From Nollywood to the World: A Cultural Studies and Critical Discourse Analysis of Nollywood Films on Netflix
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6000/2818-3401.2024.02.04Keywords:
Nollywood, Nigeria, Cultural Studies, Critical Discourse Analysis, NetflixAbstract
This study examines the transnationalization of the Nollywood industry in the rise of streaming platforms like Netflix. As nonwestern film industries begin to find global audiences beyond their local space, ideological underpinnings of these industries also continue to shift and become more apparent. The need to compete for global capital while retaining the cultural flavor of the South has been a major challenge of many transnational media industries. Taking Nollywood as a case study, this study argues that the production of Nollywood films on Netflix goes beyond the quest to find global market, instead economic interest, the need to appeal to global audience by producing multicultural relevant content and promulgating a Nigerian identity that non-African audience can understand are important areas that should be considered. Contextualized within the theories of cultural studies and political economy and the method of critical discourse analysis, the study accentuates the changing discourse of the new Nollywood cinema and what it means for critical cultural scholarship of media and communication, especially in the Global South.
References
Abdulkareem, Alithnayn. 2018. Nollywood is not ready to compete globally, despite what they are telling Nigerians. Zam Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from https://www.zammagazine.com/arts/949-nollywood-is-not-ready-to-competegloballydespite-what-they-are-telling-nigerians.
Adeleke, David. 2023. East Africa's largest economy has a media crisis. Communique. Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse /netflix-eatingnollywoodslunch-what-happens-next-david-adeleke/.
Adejunmobi, Moradewun. 2014. Evolving Nollywood templates for minor transnational film. Black Camera, 5(2), 74-94. https://doi.org/10.2979/blackcamera.5.2.74 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2979/blackcamera.5.2.74
Adi, Bongo. 2012.The end of Igbo business model: A Rejoinder. Sahara Reporters. Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://saharareporters.com/2012/07/09/end-igbobusinessmodel-rejoinder-bongo-adi
Agina,Anulika. 2021. Netflix and the transnationalization of Nollywood. Post 45, Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://post45.org/2021/04/netflix-and-the-transnationalizationofnollywood/.
Ajaegbo, D. 2013. Road transport entrepreneurs and Road transportation revolution in Igboland, 1920-1999: A Case Study of the Nnewi Igbo of Nigeria. African Research Review, 7(4), 162-173. https://doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v7i4.10 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v7i4.10
Anyawu,Obumneke S. & Sylvanus,Emaeyak, P. 2022. Music production technology in new Nollywood Soundtracks: Context, application, and the effect of globalization. Music and the Moving Image, 15 (1): 22–37. https://doi.org/10.5406/19407610.15.1.02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5406/19407610.15.1.02
Arthur, Omega, T. 2017. Glocal Nollywood: The politics of culture, identity and migration in African films set on American shores. Glocalism: Journal of politics, culture, and innovation, 2, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.12893/gjcpi.2017.2.6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12893/gjcpi.2017.2.6
Berger, Arthur Asa. 2000. Semiotic analysis. In A.A. Berger (Ed.), Media and communication research methods (pp. 35–51). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Box Office Mojo. 2019. Nigerian yearly box office. Retrieved from https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/?area=NG,February 15, 2020.
Buckley, Cara. 2019. Nigeria’s Oscar Hopes are dashed over English dialogue in ‘Lionheart’. New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/ 11/05/movies/lionheart-nigerian-movie-oscars.html
Changsong, Wang., Kerry, Lucyann., & Marta, Rustono. Farady. 2021. Film distribution by video streaming platforms across Southeast Asia during COVID-19. Media, Culture & Society, 43(8), 1542–1552. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437211045350 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437211045350
Chen, Xinyi. & Shen, Siwen. 2021. Review of the impact of cultural imperialism in the context of globalization to the film industry. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Language, Art and Cultural Exchange. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210609.041 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210609.041
Ebelebe, Ugo Ben. (2019). Reinventing Nollywood:The impact of online funding and distribution on Nigerian cinema. Convergence, 25(3), 466–478. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856517735792 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856517735792
Ezeonu, Ifeanyi. (2013). Nollywood consensus: Modeling a development pathway for Africa. The Global South, 7(1), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.2979/globalsouth.7.1.179 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2979/globalsouth.7.1.179
Fairclough, Norman. 1989. Language and Power, London: Longman.
Fairclough, Norman. 1993. Critical discourse analysis and the marketization of public discourse: The universities.Discourse and Society, 4(2), 133-168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002002
Fairclough, Norman. 1995. Critical discourse analysis. The critical study of language. London: Longman.
Fairclough, Norman. 2000. New Labour, New Language? London: Routledge.
Fairclough, N. 2003. Critical Analysis of Media Discourse. In P. Marris & S. Thornham (Eds.), Media Studies Reader (pp 309-325). New York University Press.
Herbert, Daniel., Lotz, Amanda. D., & Marshall, Lee. 2019. Approaching media industries comparatively: A case study of streaming. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(3), 349–366. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877918813245 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877918813245
Jedlowski, Alessandro. 2013. From Nollywood to Nollyworld: Processes of transnationalization in the Nigerian video film industry. In M. Krings& O. Okome (Eds.), Global Nollywood: The transnational dimensions of an African video film industry (pp. 25–45). Indiana University Press.
Jin, Dal Yong.2011. A critical analysis of US cultural policy in the global film market: Nationstates and FTAs. International Communication Gazette, 73(8), 651–669. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048511420092 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048511420092
Jin, Dal Yong. 2012. Transforming the global film industries: Horizontal integration and vertical concentration amid neoliberal globalization. International Communication Gazette, 74(5), 405–422. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048512445149 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048512445149
Kellner, Douglas. 1995. Cultural studies, multiculturalism, and media culture. In G. Dines & J. Humez (Eds.), Gender, race and class in media (pp. 5/17). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Van Leeuwen, Theo. 2008. Discourse and Practice. New Tools for Critical Discourse Analysis. Oxford: OUP. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195323306.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195323306.001.0001
Miller, Jade. 2012. Global Nollywood: The Nigerian movie industry and alternative global networks in production and distribution. Global Media and Communication, 0(0), 1-7.
Nworah, Uche. 2011. Culture and Igbo business practices. Sahara Reporters. Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://saharareporters.com/2011/06/20/culture-and-igbo-businesspractices
Nye, Joseph S. 1990. Soft power. Foreign Policy, 80, 153-171. https://doi.org/10.2307/1148580 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1148580
Peck, Janice. 2006. Why we shouldn’t be bored with the political economy versus cultural studies debate. Cultural Critique. 64, 92-126. https://doi.org/10.1353/cul.2006.0029 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/cul.2006.0029
Ryan, Connor. 2015. New Nollywood: A sketch of Nollywood’s metropolitan new style. African Studies Review 58(3), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2015.75 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2015.75
Udeh, Chika.2022. Genevieve, Nnaji biography: Who is the star actress and how old is she? Buzz Nigeria. Retrieved September 17, 2023 from https://buzznigeria.com/ everythingyou-must-know-about-the-legendary-genevieve-nnaji/
van Djik, Teun.A.1993. Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse and Society, 4(2), 249– 283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002006
van Dijk, Teun. A. 1996. Discourse, power and access. In Caldas-Coulthard, C. Rosa, & C,
Malcolm (Eds.), Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis. (pp. 84104). England: Routledge. van Dijk, T.A. (2008) Discourse and context: A Socio-cognitive approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vourlias, Christopher.2017. Wedding Party’ fuels record Nigerian box office despite ailing economy. Variety. Retrieved from September 17, 2023 from https://variety.com/2017/film/ global/wedding-party-fuels-record-nigerian-boxofficedespite-ailing-economy-1201977878/.
Witt, Emily. 2017. Nollywood: The making of a film empire. New York, NY: Columbia Global Reports. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fx4h6t DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fx4h6t