TRENDS OF NEGATIVE THEMES IN NIGERIAN HOME MOVIES (A Critical Analysis of Four Home Movies; ZOZA, Before the Rain, Street Fame and The Dogs Meeting)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

This study, “Trends of Negative Themes in Nigerian Home Movies” aims at identifying the negative themes in Nigerian home movies, especially those that have their theme, plot, and setting in the rich culture of Nigeria. Even those that have Igbo,Yoruba or Hausa theme, plot, setting like the imported films negatively influence the culture and behaviour of Nigerian people.

There is common belief in Nigeria, that home movies negatively project the culture of Nigeria. That is why Frank Aig-Imoukahuede in Opubor (1995:47) confirms that “many Nigerians have complained of the poisonous content of films shown on the screens in Nigeria a great number of people have criticized the nation’s television for featuring materials which contradict or erode the quality of life and undermines the people’s values and norms. What is needed are films for self projection, for presenting the fact of life in Nigeria. ” the study will be able to confirm or disprove the widely held view.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Nigerian home movies assumed a lot of important in the area of entertainment and cultural transmission. This explains the time audience (both children and adults) spend watching movies in their homes or their frequent visit to video clubs.

The behavioural pattern of people is formed by different factors in their environment. Home movies have entered as a novel part of the environment that has an over-powering influence since many of these Nigerian movies embody that tradition and culture of Nigerian if they are not of high technical or moral quality,

they will influence their audience negatively. Those who do not have fair knowledge of the ideal culture are bound to imbibe the negative aspect unconsciously. Also the viewing of these movies will make people believe such practices as the culture or way of life of the people.

Thus, the central problem of this research study is to ascertain how the Trends of negative themes in Nigerian home movies affect the Nigerian culture and influence it negatively.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To ascertain the extent to which the trends of themes in Nigeria home movies affect the Nigerian culture.

To determine if what is watched by the researcher is believed to be the ideal cultural practice of Nigeria.

To know if the contents of such movies are imbibed by both young and adult viewers.

To determine how to improve such situations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. To what extent do Nigerian home movies showcase Negative themes?

1. To what extent do Nigerian Home movies portray Nigerian culture negatively?

1. Does the setting of Nigeria home movies affect them negatively?

1. To what extent do Nigeria home movie have effect on the cultural value of Nigeria?

1. To what extent do negative influences of home movies tilt the cultural and behavioural change of viewers?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Home movies as agents of cultural change have both audio and visual effects. These effects bring about attitude and behavior change. This research study intends to investigate the cause of these trends of negative themes in Nigerian home movies.

The study will be useful in identifying the extent to which home videos flooding the market despoil the true fabrics of the Nigerian culture. It is, therefore, anticipated that the study will be useful to all those that watch Nigerian home movies.

It will also help to instruct producers to be conscious of the negative influences on younger generation and offer solutions to better ways of presentation of the cultural contents of Nigerian movies.

Finally the study would be useful to the government, movie industries, communication experts, students, researchers as well as parents in many ways.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to be studied under the content of four selected Nigerian home movies; ZOZA, BEFORE THE RAIN, THE DOGS MEETING, STREET FAME. Due to time and financial constraints, the researcher could not go the extra mile to incorporate to watch all the movies that produced in Nigeria.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

CULTURE- conceptual: improvement of mental faculties refined taste or judgment high intellectual and aesthetic development. State of intellectual, artistic, and social development of a group, type and degree of civilization. Social group characterized by a specified level of material achievements. Operational: the way of life, belief systems, habits and practices of the Igbo.

MOVIE- conceptual: motion pictures, cinema or films of substance for taking a photograph or a ribbon of celluloid or the like prepared with such a fine coating for taking instantaneous photographs for projection by cinematography.

Operational: the home movies- Zoza, Before the rain, Street fame, The dogs meeting.

Assumptions

That the Nigerian viewing public both adults and youth watch local movies. That the youth as well as adults could unconsciously imbibe what they see especially the negative aspects as current and old practices of the culture.

That Nigerian home movie tends to influence the culture of Nigeria negatively. NEGATIVE- conceptual: power to affect somebody’s character belief or

action through examples, fear and admiration.

Operational: absence of expression of positive character of Nigerian culture by Nigerian home movies.

THEMES-conceptual: The subject or main idea in a talk, piece of writing or work of art.

Operational: they are the negative themes portray in Nigerian home movies TRENDS- conceptual: A general direction in which a situation is changing

or developing.

Operational: the fast development of negative themes in Nigerian culture.