Linda Ikeji Wikipedia
Here is an abridged variation (yet richly enlightening) from one of the short articles i wrote concerning this subject matter.
Movie exhibit started to prosper throughout the Colonial age, with Glover Memorial Hall playing host to an array of unforgettable films viewed by "possible Nigerians", in August 1903. Nevertheless, the non-availability of correct records mirroring the title of the debut film exhibited has actually created a lapse in the precedent stock. Regardless of the lacuna, the way had actually been paved for the exhibit of even more foreign films at the Hall and various other marked venues.
The emotionally traumatizing "Master - Servant" relationship, noticeable in the consistent assaults, batteries, intimidation, segregation, victimization, accomplished by the Colonial masters on the colonized, with darkened clouds of resentment, vengeance, thirst for flexibility, providing way to splattering drops of such ideas, instinctively projected through the colonized periodic in-subordinate actions, began to spread among the blacks. The British knew they had to thread with care if they still desired to play "god" in their lives when movies such as Tales of Manhattan, Trailer horn, Tarzan series started to stimulate a transformation in the hearts of Blacks around the world.
Aware of the lethal power of insurgency which could be unleashed with the Film medium, the British out of worry for their lives and feasible loss of the Queen's sovereignty took the bull by the horn, and promptly developed a Colonial Film Censors Board (FCB) in 1933 to censor and classify films prior to they were released for visual usage by the public. Following the facility of the board, Films such as "The primitive, primitive man, Dixie, Buffalo Bill, The Keys of the Kingdom, Sleepy Town Girl were labelled 'suitable' to be viewed, while Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Clive of India, The Isle of Forgotten Sins, House of Frankenstein were considered unsuitable for seeing.
The Censor's body went through an improvement procedure into the Federal Board of Film Censors (FBFC) from the aforementioned, and the laws from which the transformed body derived its powers varied from the 1948 Cinematograph Laws of Nigeria, the Cinematograph Laws of 1963, to the 1963/64 Cinematograph Law and Regulations. Today National Film and Video Censors Board originated by virtue of decree, now Act 85 of 1993. The development of Nigeria's Independence (1960) and the Republican status (1963), advertised the dawn of a new period in all sectors.
"The Yoruba Travelling Theatre Group" of the 60's and 70's can be referred to as the "Fountain Head" of film manufacturings in Nigeria. The veterans with fantastic Great efficiencies and theatrical skills took their works past the phase, and dove into the sea of movie manufacturings using the Celluloid format. Click Here for more information about Bella Naija Blog. Noteworthy film makers on the Roll call of Honour during the Celluloid advancement age of the 70's include Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, late Herbert Ogunde, Adeyemi Afolayan a.k.a Ade Love (father of Kunle Afolayan of the Irapada popularity), Ladi Ladebo, Moses Adejumo, Adebayo Salami and Afolabi Adesanya.
The list of documented films produced during the 70's period and going beyond rather into the 80's is merely amazing and goes to reveal that the Movie Industry has been around much longer, contrary to the '1992 belief disorder' most have been injected with. Such works consist of Kongi Harvest (1971), Alpha (1972), Bull Frog in the Sun (1974), Amadi (1975), Ajani Ogun (1975), Muzik Man (1976), Bisi, Daughter of the River (1977), Ija Ominira (1978), Aiye (1979), Kadara (1980), Jaiyesimi (1980) Efunsetan Aniwura (1981), Cry Freedom (1981), Ija Orogun (1982) Owo L'Agba (1982).
The cost of producing films because age was financially back breaking, with Nigerians further irritating the efforts of the filmmakers by opting to enjoy movies of oriental and occidental origin at the Cinemas and Exhibition centres, instead of the locally produced ones. The Cowboy films were exhilarating to see while the Chinese movies paraded among others, the Legendary "Bruce Lee" in (Lo Wei's, The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), Way of the Dragon (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973), The Game of Death launched in 1978) who showed Martial Arts dexterity, certainly a combating strategy alien, yet interesting to us at that time.
Indian movies in the late 60's and well into the 70's paraded distinguished names like Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra Singh Deol, Mumtaz, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil kapoor, Hema Malini, and produced favorites such as "Bobby", "Sholay", "Kabhi Kabhi", "Dharamveer", "Amar Akbar Anthony". Their stars showed excellent acting abilities against the background of love styles, and ear pleasing songs combined with synchronized dance steps, produced with sound and unique effects, though incomparable with what obtains today purchased over the indigenes commitment for their motion pictures.
Therefore, the Movie Founding Fathers began to deal with the difficulties of redeeming their financial investments, which gradually became basically an impossible job, an anthem they constantly rendered much to the discomfort of possible financers. They counted their losses and licked their injuries sustained in the monetary battle with every film they launched. The deluge of VCRS in the 80's developed a paradigm change from the Cine to the VHS format, which made manufacturings easier, much faster and cheaper by a milestone in contrast to the former. Cinema residences and various other Exhibition centres were finally shut down and the Baton of Cine movie making slipped from the hands of the Founding creators as they tried to hand over the movie baton to the next generation within the stipulated Baton Exchange Zone. When the flow of the Film Relay cycle was broken, the dream of becoming a re-nowned Movie Industry was smashed.
House Videos were produced which acted as an alternative to the movie theaters, and the name naturally comes from the fact that you could seat within the comfort of your home and view the motion pictures produced in the VHS format via your VCR. Movie Makers maximized the gains of the Home Video idea provided, and began producing films making use of the Yoruba language as the ways of communication. The year "1992" has overtime been commonly accepted as the triggering period of Home Video productions, with Ken Nnebue's "Living in Bondage" stated to be the first motion picture made for industrial functions making use of the Igbo/English language.
The film no doubt struck the "Movie Well", which invoked a mass exodus of people from various other spheres into the art of movie manufacturings, having actually seen the opportunities that lay in the Gold mine area. Thus, did the Home Video Industry tagged "Nollywood" emerge.
The fact that "Living in Bondage" was ascribed with the honor of being the first motion picture produced commercial purposes and the one upon which the Home Video revolution was allegedly based on, culminating into Nollywood, didn't go unchallenged. Late Alade Aromire before his death, ignited a questionable fire, firmly insisting that his and not Ken's movie ought to have been consulted such an honor. When faced by a reporter on the issue he 'd specified that Ken had produced over 40 Yoruba films, and had started with "Aje N'yami".
There had actually been a prospering film sector before he came on board, so ken could not have actually begun it.
The confusion stems from the Censors board of the day, whose hands were amputated by the Law it drew its powers from, (1963/64 Cinematograph Law and Regulations). The powers gave on it to regulate the Industry did not extend to "Home Video". Today National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) did not exist till 1994. On this raving concern, Late Alade Armoire produced motion pictures such as Ekun, Omije (pts 1-3), Obirin Asiko, Ayo ni o, Adun, Orire which were released to the general public between 1985 and 1991.
Ken Nnebue still insists that his film "Living in Bondage" was the first Home Video movie produced commercial functions. His stand on the matter is rather shaky, having prior to the manufacturing of Living in Bondage sponsored industrial movies in Yoruba language such as Ina Ote, Aje N'iyami and others. Let's not forget the barrage of Yoruba TELEVISION dramas that were mass produced on VHS tapes and sold to the general public prior to 1992. One cannot fall short to point out the legendary Eddie Ugbomah's movie "The Great Attempt" (1989), which would have made history as the 1st Nigerian cine film in the video tape format to have actually been censored by the defunct Federal Board of Film Censors (FBFC) based on a "special concession" provided him formally by the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture at that time.
The strong contents projected in the film were thought about improper for public viewing by the Board, thus the film was never ever released. Tunde Alabi -Hundeyin's "Iyawo Alhaji" is officially on record as the first commercial (direct to exhibition hall) video film to be censored and categorized by the NFVCB in 1994 at the National Theatre, (Cinema Hall) Iganmu. In spite of the questionable fire raised, the international publicity provided "Living in Bondage" over the years inevitably imputed the film into our memory banks as the flag bearer of the Home Video transformation of all times. Individuals, regardless of Nationality, gender, race, and people are faced with challenges every day. Some of these issues are of a worldwide nature, while others are strange to different societies. Movies provide people the chance of telling their own stories, cost-free from alien disturbance.
Nigerian movie manufacturers leveraged on this and produced films projecting our way of living, culture, neighborhood fashion, burning problems, problems pestering our society, regardless of the choking odor of tribalism viewed in all sectors. Motion pictures were made for the viewing satisfaction of Nigerians at first, (prior to the mass exportation trend), with messages to influence, encourage, reprove, and right anomalies specifically in the Political, Social systems, to eschew violence and all kinds of evil.
The calculated use of the English language as the interaction device, marketing approaches and execution with using trailers through T. V, Posters (now prohibited in Lagos State), tape-recorded a boost in sales, and broadened the viewership base beyond the coasts of our Nation to countries such as Ghana, Togo, South Africa, Kenya, U.S.An and even the U.K. Regrettably, the motion pictures churned out at a disconcerting rate were technically deficient in key areas thought about as germane in the manufacturing procedure.
The popular "shoe string budget plan" tag has actually become associated with the Industry's antecedent of making films on extremely low budget plans compared to other film bodies in various other nations, ($10- $15,000 initially), but currently extends to $25,000, with a microscopic number of manufacturers further extending the relatively financial limit to N 7,10,20 Million and more. The films were and are still shot dominantly between 10-12 days, by means of Beta cam (now HDV cameras), were produced in the VHS format (now VCD & DVD), reproduced in mass and offered by the Marketers who likewise increased as Distributors.
Over a thousand films were being churned out annual by manufacturers and entirely impressed by the shocking analytical information of motion picture productions, the International movie spotlight was shone on the Multi Million naira Industry "Nollywood". The Industry's net worth as at 2008 stood between an estimated $250 and $300 Million dollars. It is deserving of note that a Global movie theater study, carried out in 2006 by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and released at some point in May 2009, placed Nollywood as the 2nd biggest producing film body worldwide behind Bollywood and ahead of Hollywood based on the numerical data of the films produced.