In California, we have Hollywood, in India, Bollywood. In Nigeria, the heart of African comedy movies is called Nollywood. In terms of the numbers of films produced, Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world. South Africa and Yoruba (West African tribe) also have bustling cinema industries. For the cinema buff who wants a peek at how the rest of the world lives, African film comedies is a great place to start.
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
Among other things, "The Mangler" (1995) serves to illustrate the broad spectrum and richness of the genre. Here, a folding machine based in a laundry turns out to be possessed by the devil. Directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a short story by Stephen King called "The Night Shift, " which was published in a Stephen King anthology. The critics weren't impressed but with that pedigree and story line, it's a hard one to pass up.
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Strictly speaking, not a comedy, but one of the most significant African films ever made, Yaaba (Burkina Faso, 1989) depicts one of the most troubling dilemmas of modern life in Africa. This is the conflict between modernization, meaning taking on western characteristics, and maintaining its own cultural identity.
The Nightingale's Prayer (Egypt, 1959) a damning analysis of gender inequality in Arabic society, was one of the most salient films to come out of Egypt. The film was directed by Henry Bakarat and based on the novel by Taha Hussein.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
Among other things, "The Mangler" (1995) serves to illustrate the broad spectrum and richness of the genre. Here, a folding machine based in a laundry turns out to be possessed by the devil. Directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a short story by Stephen King called "The Night Shift, " which was published in a Stephen King anthology. The critics weren't impressed but with that pedigree and story line, it's a hard one to pass up.
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Strictly speaking, not a comedy, but one of the most significant African films ever made, Yaaba (Burkina Faso, 1989) depicts one of the most troubling dilemmas of modern life in Africa. This is the conflict between modernization, meaning taking on western characteristics, and maintaining its own cultural identity.
The Nightingale's Prayer (Egypt, 1959) a damning analysis of gender inequality in Arabic society, was one of the most salient films to come out of Egypt. The film was directed by Henry Bakarat and based on the novel by Taha Hussein.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
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