The film scene in Nigeria (As told by Nigerian cinephiles)

Post by Milola

“In other words, take “myself” subtract “movies” and the result is zero” -Akira Kurosawa

Every Nigerian is a consumer of cinema. It isn’t a secret that entertainment is perhaps the country’s biggest export now, the film scene is not left out.

Every couple of months we see new theatres opening in various parts of the country, urban and rural as they are undoubtedly high in demand.

Due to the high consumption of the cinema in the country, one would assume the cinephile community is thriving but it’s quite the opposite. Because of the lack of community for film lovers whose consumption of the cinema goes beyond just seeing blockbusters and hanging out at film premiers, the theatre scene might not necessarily be appealing to the Nigerian cinephile.

The following are responses of cinephiles interviewed across Nigeria.

Please state your profession

“Screenwriter and photographer”

“Customer relations manager”

“Writer”

“Student”

“Pharmacist”

“Medical Doctor”

“Data Scientist”

“Compliance analyst”

“Digital marketer”

“IT specialist”

“Illustrator x animator”

“Professional film watcher”

On a scale of 1–10 how much of a cinephile are you?

“Always have a problem doing ratings in this particular scale cause what makes a 6 a 6 and why is it not one more or one less? And say it ends up being one more why is it a 7 and why is it not one more or one less? It just boggles my mind”

“10. By the definition of cinephile, 10. I am in love with cinema”

“A comfortable 7”
“6.6–7”

“7. I am more interested in making films”

“7, I love movies, I have very strong opinions about movies and love most romcoms”

“8”

“7.5/10”

“10”

Would you say there is a growing community of cinephiles in the country?

“I’m not entirely sure of the metric but I would say yes. By growing I mean slow paced.

“Not really, only online but there’s nothing outside of social media.”

“Yes”

“Not really”

“I don’t know… most of the cinephiles/film enthusiasts I know are twitter mutuals”

“I think a large amount of people I know and follow on social media are passionate about film, watching, producing and all that. It’s all very exciting”

“I would say so, yeah. People have increasingly turned to film as an escape”

“I’d say yes but at a very slow pace because of the kind of film we consume here in Nigeria”

“Yes, on twitter I see quite a few Nigerians who are into film”

How often do you visit the cinema?

“Twice or three times a month”

“About three times a month”

“Just for blockbusters”

“Rarely”

“Once in six months”

“Once a year”

“Three times monthly (when I’m not in school)”

“Not very often”

“When there’s money? Lol But seriously, like three to four times a year”

“Not often as I have to factor my time. But I only reserve visits to the cinema for blockbuster movies”

“I rarely go to the cinema; they don’t particularly show stuff I’m interested in. I like watching the blockbuster films there, mostly cause of the sound quality and the spectacle of an audience”

Define your experience at the cinema

“I’ve been to a couple of cinemas. The smaller unpopular ones are my kind of vibe, they are quiet, always empty and you can call in to screen whatever you want. The bigger ones are like community affairs, there are a bunch of things always going on that can subtract from the general experience.”

“Wholesome mostly but that’s dependent on some factors like crowds”

“I generally enjoy the experience of watching films in the cinema. I enjoy the sounds. My best experience in recent times came from watching Dune in an Imax screening. It felt like being in another world”

“Its heavenly. The lights, the sounds, the concessions. Its like I’m in the movie with the cast. It’s an exciting experience.

“Simply based”

“Meh, it’s annoying sometimes, other times it’s pretty cool sharing that experience with random strangers”

“I hate it. I hate that you can’t go to a cinema in Nigeria and enjoy a movie quietly… Hate it”

“Too loud and they need to GIVE US SUBTITLES”

“Uninspiring”

“Nigeria- not a good experience, no civility… we know you’re excited or this is your second viewing, keep it to yourself”

“Cinemas are great for blockbusters, but the casual audience members can ruin the experience with phones, talking and other aspects”

“Usually very cool. I don’t like how loud it gets sometimes”

“The cinema experience? What’s not to love? It’s amazing. You and a bunch of random strangers (you can make a friend afterwards if you’re lucky) sharing, for a few hours this spectacle of art and craft and story. It’s awesome”

Would you say you prefer seeing a movie at the cinema or at home?

“Home, I get to rewind and pause and fully immerse myself”

“At home”

“At home. I can put my legs up.”

“Certainly, the theatre”

“At home, alone, lights dim + popcorn/chicken”

“At home”

“I prefer seeing a movie at home, I can always rewind and laugh at my favorite scenes, and there are subtitles of course”

“Home”

“100% at home”

“Theatre”

“I prefer seeing movies at home because I can get comfortable and consume it at my pace, without the downsides of other people around”

“At home, 1000%. Solitude is sexy”

Are you one that enjoys talking about movies they’ve seen?

“I remember hearing one of my favorite filmmakers, during a film renaissance in his home country talk for several hours about films made by the masters, Scorsese, Kurosawa… He said they would talk like losers for hours. When I watched that, I felt like a better loser kinda, if Bong Joon Ho joined my numerous conversations about films it’d be too perfect (I need this to happen). So yes, a very yes”

“Yes, I do very much”

“A lot”

“Yeah. Either to bash or to praise”

“With the people who share similar appreciation for the artform”

“Yes, I am”

“Yes, I enjoy talking about movies. Although I try not to go overboard depending on the crowd or people I’m conversing with. I’m aware not everyone is that into film but it’s fun to converse with fellow cinephiles.”

“Yes, even while I’m watching”

“A capital YES. Theorizing and arguing about it gets me going. It’s the one thing me and my ex-friend did that I really loved.

How do you feel when you see a movie with people who doesn’t consume cinema the same way you do?

“I just try not to be pretentious and let them just enjoy what they are watching in the moment”

“It’s a bit underwhelming, the whole energy is off. It’s almost like you want them to see what you’ve seen but when it’s just for passing time, well… It becomes disappointing”

“Irritated”
“Pity. They’re easily satisfied with mid”

“Nauseated”

“I think with the number of films I’ve seen it has made me a bit more critical, so I tend to keep my opinions to myself, so I don’t ruin anyone else’s experience. I would say I’m also not so critical to a point where I’m not just there to enjoy the film. Cinema to me will always be me trying to escape from real life for two hours or so”

“I don’t mind it with more mainstream films, such as those action or superhero genres, but for films I really look forward to, it can be annoying”

“I expect a certain type of reaction from them, and they most often don’t disappoint, except when they do, and I feel like they are potential cinephiles”

“I feel like a geek lol”

“Not good. I’m eager to talk about a discovery or talk about a theory on the plot but I can’t so I just feel bottled up. It’s the reason one of my major pet peeves is not watching movies”

“There’s a bit of frustration because we don’t appreciate the same things in film”

“Stressed”

“Sometimes I wish I could get them to see more, but most times I realize it’s not worth it”

“It’s nice getting people out of their comfort zone and watching them try new things”

“I feel really awkward. If I feel a type of way, they might not get it and share that particular energy I’m feeling”

How often do you meet fellow cinephiles in Nigeria?

“Not very often. I know a couple of Nigerian cinephiles, but that number is pretty much static”

“Often but only on social media where I can actively look for them and immerse myself in that part of twitter. In person, no.

“Rarely”

“Once a while, mostly from social media platforms”

“I’ve only met a handful in real life which were all from my school. I met a few others on twitter”

“Not many times in person, but online, I’d say once a year”

“Not often. Although I have a few friends who I consider to be budding cinephiles”

“Not very often. Once every few years”

“In person, essentially never, though it has become easier to find them through twitter”

“I only know ones in my school. So, extremely rare”

“Online, maybe twice a week, in real life, twice a month”

“Not too often, but not as rarely as before”

What is your opinion on Nollywood at the moment?

“Lacking in substance and style”

“I think the last film I watched is King of Boys, I watched that two years ago. I’m not very proud of being one of those people that says they don’t watch Nollywood; I think I’ve grown up from those times in secondary school. I have tried to watch what people describe as “better Nollywood” and I think it still falls flat I mean compared to the sort of films we watched about 10 years ago. I mean they were excessive but funny compared to the ones now. These more ‘serious’ films appear to be pandering to the bourgeois style instead of a more robust in-depth take on film and art. The distaste a lot of people have for Nollywood isn’t fabricated out of thin air. It’s disappointing. We have to diversify”

“Garbage plots, overacting, poor casting. Only positive is the ‘improving’ yet same cinematography”

“The need for better script writing, which I consider to be the most important aspect of a good movie”

“Trash”

‘I have no opinion. I honestly haven’t given it a look in. I think from snippets I’ve seen the quality is way better than what I experienced growing up”

“I don’t think there’s anything inspiring coming out of Nollywood at the moment. Same cliché, recycled, lazy plot. No one major is taking risks and the over acting gets on my nerves too”

“They need to write better scripts/stories”

“Has a lot of potential for improvements but is so lazy about it”

“Not good enough”

“Nollywood suffers from creating films that fails to reflect the reality of Nigerian society or history and their films continue to be inferior in terms of their stories because of this and other reasons. The industry needs to redefine how they approach the filmmaking process”

“Literally a joke, not a very funny one too”

“Nollywood need better stories for starters then they need to watch better films from better directors in order to improve cause currently, they’re BAD, and that’s sad since they are the second largest movie producers in the world after India”

“Nollywood is at its worst right now. I wrote a bit about how old Nollywood was in a lane on its own here ( https://jenniechiomaagu.wordpress.com/2021/11/28/the-dadaism-of-old-nollywood/ )”

“Nollywood is a goldmine of untapped potential that’s mostly run by people looking to make a quick buck. It can, it will improve. But only when Netflix and the rest of the big companies stop giving the greenlight to people that clearly don’t love the cinema”

What are your hopes/expectations for the Nigeria film scene?

“I’m not holding my breath, but it takes just one really good film to show others how it should be done”

“Diversity. Explore genres, take chances, employ more filmmakers, actors, directors, not just putting out the same recycled content. Seeing the same names over and over isn’t really inspiring for consumers especially when it’s the same subpar content”

“None”

“That they stop settling for mediocrity”

“I hope they become bolder. It’s not just about packing names, put some actual talent on screen and behind the camera”

“Nigeria is a really big country so I expect by this time we would have had a few Oscars shouts. As a filmmaker, I know how challenging it is to be one, but it doesn’t help that the support from third parties or the government isn’t really there. I expect more I guess”

“I’ve seen some really good short films from aspiring Nigerian filmmakers. There’s a lot of talent out there and I hope the industry could promote these young talented filmmakers. I also hope that more stories that accurately reflect our history and our present society can be made”

“Better stories and better acting, more drama and more cultural instead of flashy action and unrelatable characters”

“Better stories, useful stories that actually properly display the human experience”

“I truly hope that screenwriters and directors who are true cinephiles get inspiration from foreign cinema so as to be able to explore more diverse plots”

“I personally do not care but if I were to advise filmmakers, Nigeria has a rich history with legit stories that are untold. Get great writers, stop using the same casts and watch the industry grow. Stop all those Lagos to Dubai trope”

“Proper filmmaking knowledge and skill”

“It could get a lot better than it is currently if they stop producing movies with lazy writing”

“I hope they try being less scared. They don’t need authenticity because they can’t get it back now, but they could still take risks with their ideas. Be more progressive”

“My hope and expectations? We need sponsorship, bigger budgets, and most importantly, passionate, dedicated and skilled filmmakers. I hope to be one someday”

What is something you’d like to say to fellow cinephiles in Nigeria?

“Do you have letterboxd”

“Enjoy what you want to enjoy, you don’t really have to have seen the most obscure films just to be deemed a cinephile”

“Let’s be friends”

“Movies are life. Keep exploring worlds in the minds of others”

“Keep enjoying film! And, to understand that film is a mostly subjective experience and someone not liking a movie you did no be fight. I think having cinephile friends with different taste can be a good thing if you let it”

“I’d encourage fellow cinephiles to get into filmmaking if they can. Because I do believe cinephiles will make better quality films if they got into the industry”

“Meeting a cinephile in Nigeria is like hitting the jackpot. It is an amazing experience, and I would like to be friends with all of you”

“Birdman (the unexpected virtue of ignorance) deserved that Oscar win, and I’ll not hear any opposing opinion on that”

“May the force remain with you”

“Let’s talk movies”

“What film got you interested in cinema or just generally appreciating films as art? Mine was pulp fiction when I was fifteen”

“We are everywhere”

“I really want to see a movie with you”

“Keep the hope alive for Nollywood while learning tricks and tips from Hollywood”

This concludes the interviews.

From the answers gathered I think it’s safe to say majority of our cinephiles prefer to see movies at home. The theatre industry in the country could be so much better, we suggest including viewings of non-blockbusters, and maybe even taking film requests once a while. Perhaps adding subtitles?

We also see that Nollywood has a long way to go in winning the hearts and viewership of Nigerian film lovers. Our love for the cinema is strong and our support for our home film industry can be even stronger. We implore Nollywood and all those in charge to listen to our plea and put out content we are happy and proud to consume, not just for western validation but for our appreciation.

The cinephile community in Nigeria is growing, slowly but surely and its exciting meeting fellow film lovers. We suggest that all participants of the interview comment their preferred social media handles so we can all get to know each other and share our one true love, Film.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the interviews and to all who read this. Always feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

May the force be with you!