Welcome to Nollywood (2007) — Nigeria

          Welcome to Nollywood documents the explosion of film-making in Nigeria over the last twenty years, from nothing at all in 1990 to a $300 million a year industry today. Some 2400 movies a year are produced and released in Nigeria straight to video (cassette tapes or cds), and they've become far more popular than their rivals from Hollywood and Bollywood. The films cost about $1.50 to make and sell for $3.00. "We have democratized the means of production," observed one insider. The industry receives no help at all from the Nigerian government or any foreign investment; directors and producers pony up their own funds. The American director Jamie Meltzer spent six weeks in Nigeria interviewing three top directors, actors, and critics to learn about this entrepreneurial phenomenon. In the last part of the film Meltzer goes on set to observe and record the making of a film called Laviva about the Liberian civil war. The film took 98 days to produce, an eternity in contrast to most films which take about 10 days. At 58 minutes, this is a fascinating look at the evolution of film.

Dan Clendenin: dan@journeywithjesus.net