nollywood: touched by a figurine

I travelled down to Nigeria from Delhi to attend the 2010 AMAA Awards. I got tickets and went for the glamorous event. I was not disappointed. Even as the event started late, I was impressed by the organisation of the event. More support should be given to the organisers and I also believe that such Jury should be sustained. They were, in my opinion, very fair.

The Figurine, directed by Kune Afolayan went home with the biggest number of awards, including Best Motion Picture.

A lot of people didn't know about this movie until the AMAA. Most people have not seen the movie. They just know it stars actor of Israeli-Lebanese descent, Ramsey Nouah and people got to see Omoni Oboli, that beautiful actress, as very promising.

It is a well-written story, even though I've not seen the script. The director did a good job. The cinematographer did incredibly well. The cast interpreted their lines well. The editor couldn't mess up. Oh, yes, it was perfect for me. It has all the necessary requisites integral to a good movie, considering the fact that it's a Nollywood movie.

Nollywood movies rank as the most poorly made movies in the world, still the directors easily attack their critics, believing they should be praised. How do you praise a child that shat on his cloth?

I've seen a Nollywood script. It's laughable. I've been on set of a Nollywood movie. Sometimes, the actors 'direct' the director. The actors and actresses want to wear whatever pleases them. The costumier has to sit and watch them pick what they like and not what the part they are playing requires of them. Who cares if a girl raised in the countryside wears a lipstick and rides in a Jeep, without stepping out of her village? Hey, the viewers are senseless. They know nothing. They won't cringe at all.

I've heard a 'score' or 'theme song' for a Nollywood movie. Sorry, they call it 'soundtrack'. The 'soundtrack' has to tell the entire story; sometimes screaming the name of the protagonist. We laugh and then keep watching.

Most Nollywood movies don't have scripts: this dude wakes up one morning and thinks he has a story, a fantastic one, which will change the world. Because he is close to a filmmaker, he calls him up and tells him a story, which has been used in a Hollywood or Bollywood movie and tells him the actors that would fit the roles. He's done the casting already! They make phone calls to the actors they know and in one week, they are done. They go to the most popular film editor in town. There's no release date. No publicity. No promotional events. Nothing. And in two weeks, the movie crawls into Idumota and Iweka Road.

When they are playing their parts, the actors say anything they want and spend more minutes on a scene than expected. They do not care much about the dialogue, because there's never a dialogue coach. Even their understanding of the environment they are in, is so watered down. There's no research writer.

Bad movies are made, not because there's limited fund. It is because the writer has produced a very worded and verbose script (with so much proverbs). The director reads and can't just pass the first few pages, but because he has discussed the idea with the writer, he goes on with it.

But with movies like Kunle Afolayan's The Figurine and Stephanie Okereke's Through the Glass, movies are beginning to have release dates and are being premiered at cinemas. The 'soundtracks' are now being called 'theme songs' and are being made innovative and classical.

Nollywood might be witnessing a rebirth. I see a Nollywood movie getting a nomination at the Oscars in a very short time...

But this can only happen if our scriptwriters start paying attention to the details they are giving to the world, if the actors sit down and research the parts they are about to play and the directors to take their time to mentor more faces, because the old faces are not ready to listen to them.

For even in film school, I was ashamed when one of the teachers brought out a Nollywood movie and asked us to take notice of the structure of the story. Yes, these are theories, but one has to know the rules before breaking them. Nollywood directors, however, do not know the rules. They are weak. They just do not think that by spending their time on a project, they can make the kinda money they really want. Again, the Nigerian viewers feel the need to support mediocrity. One story told yesterday, will be retold today.

Having scripted a movie, The Distant Light, myself for a south African company, I remember taking my time to twist events to produce a timeless climax that will amaze the viewer. Yet, we find it hard to believe that the Nigerian viewer will have issues with the story. And now, I've resorted to go through the script again. And when I'm done, I will have a word with the director and discuss it. If he doesn't feel comfortable with what I've given him, I will redraft.

I do not know how many of the Nollywood scriptwriters that spend more time on their drafts...

Still there's hope that a Nollywood movie will go for the Oscars next year. Not one. But many.