The Government of Nigeria reportedly places ban on money ritual, smoking, crime scenes in Nollywood films.
This announcement has created different reactions from different individuals for different reasons which are quite understandable.
First, let’s start from the reason most people thought it was a nice move by the government.
They argued that our children and youths are being exposed to such scenes as money rituals or crime scenes which they considered inappropriate.
Aside the aforementioned, i wonder which other reasons they’d probably have to justify such a move.
Meanwhile, on a very serious note, just before we assume that what the Federal Government did by banning the aforementioned was right..
First, what’s storytelling and it’s relationship with MOVIE?
Storytelling compiled in a motion pictures called FILM is an art….
It’s a make belief situation where stories relatable to real events are being portrayed by Playwriters.
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How would you try justifying the ban of MONEY RITUAL, SMOKING, CRIME SCENES in Nollywood?
Like seriously?
Before i continue,let me ask…. In a normal life situation, do we have people that smoke? The answer is yes,… Has government placed a ban on smoking?
Do we have people that engage in Money making rituals? Yes… Has government been able to abate it?.. The answer is nope
Do we have crime on the daily in the society?
Was it in the Movie that they learnt all of them?
Now, imagine trying to make a Movie about BOKO HARAM, kidnappers and Terrorists in Nigeria…
(Mind you, movie making can also stand as a research tool for future references..)
A producer decides to Put it as a Movie and the government is now saying, in acting the Movie, They shouldn’t show Guns, the notorious gangs shouldn’t smoke or they shouldn’t show their ritual practices?
What then should they be acting?
How to cook good Egwusi soup and Pray in a church ⛪ or Mosque thereafter?
You see, when a government is lazy or not busy, they scramble for trifles such as this.
Ordinarily, the government is supposed to be investing in Nollywood to further produce more quality movies to compete with the rest of the world than try regimenting them…..
In Nigeria, movie making is self sponsored (that’s by the way)
Imagine telling a Civil Engineer to reduce the aggregates of his concrete mixture, imagine telling a chemical engineer to limit the FEED into a reactor and expect to get a maximum yield without optimization…?
In Nigeria, there’s a Censorship board whose only duty is to go through all the movies, music, etc for adequate ratings, hence, you see different Parental Guide warnings.
What then is the job of those censorship boards if Government decides to place a ban on how stories should be told via Movies?
How do you tell a compelling stories of Yahoo Yahoo boys (crime ravaging the youths) without having a smoking scene or rituals or crime?
Do they actually think that movie making is a joke?
That’s why you see people cry after watching a very good movie because every detail as much as possible was triggered..
Movies are used to tell compelling stories about the ills of the society..
Meanwhile, just as we have different GENRES of music like, Hip hop, R&B, Jazz etc…. We also have different GENRES of Movies, thus : Action, Romance, Comedy, Epic etc…
All these have their own unique peculiarities while making the movie… You simply can’t remove crime scene or smoking from an action genre….. Etal
I just laughed when i saw the ban because i know it’s simply not possible….
The Government should leave our creative arts industry that they never SUPPORT WITH A KOBO to keep waxing stronger as they’re currently doing and focus on how to improve the lives of Nigerians.
– My name is Echezonam jk and i wanna make a common sense.
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