Communicating Change and Societal Values in Selecting Nigerian Home Movies
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The aim of this research work is to establish that, Nollywood movies communicate positive values in all ramifications of the society and thus has positive influence on its viewers. The study will seek;
- To demonstrate the various positive trends projected by Nollywood movies
- To correct the notion that Nollywood movies only reflect materials which contradict or erode the quality of life and undermine the people‘s values and norms.
- To show how Nollywood can be improved as a medium of transformative communication for the nation.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Significantly, films are exponents of the social, political, economic, cultural, and technological developments of the producing country. Thus, their contact with a viewer from a different cultural background has some implications. The film could arouse the interest of such audiences positively towards the situations so portrayed. That is to say that the films would then be transmitting, promoting and preserving the culture of the producing nation and have the likelihood of influencing the audiences‘ culture through development of what is projected. This further buttresses the view that, ―what movies offer society, the manner in which it is offered, and its content are inextricably bound up with the condition of industrialization‖ (Ekwuazi 1991). Also affected by industrialisation is the social, economic, political, philosophical, cultural, and artistic development of the society. This is obvious in the borrowed lifestyle of our youths and adults alike as the culture imbibed today, ranging from music, thoughts, ideology, clothes, hairstyles, foods and drinks are mostly conceived through their contact with various foreign media content.This apparently explains why the then apartheid government of South Africa did not allow television broadcasting in its enclave until the repressive regime was dismantled. This decision is a pointer to the realization that films have universal appeal and impact.
Film has the power to rise above language limitations and cultural barriers because through ―the powers of its visual images, its use of music and sound effects,‖ a film will succeed in ―conveying much the same message to audiences of heterogeneous background‖ (Opubor et al 1995:1). This explains why in his analysis, (Rotha 1958) observes that good films are dangerous. He captures the powerful nature of film thus:
They are dangerous because of their instantaneous impact on the minds and emotions of the world‘s citizenry. Educationalists have proved that the visual image makes a deeper impression than the verbal or aural image. In this small country, 30,000,000 people see films every week. They see eighty American films to twenty British or other films. They absorb a large amount of the message or propaganda behind them.
The impact of film on the viewer is a resultant effect of the critical thinking and analysis caused by the movie. Today, most directors, producers, and script writers try to make a statement in the course of film production. The statement projected could be addressing an ongoing issue in the society, or making a philosophical claim. While watching a film, viewers come up with individual interpretation of the story. For instance, there have been many different interpretations of the film ‗Half of a Yellow Sun‘ directed by Biyi Bandele which is an adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s 2006 novel,Half of a Yellow Sun. For some, it is about lives in Nigeria torn apart by the 1960s Biafran war: the attempt to create a secessionist state whose flag showed the top half of a hopeful rising sun. For others the heartfelt quality makes the movie a valuable reminder of a piece of history that once dominated discussion both nationally and internationally revealing the toxicity of Britain‘s post-imperial legacy, while for some it is the twisted biased story of the author.
The Nigerian government also revealed its extent of interpretation as it through the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) delayed the release of the film. Chimamanda Adichie author of the book wrote in The New Yorker, an American literary magazine. ―Nigerian government censors delayed the release of the film adaptation of ―Half of a Yellow Sun‖ because, according to them, it might incite violence in the country; at issue in particular is a scene based on a historically documented massacre at a northern Nigerian airport,‖. The various interpretations notwithstanding, the engagement in the film stimulates the viewer throughout the whole film as he is enlightened not just on the history of the society but also on the ills of violence. Movies not only address issues of violence but also challenge social and political issues that abound in the society. As earlier mentioned, filmmakers tend to strategically culminate these issues and problems into the narrative of their films as their way of speaking their mind and getting the audience to think on that matter when issues are raised in movies, it causes people to start thinking and talking and maybe even arguing, when opinions differ, this could prompt those involved to begin to question what they truly believe in. Movies also increase the awareness of international presence in projected communities or societies. For instance, films which project the slum like societies; poverty and degraded lives of members of such community, broaden viewers understanding of the plight of some parts of the world. This can awaken our sense of responsibility and empathy towards such situations and help us try to do our bit in order to be of some help to humanity. It can also spur international assistance.
CHAPTER THREE
ANALYSIS OF MR.AND MRS
MR AND MRS
Synopsis
The movie is centred on two families Mr and Mrs Abah and the Charles‘. Ken Abah the husband of Susan Abah is from a rich home, his father owns oil blocks and Ken is the managing director of Hills oil and gas, while Susan is a house wife. Ken eats his food fresh and Susan is saddled with the responsibility of cooking, washing and cleaning the home and Ken does not appreciate her efforts. To him she is a mere house wife with no other responsibility as he provides all that is needed in the home and is not doing enough. Failure to serve him his fresh meal when he needs it or clean up as fast as possible elicits insults from him. His wife Susan feels like a slave and is no longer happy. Ken expects her to cater for the home front and also perform her conjugal duties as he demands. Her complains and demands for a house help and better treatment fall on deaf ears.
It is established in the movie that life was pleasurable and near perfect for them until Ken‘s dad acquired oil blocks and Ken becomes arrogant and full of himself. Eventually Susan‘s ‗whining‘ according to Ken prompts him to seek a divorce, Susan accepts the divorce and because of his father‘s political ambition and forth coming elections Ken‘s mother suggests they have a quiet divorce and that Susan remains in the house with Ken until the campaign is over. However they owe each other no obligation, they are to live as two separate and independent adults. Susan takes charge of her life, spends more time on herself, gets a good job and a new relationship. While Ken in order to spite her brings in his lover to the house but she is befriended by Susan. Ken is filled with jealously and has a change of mind concerning the divorce.
Charles and Linda are family friends to the Abahs, Charles is a civil servant and spends more time at home with the kids, dots on his wife and is supportive of her ambitious dreams to become a regional manager of her bank. A career woman, she seems to play the role of the husband in the relationship and Charles is comfortable with the status of things. Linda believes her husband is not cheating on her when Susan implies it, she is certain her husband wouldn‘t even think such, for her, he is the most supportive man on earth. She has a house maid, who does the cleaning, cooking, caters for the children and her husband. For the Charles‘ conjugal consummation is based on Linda‘s time table – and she‘s always too tired after the day‘s job.
As the story unfolds, Susan gets her husband back as she wants him – loving and considerate and Linda discovers her husband has been cheating on her with their housemaid. He has no regrets and claims she pushed him to it as she doesn‘t cater for his needs and cares more about her job. Eventually, both families‘ make a fresh start of life. This movie basically attempts to tell a truth about some of the conflicts and struggles in marriages.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSES OF HALF OF A YELLOW SUN AND THE MEETING
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
Synopsis
Half of a Yellow Sun narrative is structured around the social, family and love life of two privileged sisters Kainene and Olanna who upon their return to Nigeria after completing their studies in the United Kingdom make decisions which surprise their parents. kainene moves to Port Harcourt to oversee her father‘s business and falls in love with a white writer Richard while Olanna goes to lecture at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and moves in with her professor lover Odenigbo. Life goes on for them with few challenges here and there; Odenigbo‘s mother brings him a girl from the village to marry, she keeps frustrating Olanna and Olanna decides to take a vacation. While she was away Odenigbo‘s mother gets him drunk and he eventually sleeps with Amala his supposed wife. Olanna returns and discovers, Odenigbo‘s fling, out of anger and hurt she runs to her aunty in Kano who encourages her to take control of her life and not act like the world has ended. She advises her to move into her own apartment and move on with her life. Olanna returns and moves out of Odenigbo‘s flat and into hers, still feeling betrayed, she eventually sleeps with Richard her twin sister Kainene‘s boyfriend.
This act brings about animosity between Odenigbo and Richard. Kainene also learns of the act and animosity brews between her and Richard as well as her and Olanna. Events keep occurring building tension amongst the major ethnic groups in the country as things grow worst, the republic of Biafra is declared with jubilation in Eastern Nigeria. Olanna and Kainene‘s mother offers Olanna a ticket to leave the country with the progressing war; she refuses and chooses to remain with her family –Odenigbo, Ugwu the house help and baby. Baby is the fruit of the union between Odenigbo and Amala, however she is rejected by her mother Amala. Kainene on the other hand also remained, overseeing her business and with a full blown war runs a refugee home. In the midst of the war, the sisters spend some time together talking and sharing memories. This breaks the ice between them as Kainene forgives Olanna and they rekindle their familial love.
As the war progresses Odenigbo and his family flee Nsukka, he loses his mother this starts him off on the dark path of alcoholism and depression and he and they eventually end up in a refugee camp. Kainene who becomes a war profiteer manages the refugee camp and is involved in trading at enemy border and disappears at one of such trades. Richard is distraught and spends his days searching for her a few days after her departure the war comes to an end.
Revisiting History
History, as the necessary enquiry into the past events of human; whether in the area of politics, economy or society, generally, has remained a reference point in the evaluation of the activities of man both in the present and in the future. It has continued to serve as a guide in man‘s quest to understand the present and its challenges, in other to face the future successfully. By so doing, it does checkmate the repetition of the mistakes of the past for a better future. There is a lot which can be learnt from history especially as we continue in the struggle for societal change.
Esedebe (2003:18) was right when he stated that history ―is the only means whereby we may understand the present (and) … a man who loses memory of what went before will be a man adrift‖. In order not to be adrift, Nigerians need to be abreast of their historical past. The famous Abraham Lincoln said “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it‘‘. Furthermore, Renee Sanders (2009:4) pointsout that ‗It is vital to remember the past is never far from us, and if we deny its existence, value, and impact on our lives then we miss not only living honestly, but also not contributing to the future‘.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATIONS
Summary
It has been established that film is a mass communication medium that can be used to bring about unity and promote cultural heritage through the messages portrayed. By and large, Nigerian films have gone to the far ends of the earth and it should be a medium for show casing our rich cultural heritage. The unity of this nation can be enhanced through the production of movies with local and international appeal.
The cultural world view of Nigerians is grounded in fundamental beliefs and values which guide and shape life experiences. In spite of our ethnic differences, there are core values that transcend ethnic and regional boundaries. These include: religiosity, love, tradition and culture, communal living, respect for elders, decency, tolerance, hospitality, peace and so on. These values must transcend our national boundary and film or movie is the right path that can help us achieve this aim. M’Bow (1977) warns that “in order to develop, a society must remain true to itself, draw its strength from its own culture and ways of thought and action and set itself objectives consonant with its values and felt needs”.
The emphasis here is that culture is condensed human experience; a set of values, ideas and norms expressed in varying categories which is both rooted in history and tradition; dynamic and changing; past as well as future. Some cultural expressions are passed on from one generation to the other such as traditional dresses, food, and folktales while others are being transformed through encounters with other cultures and through technical developments such as music and dramatic arts as well as through the media, including film.
It can be argued that one of the aims of Nollywood, as it is often claimed during film festivals and conferences, is to help in showcasing and improving the image of Africa in contrast to Hollywood films. Even though most critics have argued that this has not been the case as has been demonstrated in the analysis of numerous movies, it can be deduced that Nigerian films upon inception started well by promoting our rich cultural heritage but somewhere along the line deviated to accommodate financial gains. This became prominent when the viewers of home videos increased drastically thereby giving rise to competition among film producers who were ready to pay heavily to get stories that would move and increase sales. Irrespective of this deviation, it can be asserted that one of the hallmarks of the industry is how video representations often parallel and reflect what is happening in the society.
Haynes, (2005: 132), confirms this when he said ‗Nollywood draws on many cultural influences, both domestic and foreign, but it remains fundamentally distinctive‘. The Nigerian film industry is defined and sustained by Nigerians. Herein lies the success and fame of Nigerian films; – the audience find the stories, fascinating and in consonant with their expectations. Recurring themes in these films are those with broad appeal based on subjects such as infidelity, treachery, lust, hypocrisy, armed robbery, marital problems, murder, cultism and occultism, witchcraft, polygamy, corruption, bad governance and so on. The themes are indeed broad and mirror Nigerian society. Due to their status among the society‘s primary mass media, Nigerian films have become stabilizing forces that contribute to the preservation of social order. Through their themes, they emphasize the collective mentality of Nigerian society, educate large audiences along certain established lines, develop collective memories of the past, maintain a distance from the frightening present, and project life in the future.
The project has examined the various themes raised in select movies and their positive socio-cultural implications for change in viewers and by extension the nation, against the background of Defleur‘s cultural norms theory and Gerbner’s cultivation hypothesis. An analysis of the selected movies, show the exploration of major issues facing Nigerians from individual to the Nation at large.
As a miniature of the society and as an important institution in the life of any country, the family has been a major emphasis of Nollywood films. Matters pertaining to the relationship between husband and wife, mothers- in-law and daughters-in law, children, stepsons and stepdaughters and so on, have been highlighted in Nigerian films. In the movie Mr. and Mrs., the importance of the family and the various relationships that occur is captured. It reflects the sanctity of the family above all other while capturing the responsibility of the woman in maintaining such healthy families.
The video presents the misconception by some educated professional women that their role as wives and mothers can be compromised because of their social standing, while revealing that both their professionalism and traditional roles can be well balanced so none suffers. To that effect, the movie advocates for social conscientization of women for creative transformation from the social role reversal that is gradually spreading in our society. The movie also projects that a happy home is achievable and is needed for positive change and stability.
Producers through a handful of movies, retell recent or contemporary political events under the thinnest of disguises. Political themes in Nigerian films however, have not been very tough; the industry does not possess an exciting tradition of political filmmaking. Though it can be argued that contemporary films in Nigeria are beginning to take interest in current political discourse and situations and making positive impact through perceiving socio political realities and by making such perceptions available in their work, they help promote an understanding and preservation of current social norms and values as well as facilitate the criticism and alteration of such norms and values.
Considering the depth of the socio-political misery in Nigeria, the movie The Meeting seeks to condemn the inequalities and corruption in the political class with focus on the civil service, that have weakened the ability of democracy to make much difference in the lives of the people.
The movie emphasises on the humanly created bureaucracy in the civil service and mirrors the frustration of Nigerians as they are barred from meeting their representatives and forced to resort to bribery. The social ills that have pervaded our society for long; ethnicity, tribalism, favouritism amongst others and how they are brought to play in our daily lives and have come to define our achievements is also captured in the movie. The desire for change and the victory of change over social ills chronicles the events of the movie as the protagonist triumphs in his mission after what looks like a coup against oppression. The movie expounds the need for the development of good character and conduct in the society at all levels as well as the need to re-invent the Nigerian civil service which is imperative to maintaining effective leadership and service to the Nation.
Research Findings
The study of how Nigerian home movies communicate change and societal values in their content has revealed the following :
- Nollywood producers are committed to projecting change in the society and have gone the extra mile to ensure quality production by paying more attention to technical details, research and even funding to ensure they tell the Nigerian story in a matured and detailed way.
- Nollywood movies irrespective of their exaggerations and misrepresentations project some form of value, which is usually overlooked as a result of stereotypical conventional belief that nothing good can be seen in a Nigerian movie.
- Finance plays a major role in the content of these movies if properly funded, the industry will witness an upsurge in quality and content rich movies that positively and accurately project our way of life.
- Over the years, researchers, critics and writers have concentrated their efforts on writing on the negative aspects of Nollywood movies. This is a contributing factor to the belief by some that Nollywood movies contain only negative vices.
- A number of Nigerians have come to believe this notion about Nollywood movies and now pride western movies which contain more explicit and graphic content above Nigerian movies.
Recommendations
To maximize the benefits of Nollywood movies, it is recommended that;
- The media especially movies should be extensively explored as a development communication tool as it has great impact and commands a lot of audience.
- Script writers and producers‘ of video films should know that they owe the larger society a duty to promote the greater good of the society, and should realise that the ennobling virtues which the society covets should find expression in their works, since their content affect those that are exposed to it. They should down play morally repugnant themes and produce videos that are of greater good to the larger society, videos with ―good morals‖ and ―ennobling virtues.
- Proper research should be undertaken to ensure accuracy in projected beliefs, values and culture; there should be an analysis and understanding of the Nigerian cultural life, values and cultural needs and expectations of people. This way, the films will be effectively used as a medium to promote unity among Nigerian communities; to reiterate our oneness in spite of our cultural, religious or ethnic differences. Also, actors and actresses should be compelled to dress and speak like real Nigerians.
- Relevant censor authorities should ensure they scrutinise films, ensure relevance of their content to the general public before they are sent out for viewing by the larger audience.
Conclusion
The popularity of Nollywood attests to the fact that the videos have been able to reflect the social conditions and stratifications that typify the contexts in which the narratives unfold. Nollywood videos, thus, function as the channel through which the aspirations of the people are articulated and where they can critique the socio-economic inadequacy that prevail in the society and is also a way of calling for the desired change in government. Producers of news, reporters, editors and broadcasters contribute to the ways in which reality is shaped. Through the media‘s agenda setting, viewer‘s learn not only about a given issue but also how much importance to attach to that issue from the amount of information in a news story and its position. Since the media is assumed to possess such powers it can be employed as a veritable tool for setting public agenda and giving issues worthy of change top priority this will among other things lead to the elimination of oppressive structures and negative practices. As Gerbner and his team observe that most of what we know or think we know, we have never personally experienced, we know these things because of the stories we see and hear in the media.
This implies that the movies have a way of teaching us things we do not know and should know based on facts. Therefore there is much to be learnt from Nollywood movies. As agenda setters and gatekeepers, producers should ensure that their movies positively perform the task of shaping realities through changing of negative mindset and attitudes in favour of the positive.
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