Introducing… Nollywood?
When considering film industries outside of Hollywood, one may initially think of Bollywood. With the most volume of films produced and an increasing number of internationally recognised titles, the Indian film industry appears to parallel the American monolith. However, in terms of volume, sitting not too far behind Bollywood is Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry. It is valued third globally, with a 2013 revenue of over ten billion dollars. The international perception of the African film industry has yet to catch up to reality.
Even today, the only commonly recognised connection between Africa and film is that of a backdrop for blockbusters: an exotic, poverty-filled, war-ridden land where everyone owns an AK-47 and any young man’s dream is to initiate a Bond villain-esque diamond mining operation. Of course there are exceptions. Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 was a particularly successful departure from such themes. I am certain that his success will not be the peak for South African cinema, there is still untapped potential. Unfortunately growth in the industry has not been as quick as it could have been. Most of the growth in the South African film industry has been due to foreign film producers choosing South Africa as a filming location. Other African nations have film industries growing in distinctly different manners. These differences partly come as a legacy of the terms of colonization: the local film industries in many nations were supressed until the 1960s. While this was not an issue in South Africa, apartheid dictated that cinemas were only built for white people, hugely supressing the local audience.
Where local film industries are significantly growing, the frequent low-budget nature of production has led to interesting results. At least this is the case in Uganda, where cheaply made action movies, featuring hilariously ridiculous CGI have taken hold in an industry known was Wakaliwood. Wakaliwood is not the country’s official film industry, but it has received far more attention than its ‘legitimate’ counterpart. Wakaliwood claims to make films based on the typical Ugandan experience. A quick search for clips from their films does make one question that claim, but there is no doubt that they are carving their niche in a very young industry. The presence of local art in any form speaks to the extent that a developing economy has advanced; the increasing prominence of African film should lead to a more diverse and enjoyable film selection for all.
By: Jason Gush
