Franco Sacchi's documentary focuses on Nollywood—i.e., the Nigerian film industry, although, technically, it's really a video industry, as the country's cinematic output is shot on digital video and sent directly to home entertainment channels. The film claims that the industry generates $250 million annually in domestic sales from local productions that are often goofy and threadbare endeavors shot in 7-10 days on budgets as low as $10,000. Much of this documentary focuses on the making of Check Point, a cheapo action/adventure feature that is curiously lacking in either action or adventure, but is rife with drama thanks to disruptions from inclement weather, noise from a local mosque celebrating Ramadan, scheduling problems due to an absent leading man, and frequent power outages. However, the filmmakers and actors interviewed here are refreshingly free of ego and pretension, and while they acknowledge that artistically-inclined African filmmakers dismiss their B-movie work, they also point out the proliferation of Nigerian films, both across the continent and to African immigrant communities around the world. This Is Nollywood illustrates that African cinema can be just as noisy, crass, and silly as its Hollywood counterpart, but if the clips presented here are any indication, these films can also be rather entertaining (and maybe this film will encourage an ambitious American distributor to bring Nigerian movies into the U.S. for DVD release). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
This Is Nollywood
(2007) 56 min. DVD: $26.95: individuals; $49.95: public libraries & high schools; $195: colleges & universities. California Newsreel. PPR. Volume 23, Issue 3
This Is Nollywood
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