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" (South Africa, 1980) is the first film in a series set in Botswana. There is one official sequel and three unofficial sequels that were produced in Hong Kong. The film tells the story of Xi, whose tribe is completely unaware of the world that lies beyond. The film stars N!xau, a San farmer from Namibia. The film kicked off a brilliant career in cinema in which he emerged as Namibia's most famous actor. Sadly, N!xau died in 2003 of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis while out hunting guinea fowl.
The Mangler (1995) is a South African/Australian horror film discovered on a list of most popular comedies with origin in South Africa. A folding machine in a laundry is possessed by a demon from hell. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a story of the same name written by Stephen King. The original short story may be found in "The Night Shift, " King's inaugural collection of short stories. The critics panned the film but, based on the provenance and the synopsis, how can anybody not want to see it?
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.
One of the most important African movies ever made is not a comedy. This is "Yaabo" (1989, Burkina Faso), showing one of the most persistent dilemmas of modern African life. This is the battle between maintaining a cultural identity of its own versus allowing itself to become westernized in the name of modernization.
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.
One of the best things about the intriguing genre of African comedy movies is their accessibility. Abundantly available for streaming over the Internet, hopefully someone will one day identify the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty." For a cinema buff looking for something out of the ordinary, this is a fantastic option and would make a great category for trivial pursuit-type questions.
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" (South Africa, 1980) is the first film in a series set in Botswana. There is one official sequel and three unofficial sequels that were produced in Hong Kong. The film tells the story of Xi, whose tribe is completely unaware of the world that lies beyond. The film stars N!xau, a San farmer from Namibia. The film kicked off a brilliant career in cinema in which he emerged as Namibia's most famous actor. Sadly, N!xau died in 2003 of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis while out hunting guinea fowl.
The Mangler (1995) is a South African/Australian horror film discovered on a list of most popular comedies with origin in South Africa. A folding machine in a laundry is possessed by a demon from hell. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a story of the same name written by Stephen King. The original short story may be found in "The Night Shift, " King's inaugural collection of short stories. The critics panned the film but, based on the provenance and the synopsis, how can anybody not want to see it?
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.
One of the most important African movies ever made is not a comedy. This is "Yaabo" (1989, Burkina Faso), showing one of the most persistent dilemmas of modern African life. This is the battle between maintaining a cultural identity of its own versus allowing itself to become westernized in the name of modernization.
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.
One of the best things about the intriguing genre of African comedy movies is their accessibility. Abundantly available for streaming over the Internet, hopefully someone will one day identify the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty." For a cinema buff looking for something out of the ordinary, this is a fantastic option and would make a great category for trivial pursuit-type questions.
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