The last time I wrote on narratives about the actual pioneers of film-making in Nigeria, I didn’t mention names. But I concluded with a caveat. I stated that when next a Nigerian made a mistake regarding their narrative about the pioneers I shall call out names. This is important because if a person made mistakes and correction was offered, one would think they should be humble enough to accept there was a mistake. But some have continued to claim film-making that they tagged Nollywood began with a “home video” made in 1992 called ‘Living in Bondage.’
We’ve seen how these self-styled ‘pioneers’ of 1992 continue to claim they’re the “veterans.” Those who knew better had been saying films for cinemas were being made before 1992 by some industry players in the South-West. They said 1992 wasn’t the first time that even film packed in video cassettes was made. The best some individuals did was to pay tokenism to the film-makers who really pioneered the industry for reasons best known to them. It means they do realise that some people pioneered, but they still stick to their 1992 narrative. I had stated that such a narrative would be challenged at every opportunity. This is one of such.
In this nation, Chief Hubert Ogunde made a film “Aropin n t’eniyan” for the cinema in 1982 and Alade Aromire began packaging films in video cassettes the same year. Ade Love, father of Kunle Afolayan, maker of the latest film “Anikulapo”, made “Taxi Driver” in 1983 and “Taxi Driver 2” in 1987. He also featured in Moses Olaiya’s (Baba Sala) film for the cinema, “Mosebolatan” in 1986. That’s the same nation where some made a movie in 1992 and they go around claiming they are ‘pioneers.’ Pioneers of what? Home video? Aromire began that in 1982. Or, is someone saying films made in English language are Nollywood? Till date, is Bollywood not dominated by films made in Indian language?
The false narrative about who started film-making in Nigeria has been sold to many Nigerians. Of late, one person to repeat lies sold to them was the respected author, Mr Fred Agbeyegbe. Another is an actor known as Joseph Benjamin who I never heard of until The Nation newspaper reported his comment about recent happenings in Nollywood. At a recent event where a play written by Agbeyegbe was staged, he said in a TV interview that “those who started Nollywood are present” at the event. If I had any doubt that he was referring to the 1992 actors, it was cleared by the fact that I knew none of those who did begin film-making in Nigeria was alive. Let alone present in the hall where Agbeyegbe’s play was staged. That means this respected elder was perpetuating a narrative that he was told but which we all knew wasn’t true.
With all due respect, Agbeyegbe witnessed it in the 1980s when Ogunde and Olaiya’s films were shown in the cinemas across the South-West, while Aromire sold movies in video cassettes. Yet Agbeyegbe referred to those who appeared in home videos in 1992 as people “who started Nollywood.” I was surprised Agbeyegbe talked like this. If, however, he meant that films made in English language were the origins of film-making in Nigeria, not those made in indigenous languages, he should tell us so that we engage with him in a different debate altogether.
One would expect that someone of the stature of Agbeyegbe wouldn’t support the rewriting of our history that leaves out the greatest of Nigerian film-makers whom he must have heard of such as Hubert Ogunde, Jab Adu, Moses Olaiya, Alade Aromire etc. Now, following a barrage of films made for the cinema in Yoruba language lately, Benjamin made some comments as to what he called a new trajectory in the film industry in Nigeria. Every aspect of what he said required to be interrogated. They’re all questionable and I don’t think he has fully thought about them so it’s important he’s made to know this.
According to Benjamin, “We are slowly pivoting towards a tribal trajectory. As I skim through all the amazing language-based titles coming out of the industry I cannot help but see a subtle race to showcase whose culture is best…The competitive lines are becoming less blurry.” Tribal trajectory? If he referred to films in Yoruba language, films for the cinema in Nigeria actually began that way in the early 1980s. So this is not new; there isn’t any recent tribal trajectory. Ogunde, Aromire and others didn’t have a tribal bias in mind when they began. They just wanted to tell African stories and they told them in the language they felt their audience best understood. This was where Nollywood actually began in the South-West and it’s from there those who started it are picking it up again.
Benjamin criticises what he calls “subtle race” to “showcase whose culture is best.” What does he think this art form is about in the first place: to showcase no culture? Does he assume there’s no rivalry in film-making in Hollywood and Nollywood? And showing culture is what the West has been doing with its film industry, the same as the Indians. It’s disappointing this actor is talking like this. Did he read Theatre Arts and was he taught the importance and the uses of different art forms such as films? In any case, the South-West started film-making in Nigeria in the language common to the people in the area and it has just continued where it started. If a film is subtitled in English I see no difference between it and a film in English language. Bollywood makes a reputation for itself in spite of the Indian language it predominantly uses. A good storyline and quality filming are what is important.
Benjamin says further: “When South Africans make films, they have one goal which is quite evident in their final work. The big picture is South Africa as a brand. How do we sell South Africa to the world? Not Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Swazi, Setswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.” Is Benjamin praising films made in English language while inferring that those made in indigenous languages are inferior to them? Is he advocating a trend that can kill African languages? Benjamin goes on to say, “We are all about, how do I sell the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa culture.” Benjamin can praise those nations that want to kill their own cultures in order to present what the West likes but, we are Nigerians. We make our tunes as we like them such as we did with Afrobeats. We pulled crowds with Afrobeats across the world and even the Grammy award organisers were compelled to take note and create a new category for Africa. Nigeria is part of that victory and we’ll continue to do the same with our films.
This is where many of the remaining untold authentic stories of the world are and we’ll continue to tell them in the manner we choose. At least the South-West will. Or is it that Benjamin is unaware that long before the West developed its pop music the South-West developed musical instruments that were uniquely theirs such as the Iya Ilu, omele, gangan, bata drum etc? Even the South-West’s oral renditions are unbeatable such as ewi, rara, ijala ode etc. These are killed when our films are made only in English language. The South-West are smart enough to not want to lose that rich heritage and one way to preserve it is through films.
Benjamin went on to say: “When you make your language-based films. Do you have a mindset of communalism or individualism?” Language-based films? So what are the films made in English language? Tongue-based films? This guy’s submission is so watery that the only reason I interrogate it is to ensure he doesn’t lead many astray. He has not made any argument worth the effort to even interrogate. All he did was provide me with the opportunity to call attention to the error of those who attribute the origins of film-making in Nigeria to the wrong people.