(110): INTERVIEW: Kannywood: Revamped industry will provide millions of jobs

Following the publication of my book, Kannywood: Unveiling the Overlooked Hausa Film Industry, Anita Eboigbe, a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), interviewed me. An excerpt of the interview was then carried out by several news outlets in Nigeria. Here is the full version:

1. Do you think the relegation of Kannywood has anything to do with the social, political and tribal sentiments in Nigeria? And why? 

The sentiments you mentioned play a role, but they are not solely to blame. First, there is a widespread belief that Hausa people are less educated compared to other (southern) ethnic groups in Nigeria. Therefore, many people think, wrongly though, that nothing good, such as their films, may come out of them. The fact that Kannywood’s movies are 95 per cent or more in Hausa makes this belief all the more plausible. I have read and heard several people, especially on social media and conferences, arguing that the Hausa folks cannot make films in English, hence their resolve to stick to their mother tongue.

Secondly, the filmmakers’ action and inaction contribute to their marginalisation. Often, the films are nothing to write home about. They fall short in many respects, from the storytelling and plot to the cinematography and so on. In instances where the films are subtitled in English, one finds unpardonable grammatical bloopers to the extent that no non-Hausa audience can understand the dialogue. This, unfortunately, gives detractors of Kannywood a reason to condescend to their films once again.

2. Apart from Africa Magic Hausa and a few other outlets, Kannywood has a distribution problem. In your opinion,  how best can this be tackled?  

Film industries in many developing countries face distribution challenges. Kannywood’s, though, may be called acute. Known to all that the CD/DVD market is dead. I recently surveyed how people watch films. More than 90 per cent of respondents reported using their mobile phones and laptops. Allegedly, some filmmakers pirate their colleagues’ movies and upload them to YouTube or distribute them without authorisation. This has led to the downfall of several hitherto vibrant producers and directors.

Additionally, cinema attendance remains largely discouraged in Kano. This is due to some religio-cultural beliefs attached to the cinema. I discussed this topic in considerable detail in the book. The problem is not insurmountable, though. However, the industry lacks committed leadership. While trying harder at the cinema screening, I suggested that they should resort to online video streaming platforms such as Netflix and iROKOtv. Committees have been formed, but none has yet developed an action plan. The problem persists.

3. How long did it take you to gather materials for your book? 

Several years. As noted in the book’s preamble, I was introduced to the critical study of film in 2012. However, I began writing what would later become a portion of this book in 2014 with a review of the film Aduniya. I was then in India doing a master’s degree in Theatre and Television. The film was widely promoted. Many people were eager to see what the “imported” director came with. I ended up disappointed. That behoved me to put down my thoughts on paper. I was optimistic that the director would recognise this and improve his next project. I went on to complete my dissertation, in part, on film. I received much support and encouragement from Prof. Abdulla Uba Adamu, the current Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, among others, in gathering materials for the book.

4. What were the major challenges you faced during the course of writing? 

Some, nay, many people bash almost everything Kannywood. From close friends, colleagues and the rest, I was repeatedly dispirited and ‘advised’ to change my focus away from Kannywood. In one of my unpublished academic articles, I described Kannywood as an illegitimate child, in societies like ours, to its mother. She loves and hates it, yet she cannot discard it. This is the situation in which the film industry survives. The Kano Film Village imbroglio is still fresh in our memories. These are some of the hurdles I had to overcome to produce a book on Kannywood, the first of its kind.

5. What call-to-action will this book present to stakeholders about the growth of Kannywood? Stakeholders include the government, filmmakers and the audience.

The book addresses a spectrum of issues. In short, it calls on the government, academics, journalists, Islamic scholars and the general public to reevaluate Kannywood. The film industry deserves more than our usual denunciation. The film is a vehicle for culture, identity and image laundering. The outside world, in particular, views a Hausa man in the way and manner Kannywood movies portray them. The earlier we understand that film has come to stay, the better. This, therefore, calls for the stakeholders’ serious intervention.

Let me single out my calls to the government and fellow academics. Nigeria has recently overtaken India as the world’s capital of poverty. Massive unemployment is among the leading causes of this sad, unfortunate development. Thus, the government should empower Kannywood, for it provides jobs to hundreds of thousands of youth. It will reduce not only poverty but also the security threat facing the country, particularly the north.

Academics should recognise that Kannywood, as well as its films, is worthy of study for several reasons, including its historiography, economics, aesthetics, linguistics, media and cultural values. Students should be encouraged to conduct research on these aspects and more. Likewise, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) should expand film reviews and criticism, as it does for fiction and non-fiction books.