EDITORIAL: The Flood of Nigerian Video Films

OF ALL the modern inventions that mankind has developed over the past 100 years, perhaps none is more powerful in shaping human behaviour than the film industry.

Through the use of this most effective medium of communication, a world-wide modern culture has evolved that has made the leaders in that industry, the United States, the frontrunners and the shapers of this global culture.

From Mongolia to Madagascar, from Papeete to Papua New Guinea, the cultural icons of America have succeeded in taking root in the minds of most people, especially the more impressionable youth and everywhere one goes, one can be sure to find these Americanisms: from blue jeans to Coca Cola, from the hip-hop tunes of "gangster rap" to Microsoft computer software, its USA all the way!

Much of this dominance was achieved through the use of Hollywood film models that portrayed the United States as the leader in cultural definitions. Even the practice of democracy is now seen as more American than the original Grecian model of antiquity.

We have given this background just to show the power of film to change human behaviour and influence culture. What, however, agitates The Chronicle is the growing tilt towards the screening of Nigerian films on our television channels and the dangers they pose to the mental and psychological development of the people of this country.

As one of our columnists recently observed, "there is an invasion of Nigerian video movies on our screens." This in itself is not such a bad thing if only the movies had positive and uplifting themes, which could help us as Africans do things for ourselves. But sadly, the content of 99% of these Nigerian movies just portray negative stereotypes of the black man.

In most of these low-budget, minimal talent and slap-stick productions, the characters are typically superstitious, juju-seeking and materialist-minded, with little ambition but that of making money at all costs. They seem to be made for a non-thinking audience, which can only be titillated by gory and ugly scenes and plots that only show the worst in African men and women caught in situations of poverty. Put simply, these are films to arouse ambitions, not to stimulate the intellect.

And the saddest thing is that all our television stations have fallen for these cheap and ultimately harmful movies. So pervasive is this trend that at certain times of the day, ALL the TV channels show these movies and the only choice a viewer has is either to switch off entirely or endure the boredom.

We wonder whether there are any regulatory bodies in this country which can take care of such matters. Indeed, not all Nigerian made films are that bad. Our big neighbour has a much better-developed film industry than we do and many of their productions have won major international awards. Our beef is with the continued screening of the cheap, sensationalist and stereotypical ones that do nothing but harm the psyche of the society with negative role models and villains.

Does the Censorship Board of the Ministry of Information work at all? Why should the nation sit unconcerned whilst the minds of our ignorant and vulnerable youth are bombarded with such negative icons which are bound to affect them, even unconsciously, in the near future?

We feel something should be done to arrest this dangerous trend so that our society can be spared the mindlessness of these productions.

The film industry of this country has been so neglected that cheap products from outside have taken over. That the industry can be nurtured to become a major foreign exchange earner is not in question. The Indians have long proven that film can be most lucrative, and Bollywood now produces on average more movies than even Hollywood.

In this country, however, we have allowed ourselves to be taken for granted because WE TAKE OURSELVES for granted.

The Chronicle recalls with nostalgia the noble efforts made by people like Kwaw Ansah who attempted, bravely, to single-handedly prove that Ghana has the talent to produce quality films of international standards.

Despite our National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) \, despite the local acting talent, we have not been able to produce even video films of the quality that can break into foreign markets and earn us foreign exchange.

We should gird our loins and take control of our own destiny. Other than that, our screens will continue to be filled with the Nigerian films which show us nothing more than juju-seeking men and women desperate for money. Perhaps we deserve this cheap fare.