NOLLYWOOD
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| LoL! |
Aaarrrrrggghhh! When
I typed in "Nollywood" in the computer, the spelling error line appeared, (I
just sighed and added the word to the dictionary) meaning it is not a
recognized word. The only option MS Word gave was Hollywood. I sighed again.
After all, Nollywood is just a sorry
imitation of Hollywood and the rather pathetic part is that we keep
psyching ourselves as the third best movie making industry in the world. It’s
because other countries do not have "wood" added to the name of their movie
industries and they did not even call us the third best, they said third
largest because we can produce 50 movies in one day! That is fifty unrealistic
English C.D’s that will have parts one and two. It is bad enough that we have
‘copied’ their name but it’s completely unacceptable to make movies that are
archaic and infuriatingly unrealistic.
I
am tired of stressing the fact that Hollywood is a place; more like a film village
or even city because in Hollywood, if they need to make a movie about a storm
or sea, they do not have to go to the sea, as in the real ocean, they use a
small swimming pool and add effects that make the whole thing look so real. You
see Nigeria? Nollywood is not even a film village or city; it’s an office off
Bode Thomas in Surulere. Apparently, the extent to which our imagination can
grow does not exceed movies on "juju", unchanging love films that never move
from 'rich guy loves poor-no poverty stricken girl…parents refuse blatantly…guy
rebels and marries girl…they suffer…parents don’t want to help…guy won’t
compromise his love…parents reconsider…blah blah blah’, or other love films
where 'girl loves guy…girl’s friend does too…girl’s friend blackmails girl…guy
leaves 1st girl…truth is uncovered…guy retracts his steps…blah blah
blah'…the stories are so predictable! Worse still is the way some of these stories
are told. Gad-ddd!
Sometimes
I get so enraged and want to go on and direct a movie of my own. The latest now
is our soap operas. Sigh. The stories they adapt are unbelievable! It’s like
they think we, the audience, are a bunch of illiterates- even illiterates will
not sit down and take in the crappy storylines we are always fed with each time
a new Nollywood movie comes out. I wonder when we will get to the level of
producing edgy movies and story lines that are so fresh 'out of the box'. We no
doubt have very good screenplay and our actors have managed to strike the chord
and broken legs with their mastery of the performing arts concept, but sadly,
that is not enough to bring the "cup" home. TO BE CONTINUED...
Bella
Okojie
great and funny article
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