Nigeria is so rich of etnies and cultures that it's such a pity that they are not being explored. I'd like to see movies featured in the North, South, East and West.

Everything is just so unilateral and quite sad that whenever another tribe that is not one of the major is involved all we hear are stereotypes and stupid names:

who can forget Ekaite, Efe, Itohan and so on and so forth. I am from a minor tribe and feel very little rappresented in Nollywood!

What can we do to promote a more colourful Nollywood?

Very true but you must remember that going out to explore/research other cultures equals more work for the writers and production people. Not many of them appear ready to put in that work, afterall they need 'money like yesterday' and 'Nigeria is only forty-eight'.

Perhaps people of the tribes you mentioned, need to start telling their own stories.

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Which enthic group are you from? My family are Urhobo and there are some films made in the language but they unfortunately are not readily available like the others.

You have to be in urhoboland to get hold of such films which is a shame because whenever I am in Nigeria I don't always go down to those sides. I have even tried going down to Ajegunle to look for such films but alas...to no avail. :-(


If anyone knows where I can get some Urhobo movies in London I would appreciate it greatly.

I agree that Nollywood should explore all cultures but then again what is stopping any culture from Nigeria from making their own movies? 'Nollywood' isn't an official body or club...anyone can make a movie in Nigeria and it will be classified as 'Nollywood' just because!

Even you m'dear can get yourself a camcorder and make yourself a movie...

Cheriah-i like your humour!

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WORD!!!!

I can also make a movie, abi?

Studying won't do any bad to these script-writers. afterall it's about knowing your country.

It's not a matter of every tribe making their own movie because that would be a reflection of the social and tribal fragmentation in Nigeria, can't there be some sort of unity and coorperation to show every side of Nigeria? Without necessarily labelling any one good or bad. An objective view of Nigeria. I'd be grateful if they were in English because right now I am having hard times understanding my native language. By the ways I am Esan.

Until Tom and Jerry dey do their own thing, how can we get rid of those stereotypes and common grounds?

We are rich of history, what about lovely epic movies narrating legends from every part of Nigeria? I enjoyed Sango for example.

I understand your plea but you must you fail to understand because you are seeing Nigeria as one union when it is far from it.

It is highly unlikely that an Igbo man is going to want to tell the story of a Yoruba man or for an Hausa man to think about making a movie that would tell the story of an Esan one.

Not only that an Igbo or Esan story coming from the mouth of a Yoruba man be unrealistic and but it would also fail to communicate certain nuances in the culture that only an Esan man would know.

That is like asking Chinua Achebe why he didn't set some of his stories in a pre-colonial Hausa or Itsekiri Village?

The country and people are not united like that no matter what our political entity dictates.

In Nigeria, in order for a certain ethnic group to have a voice they need to make some noise because no one is going to do it for them. And that is why I suggested that people like you in your ethnic group who have an interest in seeing films from that show Esan culture should do it themselves.

Simply put, no one can tell their stories better than they can.

I know there isn't so much unity but then I thought that we could start from somewhere by showing interest in our neighbour's culture. *sighs*

We shall forever be to one another. *shakes head in disappointment*

I understand but realistically it isn't going to happen. One man isn't going to leave his culture to showcase another.

You really have to do it yourself if you want it done. I was the same as you...wanting to see more Urhobo language movies and I was suprised to hear that they were plenty out there but only available in their area. These movies weren't made for them by 'strangers' either.

The ethnic groups (I don't like to say 'tribe') are like that...doing things for themselves. It is the only way to get noticed in a country as diverse as Nigeria.

They may even be some Esan movies available...have you checked in your part of the Country?

I wouldn't describe us as being 'alien' to one another. If you put it out there and it is 'sweet' all Nigerians will watch it.

The Igbo movies are not only watched and bought by Igbos and the same goes for the others. I am sure Every literate Nigerian has read 'Things fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe.

There are some bini movies but I can barely understand Esan talkless of bini. I just wish they could at least subtitle them or maybe act some in English. Their stories are quite original I must admit: I had the luck of watching some some time ago and the presence of my grandma was vital to me as I kept on asking her what they were saying.

E nor easy for real o!

Michelin, you are right that Nigeria has rich cultures which means you pretty much know that we have many tribes and also sub-tribes(as I like to call them). It's almost impossible to represent them all. Abi you dey take style suggest affirmative action?

Cheriah, i'm starting to like your views on this site. We need more people like u here unlike peeps like Pa J and co that are polluting the place for us.

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I am what I am.

I be wan enter business with you. Make we go around Naija go study all the infinite and lovely cultures then write some nice scripts and get good directors to shoot them for us.

But I still get school now and no shishi to dey travel around. So I was asking if there was a way of creating a sort of collaboration between the various script writers in order to share their knowledge about their cultures. Instead of travelling, that would be a better idea. A convention held once in a year where directors, producers and Co. from all over the country meet and share ideas!

A script is a product from the writer's adequate knowledge of the situation he writes about. If you do extensive research about any story irrespective of what ethnicity it is based on you can write a good script out of it, depending also how the story is tailored. But script writers are mostly motivated by situations, in choosing a story to write about. Without proper motivation, there will be lack of drive, and when drive is lacking, the script may be poorly written.

So, for a none indigine to write a good story about others, the drive better be very strong. The story should have commercial appeal too, if he is thinking outside a "job for charity".

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The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." -William Shakespeare

Tenks!