major highway, a guy side-swipped his car – and in true – Nollyood form, he got out and grabbed the other driver and set out to fight. His friends and I sat in the car and just watched – maybe we were just paralyzed, simply shocked or just amazed about what we were witnessing. But, I felt like we were Nollywood film makers watching a great scene being produced. Drama! Drama! Drama! I say no more.

Nigeria is a daily Nollywood episode, some days have low drama ratings while others have nerve-racking neck-breaking high drama. You just have to keep smiling and cruising along.

We at GidiNoize have decided that Henceforth we will post new and interesting movies on Mondays.

Todays pick is Guilty Pleasures.

Part 1 http://videos.ghananation.com/ad11.asp?blurb=2565

Part 2 http://movies.ghananation.com/Romance/ad1.asp?blurb=2566

part 3 http://movies.ghananation.com/premiumvideos/ad11.asp?blurb=2567

part 4 http://movies.ghananation.com/Romance/adX.asp?blurb=2568

ALE ( AH-LAY) or Adulterer in English,  is a Nigerian Yoruba film Directed by Abiodun Olanrewaju   starring  Taiwo Hassan, Yinka Quadri , and  features Funke Akindele. It touches on the subject of Marriage in the modern Yoruba culture. I will try not to give away too much of the story, because that ruins the point of watching it (duh).

The film is about a recently married woman who is barren and begins to have affairs with her ex-lovers. The story takes an interesting twist when the husband begins to suspect his wife’s disloyalty.

Directing/Editing-  The director did a good job with conveying the story.  The movie was slow paced, but not to slow to bore the viewer. The director also did a lot of “cutting-to-the-chase” although this  was a good approach to avoiding unnecessary dialouge, I found myself concluding some of the scenes myself. All in all it was manageable

Acting:  The actors were believable in their roles.  However the kissing scenes which usually last for .01 seconds between couples were very awkward. I am aware that scenes of this nature is Taboo in Nigeria, but I think the actors have to remember that they are playing characters!

Sound: Just like most nollywood movies, sound levels are always never the same, and voices of actors always seems to echo.  Due to the low cost production, I can’t really comment on this but sometimes the little things count.

Story /Writing: The story was original its own unique away. I wont be surprised if this was actually based on a true story either.  This was a well written story, but it could be at times very predictable.

RATING : 7.0

Zachariah Olushoga ©2009

Photo credit: Looking Glass on Flickr (CC)

Theme: Africa and the Diaspora

Dates: 21st to 31st October 2009

Location: Alliance Française (main venue & registration), National Museum, 20th Century Cinema, Silverbird Cinema, Italian Cultural Institute, Nairobi Safari Club and Chester House

Features: Screenings, Workshops, Forums, Music performances, Exhibition on African cinema and Mini-Festival within a Festival – Best of Amakula (Uganda), Rwanda and Zanzibar Film Festivals; Lola Kenya

Après les photos des prisons du Brésil, on continue notre tour du monde avec Le photographe Africain (Sud-Africain exactement) Pieter Hugo qui sort un recueil de photos intitulé ‘Nollywood’. Ce livre est consacré à la troisième industrie du cinéma la plus active au monde qui n’est autre que le Nigéria. Attention photos chocs dans la suite de l’article!

Photographe Africain: Pieter Hugo

Photographe Africain: Pieter Hugo

Photographe Africain: Pieter Hugo

Photographe Africain: Pieter Hugo

Photographie Africaine: Pieter Hugo

Photographie Africaine: Pieter Hugo

Photographie Africaine: Pieter Hugo

Photographie Africaine: Pieter Hugo [Via]

Mit “Nollywood Babylon” zeigen Samir Mallal, Ben Addelman in ihrer 2008er Doku die boomende Filmindustrie Nigerias. Trashig und ganz nah am Menschen wie der Trailer verspricht. Hoffentlich bekomme ich auch mal die vollen 2h 9min (inklusive Vodoo-Jesus-Action) zu sehen.

by Tony Nigro

Via VICE via Boing Boing, the first Nollywood horror flick that I really need to see but probably don’t have the stamina to finish.  Produced by a pastor and replete with all sorts of “special effects” (as in “special education”), 666 promises a lot by offering very little.  The trailer reminds me of a cross between the Troma-distributed Fatty Drives the Bus and a mondo psychotronic Elvis-meets-Frankenstein piece of crap I dug out of the back of Jerry’s Video Rerun in the ’90s.