NOLLYWOOD DREAMS – Nigeria on Special A
NEXT WEEK TUESDAY the 29th March (not tonight) Special Assignment takes you on a journey to the fascinating and sometimes bizarre world of Nollywood – Nigeria’s film industry.
Nollywood is now the third biggest movie industry in the world after Hollywood and India’s Bollywood. Nollywood releases almost a thousand movies every year ONG>and in Lagos alone, there are 5 000 registered actors. Yet, there are no movie houses in Nigeria. Nollywood caters for the home video market – and in this country of 120 million people there are 70 million video recorders and DVD players.
“Nollywood Dreams” also tells how Special Assignment’s executive producer, Jacques Pauw, became an instant Nollywood movie star! While Special Assignment was filming a 17th century Igbo epic in a small village in eastern Nigeria, the young female director/producer suddenly “discovered” that she needed a white man to play the role of a colonial priest who brings Christianity to the king and his followers. She pleaded with Jacques and said it would involve only one scene and one line. He agreed – and was given a tight-fitting white robe to wear.
But what was supposed to be a single scene turned into a major role in the movie. Jacques acted non-stop for two days, converting the king, preaching to the locals and trying to save the lives of twin babies who were about to be sacrificed by an evil priest. He even appears on the poster promoting the movie. 🙂
Besides spending almost a week on set in Enugu, Special Assignment also visited Nollywood in Lagos. They interviewed and filmed two of the biggest stars in the industry and spoke to various producers and directors. They also ventured into the film market in central Lagos where millions of copies of movies are sold by hundreds of merchants. In that week alone, 56 new movies were released!
Virtually an entire suburb of Lagos – Surelere – has been taken over by Nollywood and this is where actors, actresses, directors, producers and of course movie-hopefuls gather. Nollywood movies mostly take a few days to shoot, on a shoestring budget and on very basic equipment. Yet, a blockbuster can sell up to 200 000 copies.
The movies are sometimes violent and issues like vampirism, witchcraft, love, hate and betrayal are often the central themes. Strict censorship rules however ensure that love scenes are limited to light kissing and issues of religious conflict are taboo.
In a country better known for drug dealing, 419 scams and corruption, “Nollywood Dreams” gives a unique insight into an incredibly vibrant, creative and innovative industry. “Nollywood Dreams” is directed by Jacques Pauw and was filmed by Jan de Klerk
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