Reflections: Adaptation and Storytelling in Nollywood
By Ayomipo Akorede
Stories are beautiful and entertaining. There are some you will come across and they will just linger in your head for months, maybe years too. It's not because they are perfect, nah! It's because they are told in ways that resonate with your reality. This very reason is the bedrock of the adaptation of any work. From drama to stage plays, novels to films, real-life events or history to films, we've witnessed a lot of unique cinematic experiences and cultural interpretations. But have you ever wondered if these adaptations have really been at par with the originals?
Nollywood, world's second largest movie industry, has delved into classics like Sango, Basorun Gaa, Afonja, Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti, etc. and adaptations like Chimamanda's "Half of a Yellow Sun", Soyinka's "Death and the king's Horseman", Ola Rotimi's "Are the Gods to Blame", etc. a couple of times, the typical linear or straightforward socio-cultural plot types, no doubt, have often downplayed the depth and expansion of characters and events.
When Bamidele adapted "Half of a Yellow Sun", his major aim was to relive those war (Nigerian-Biafra Civil War) moments through captivating cinematic interpretations while preserving the cultural identity or the identity of the book to reach a broader audience by blending personal stories with a national tragedy. While his attempt was commendable, he didn’t capture the full complexity and emotional intensity of the novel to include well-developed sub-plots that made the novel a good read because the plot was too simplified and even drifted, focusing more on romance than the actual effect of the war on the individuals.
For Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti biopic which seems to have been more socially favoured regardless of its pace and narrative depth, it is seen as an important cultural contribution that has sparked renewed interest in women’s history and activism in Nigeria and has opened doors for more biopics about underrepresented Nigerian heroes—especially women.
While we know that many films draw from traditional stories, myths, and moral tales, reimagining them with modern settings or conflicts to resonate with contemporary viewers, others fictionalize real Nigerian events, from political upheavals to personal dramas, blending fact and fiction for compelling storytelling. For emphasis, exploring depths in storytelling is good but putting into consideration the commercial success of huge projects like that always sway in what direction the story will tilt.
As of now, adaptations of literary works and epic stories are growing. There is increasing international interest in original storytelling hence, in the coming days, more streaming platforms like Netflix, Showmax etc. will invest heavily on higher-quality adaptations and more Nigerian books will be optioned for film.
FOLLOW US ON
Post a Comment