WELCOME TO NOLLYWOOD
Price: $195.00 Code: 2277 |
Directed by Jamie Meltzer
2007, 57 Minutes
Purchase: $195 Classroom Rental: $125
After the U.S. and India, the world's third largest producer of feature films is Nigeria. Barely a decade old and already generating over $286 million for the Nigerian economy, Welcome to Nollywood explores this burgeoning industry, from its unique challenges to its diverse array of films that both mirror and comment upon the social issues of the continent.
As countries across Europe and Asia continue to grapple with the influence of American movies, the Nigerian film industry has been quietly undergoing an unprecedented boom. "Nollywood," as its come to be known, is the most popular cinema in all of West Africa, more popular even than Hollywood or Bollywood films. This dramatic growth can be attributed as much to the Afro-centric storylines and themes, as to the easy availability and affordability of new technology. All Nollywood films are shot on digital video, completed within several days, and immediately distributed to consumers. They are sold at markets and bazaars for a few dollars each. The sheer volume of production is staggering: one estimate has a film being produced for each day of the year.
Welcome to Nollywood offers a fascinating look inside this newly emerging industry. The documentary follows three of the country's hottest directors as they shoot their films about love, conflict, and the supernatural - including an epic war film about Liberia and Sierra Leone - while incorporating interviews with scholars, actors, and journalists who celebrate Nollywood as a whole, its unique character and genres, as well as its impact on the culture of West Africa and Africans at home and abroad.
* Official Selection, Avignon Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, Melbourne International Film Festival, 2007
“Highly recommended for general viewers and students of film studies… Along with action and genre films that have obvious international appeal, many Nollywood films address issues with especially deep resonance among African consumers, e.g., religion, AIDS, women's rights, and the supernatural. “ – Library Journal
“Roger Corman would swoon at the DIY antics employed by Nigerian moviemakers…. Director Jamie Meltzer paints an astounding backdrop – cardboard plots, three-day shoots, failing generators – then follows ‘Mr. Prolific’ Chico Ejiro as he mounts his most daring production to date, a re-creation of the Liberian civil war that threatens to bankrupt him.” – Time Out New York
2007, 57 Minutes
Purchase: $195 Classroom Rental: $125
After the U.S. and India, the world's third largest producer of feature films is Nigeria. Barely a decade old and already generating over $286 million for the Nigerian economy, Welcome to Nollywood explores this burgeoning industry, from its unique challenges to its diverse array of films that both mirror and comment upon the social issues of the continent.
As countries across Europe and Asia continue to grapple with the influence of American movies, the Nigerian film industry has been quietly undergoing an unprecedented boom. "Nollywood," as its come to be known, is the most popular cinema in all of West Africa, more popular even than Hollywood or Bollywood films. This dramatic growth can be attributed as much to the Afro-centric storylines and themes, as to the easy availability and affordability of new technology. All Nollywood films are shot on digital video, completed within several days, and immediately distributed to consumers. They are sold at markets and bazaars for a few dollars each. The sheer volume of production is staggering: one estimate has a film being produced for each day of the year.
Welcome to Nollywood offers a fascinating look inside this newly emerging industry. The documentary follows three of the country's hottest directors as they shoot their films about love, conflict, and the supernatural - including an epic war film about Liberia and Sierra Leone - while incorporating interviews with scholars, actors, and journalists who celebrate Nollywood as a whole, its unique character and genres, as well as its impact on the culture of West Africa and Africans at home and abroad.
Subjects & Collections
Festivals & Awards
* Official Selection, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, 2007* Official Selection, Avignon Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, Melbourne International Film Festival, 2007
Reviews
“Relentlessly entertaining and informative! Docu is a must for cinema classrooms and fests and a hoot for curious auds on TV and beyond…. One exits the theater wondering how such a massive phenomenon could have gone largely undocumented until now -- and grateful that Vassar film prof Meltzer opted to take a closer look.” – Lisa Nesselson, Variety“Highly recommended for general viewers and students of film studies… Along with action and genre films that have obvious international appeal, many Nollywood films address issues with especially deep resonance among African consumers, e.g., religion, AIDS, women's rights, and the supernatural. “ – Library Journal
“Roger Corman would swoon at the DIY antics employed by Nigerian moviemakers…. Director Jamie Meltzer paints an astounding backdrop – cardboard plots, three-day shoots, failing generators – then follows ‘Mr. Prolific’ Chico Ejiro as he mounts his most daring production to date, a re-creation of the Liberian civil war that threatens to bankrupt him.” – Time Out New York