The Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, is regarded as one of
the fastest growing entertainment industries in the world. The rise of the
digital age has majorly contributed to the industry’s ever-growing popularity
and financial success. In terms of revenue, only Hollywood and Bollywood can
boast of better numbers than Nollywood, a $250-million-a-year industry.
On average, Nigerian movies take about 10 days to shoot and packaged for their usual straight to DVD and tape release. Nollywood is an industry known for quantity rather than quality, with the constant release of over one thousand films yearly. However, this trend is slowly changing. This is partly due to emergence of Nigerian filmmakers who have decided to focus on aesthetics rather than just monetary gains. An increasing number of Nigerian films are beginning to have broader international appeal as well. One of the recent Nollywood films currently leading this charge is Half of a Yellow Sun.
On average, Nigerian movies take about 10 days to shoot and packaged for their usual straight to DVD and tape release. Nollywood is an industry known for quantity rather than quality, with the constant release of over one thousand films yearly. However, this trend is slowly changing. This is partly due to emergence of Nigerian filmmakers who have decided to focus on aesthetics rather than just monetary gains. An increasing number of Nigerian films are beginning to have broader international appeal as well. One of the recent Nollywood films currently leading this charge is Half of a Yellow Sun.
Half of a Yellow Sun
is a drama film directed by Biyi Bandele. The movie is an adaptation of a novel
of the same title by Nigerian writer, Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie. At the forefront of the
talented cast members are two of Hollywood’s finest, Chiwetel Ejifor and
Thandie Newton, with the former mostly likely to pick up the Oscar for Best
Actor for his scintillating performance in 12 Years a Slave. Yup! You heard it
here first. Or not.
Half of a Yellow Sun was entirely shot in Nigeria, utilizing both homegrown and foreign crews. The movie recreates the Nigerian-Biafran War, which took place from 1967-1970. It captures the beautiful nature and essence of the Nigerian culture, while also retaining the hardships faced by the Biafran people. Unlike many other Nollywood films, Half of a Yellow has an international appeal. It premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and continues to progress on a global scale. The movie is barely a year old, but it is already classified by many as one of the finest African films of all time. With other honorable mentions such as Tango with Me, Phone Swap, and so on, Nollywood is definitely heading in the right direction. It is only a matter of time before only a certain standard is required from Nollywood. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. Actaully it was, those guys were truly remarkable.
Half of a Yellow Sun was entirely shot in Nigeria, utilizing both homegrown and foreign crews. The movie recreates the Nigerian-Biafran War, which took place from 1967-1970. It captures the beautiful nature and essence of the Nigerian culture, while also retaining the hardships faced by the Biafran people. Unlike many other Nollywood films, Half of a Yellow has an international appeal. It premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and continues to progress on a global scale. The movie is barely a year old, but it is already classified by many as one of the finest African films of all time. With other honorable mentions such as Tango with Me, Phone Swap, and so on, Nollywood is definitely heading in the right direction. It is only a matter of time before only a certain standard is required from Nollywood. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. Actaully it was, those guys were truly remarkable.
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