In California, we have Hollywood, in India, Bollywood. In Nigeria, the heart of African comedy movies is called Nollywood. In terms of the numbers of films produced, Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world. South Africa and Yoruba (West African tribe) also have bustling cinema industries. For the cinema buff who wants a peek at how the rest of the world lives, African film comedies is a great place to start.
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
A combination horror/comedy film, "The Mangler" (1995, South Africa) finds its way here via an list of the most popular comedy films to come out of South Africa. The main character is a folding machine in a commercial launderette that is by evil spirits. Based on a story written by Stephen King, "The Mangler" was directed by Tobe Hooper. The film was unappreciated by the critics, but with a story line like that, how could anybody want to miss it?
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Strictly speaking, not a comedy, but one of the most significant African films ever made, Yaaba (Burkina Faso, 1989) depicts one of the most troubling dilemmas of modern life in Africa. This is the conflict between modernization, meaning taking on western characteristics, and maintaining its own cultural identity.
Another less than funny but not insignificant film was "The Nightingale's Prayer" (1959, Egypt). One of the most salient movies ever made by Egypt, the story is about gender inequality in Arabic culture. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film represented Egypt in the "Best Foreign Language Film" category in the 32nd Academy Awards in 1960, although the film was not accepted as a nominee.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
A combination horror/comedy film, "The Mangler" (1995, South Africa) finds its way here via an list of the most popular comedy films to come out of South Africa. The main character is a folding machine in a commercial launderette that is by evil spirits. Based on a story written by Stephen King, "The Mangler" was directed by Tobe Hooper. The film was unappreciated by the critics, but with a story line like that, how could anybody want to miss it?
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Strictly speaking, not a comedy, but one of the most significant African films ever made, Yaaba (Burkina Faso, 1989) depicts one of the most troubling dilemmas of modern life in Africa. This is the conflict between modernization, meaning taking on western characteristics, and maintaining its own cultural identity.
Another less than funny but not insignificant film was "The Nightingale's Prayer" (1959, Egypt). One of the most salient movies ever made by Egypt, the story is about gender inequality in Arabic culture. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film represented Egypt in the "Best Foreign Language Film" category in the 32nd Academy Awards in 1960, although the film was not accepted as a nominee.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
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