CBAAC FESTAC77 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020

I had my very first ever presentation in an International Conference today, courtesy of the CBAAC. They are the spin-off of the FESTAC77. I was supposed to travel to Benin City for it oo, bhettttt.... Issokay, I did it from my room.

My paper topic is "NOLLYWOOD, IGBO CULTURE AND VALUES: AN APPRAISAL"

I was a tad nervous prior to my time despite it being virtual, Zoom oo. Well, I was in front of all of these distinguished people. But shaa, I was calm when I began. My other experiences with conferences were mainly my going for the sake of Item 7 with little to no idea of how it worked. I was about to find out. Well, I've found out (though online) 

SUMMARY OF MY PRESENTATION TODAY

1. Speaking of English in a Pre-Colonial setting movie is a mockery of the people's culture, it doesn't make sense. And you can't say it's for wider reach, people watch Korean, Indian and Chinese movies and they don't speak English. The incorporation of Igbo Language in Nollywood Epic will aid in preservation of the language and prevent the extinction predicted by the Unesco.

2. As much as movies are for entertainment, it should be didactic on the same line. History is not a subject in elementary and primary schools, so the movie industry can actually educate people in the same vein. Just because it's a movie doesn't mean to be inauthentic. To represent a culture, you should come correct. The Pre-Colonial Igbo society had no Kings and such should be portrayed in movies of that era.

3. The mythology of the Igbo being perceived as evil was induced by Nollywood and supported by religion. These artefacts that are destroyed and burnt down are hardcore evidences that people existed at the time. They should be part of museum and tourism of the county and not discarded as some barbarism. People enjoy Thor, Zeus, Krishna, Horus because of how the societies showed them onscreen.

4. The stereotype of Igbo people being money hungry was also as a result of Nollywood, Living in Bondage. Subsequent movies had that same trope and so the stereotype stuck in this society. People are suspicious of wealthy people as engaging in rituals and gullible people also try to do rituals to get their own wealth too. Igbo values triumph Family, Dignity and Hard work over wealth.

Movies serve as a means of entertainment but subtly or nah, it influences people greatly. I won't deny that Nollywood isn't making efforts but we can only go "up" from here. These conversations need to be had if the industry has to become better and it's up to us to depict each culture as authentic as possible.

I prepared for a 20 minutes presentation but it was reduced shaa, but it wasn't bad. It went well if I should say so myself. I forgot to make a screen record when I began speaking 😖😖 but this is a screenshot after I was done..

Daalụ nụ.