lagos nigeria home of africa's biggest film industry. in terms of production output it's considered the 2nd largest in the world off to india but ahead of hollywood a new york times article published in 2002 coins the industry's popular name. not only would became popular through a certain type of film shot with digital cameras telling stories based on the dreams and fears of nigerian society distributed in bulk on street markets. over what to do for the movies come out in the markets today a new nollywood is emerging it generates an annual turnover of over $500000000.00 u.s. dollars. and produces the superstars of the african continent to look for a new outfit as a joke i think you know. with glitz and drama the industry outshines its humble origins in an ordinary electronics market we started this business we are so often in this business to get in the market on the field and i don't. want street vendors continue to lay claim to nollywood a new breed of investor has entered the business. for the last we were earning around $30000.00 a month that was totally ok and then this american comes along and says your business is worth $9000000.00 make something of it it's an industry on steroids and make up and take. full cinema entertainment is huge it's a jungle what is what it was a don't win american because they don't win china because they don't bring india which is becoming of the main is becoming in addition methods to the madness our girl go out there to compete at awards the best when the wood is good. the industry was born here in lagos. the african metropolis has a population of over 14000000. it's a city that promises much but demands even more. they gosper also very serious of violence all connected to the mainland by a network of concrete bridges. urban development can't keep up with its exploding population. although on with. life i was. around 2 thirds of lagos ians live in slum areas like year in my cocoa a community built on stilts between lagos island and the mainland. economy depends on trade through lagos is industrial ports. crude oil is nigeria's economic lifeblood it accounts for much of its federal revenues. the nigerian government we have been telling us right from when the to the entertainment is the newest oil money for the country they want to focus on it in them because they know that they cannot rely heavily on oil revenue and in this revenue they can where they can get money for me from the the dimming industry bicycle only fulfilled. culture journalist scheiber who sign me has been reporting on nollywood for over 20 years he's particularly interested in the generation that started the business you need to know your pastor know where you are headed in the future you need to know those who live the foundation what with their visions what we're trying to prove what we're doing things that they wanted to achieve you know with the industry. a film released. 1992 marked the birth of nollywood. living in bondage was a significant drop in the whole mix of films that were made at that time. it tells the story of andy an unemployed man whose debts drive him to dispatch oh he meets an old friend who introduces him told world of luxury. here and his desire to join the club of the rich and beautiful draws him into an occult brotherhood. the price of membership is high. or when you. gotta tell me a. junkie. and he is confronted with a moral issue. he . in the end he chooses the money over his wife. who wanted shortly after her death and the now rich marries another woman. who. despite the material comfort and his life takes a turn for the ones. his wife's ghost returns to haunt and terrorize him and here van. actually goes insane and. the only source of hope left for andy is jesus christ. living in bondage to find one of the most important nollywood charmers the get rich quick film its narrative structure has a strong message of christian faith which remains a standard elements of nigerian films today. all live oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah. oh yeah oh yeah the movie about andy's rise and fall became a commercial hit sold as a v.h.s. tape in street markets. today the hub of this distribution system is located in an electronics market in the western part of lagos. these 2 men belong to a task force of the market traders association a kind of substitute police force that patrols the vast labyrinth of a larger market. nollywood occupies its own section of the market. production and distribution of the films are managed by the same people market traders are also nollywood movie producers. the associations chairman is samuel emeka dua otherwise known as magnetic link was on the desire to get on this market or that 90 percent of the content often turns up in other words that it implies down to a lot more stuff was hearing a lot about we started this business with our stuff then in business it would be just the names i use in the days that i know. he's gone too much money said very aware of this one knocking down was shot mine on. that led to a reflection of the over 60 movie small amounts in the markets just like the daily business news the lives of movies yes i do want to know this is true too. many long long breath you know more are given it seems like it's all down to on bread at our own pipeline but i tunes where means every there yes. it. is the most important but not the only market for self produced films in nigeria the total number of films produced in nigeria is a long time. so we need 3 boards off in all the bodies to go for the course that is why you stop in this once you send it out off the books. for quite some time this was the only method of distribution. but that changed in 2010 when 2 men with a bold business idea arrived in bangkok's. one of them was german investor boston gotten its a mass mind out of the market by the 1st time i was in the a lava market there weren't many white people there everyone looks at you as if to say what are you doing here. since i went up to one of the nollywood guys selling video c.d.'s it was a small market booth everyone was hot and sweating. his english wasn't easy for me to understand and. as i said i wanted to buy the rights for some of his films but i didn't know if he really owned the rise sheerly he was it was hard for me to figure out what was going on i hadn't spent much time in nigeria it was still unfamiliar to me and i trust this guy or not i didn't have such a clear feeling but i thought no fun. the initiative behind the venture came from a friend of. jason a british citizen with nigerian roots who had the idea to distribute nollywood films through you tube got to raise the initial capital on the london stock exchange after completing a degree in economics as a derivatives trader for the oil company british petroleum and standish knows you know when things finally got going and we bought our 1st 100 films they were really cheap because people weren't so internet savvy at the time. we acquired $100.00 films for $10000.00 and put them online and fools and we made $2000.00 a day. we thought wow. we're going to make a lot of dough in just 5 days we recovered our investment and thought let's buy more. when i was still working on the trading floor so i asked a few of my buddies there if they were interested in getting into the film business in nigeria. they said sure we're in. the not much and we need to gather another $200000.00 and went on a serious shopping spree. so the movies that just business initially he was surprised by the popularity of shop contrast to the producers. who know exactly why their films are so successful. oh. well. it is the producer of. the. yes in the history of. the market this is the most successful film. the movie is based on the legend of a criminal sent to have carried out a series of spectacular robberies in the 1990 s. his name pays homage to the hollywood action classic starring sylvester stallone. is. west of this country and he does this with impunity because of the. offer and believe in that and it turns into his buddy. in the film. come from a magical smack. me what films often make use of the treasure of west african oral tradition. sound and moving images give new life to well known narratives and make them magic appear . to make money you must think of don't just think of good movies alone. i. think both of. you here. as well by them. if he has. came to look for the. christianity is also a strong source of inspiration for my colleague he often develops ideas based on compelling stories from the old testament find out take for protection he does a giant here and there's a small divide here on earth and i was told ok everybody would love to do there's a put i'm going to the i'm going to do the job so well you just make david to just go to giant and do like this and kill him is the most or you allow the gent to rule but we think. god well my goodness what is going to do with my god the let me get is what this is film people watch there we have the book the view abuse. so sometimes i'll be at the back and see people doing this and i feel i think yes i got it. on occasionally so also appears as an actor in his own films. the sheena rambo series has released 18 video c.d.'s and many of them have sold over a 1000000 copies all across africa. the producer has the means to achieve high audio visual quality but his business sense tells him not to. want to put if you. the quality reduces its citizens quality you know what i'm talking about so any fear of this sort you cannot be proud my picture is too good so what the essence of suffering where are we are nobody will give attention to we that is good or not you understand so is about with the. prince ica elisa has tried switching to d.v.d. but each time he failed the problem is the rampant piracy at a labor market we find ourselves in the web of the said paterson challenge we now find out that for us to be adding money enough in the screen loss deprive disparity between when and in a pirates are given pirates more power to sell more because here people care about what is cheap. the nigerian police are just confiscated pirate copy is worth over $100000.00 u.s. dollars. in order to survive in the face of piracy the filmmakers need to keep that costs as low as possible. the city of a somber and down to state in the south west of the country provides the ideal infrastructure. a small village on the outskirts of town has served as a backdrop for countless films. well a group. of when i found. you don't sleep sleep let's go run it i don't read. well i want my family don't. need your art. in nigeria at this time the film is called an epic movie it is a highly successful genre that enables nollywood to construct its own version of africa's pre-colonial past. the title of the movies or the son of his son. is actually. an african. about their community would be seized. on by the seasonal evil man evil monk. you can not walk this morning because your poem for. the song that you've really got on you want to go to doctors even to some of his songs was subsidy is what you would find out if you really wish to home prices shot. several of the actors on science are actually evangelical pastors i mean plus the one my church knows that they become monks stop me from opt in because i believe i'm using that octon to preach something to the people also it's. ok that's good as good as good as book we're going to look at why are people this is africa before they come in on the white my we have a life we have we have cultural we have really enjoyed what we have what keeps society together i think that's what we have for today in the next what's into the war outside of what mother would. the notion of a purely african world before the arrival of the europeans holds great fascination for nollywood audiences. the costumes on plants are inspired by the producers imagination more than research but historic and accuracy is don't take away from the success of these films. mercy johnson is undoubtedly one of knowledge world's biggest superstars we bring africa as a culture to the stable of millions of storytelling picture. so you just. want to. bring into into centrally our language and centrality dressed. as a people you know that's what nollywood stands for want a lot of. director ken steven has been in the business for many years he stopped counting his films a long time ago. you can't go out. gov which. is on average of 2 weeks p. a movie so i'm hoping to rumble this one then harvey to be a rest stop on the telly yeah let's go see rowsley i have to be frank about it you could see me on by and there's a burger he goes well if you were there you would like time you give in a period of time so you could be joe and your sock says the depends on the how well you do it and we didn't need to give been the particle out for more time we were given to deliver their oh yeah right that i propose yeah i'm going to report here. solomon a patent is one of the most influential film producers in a samba. are full of this you on. the other one if you want. he's come to the set to ensure that shooting will wrap up today what you would like to believe there will be you know the you don't usually like the movie live up. to the end of the world and about what the lord will want because i will not be the face demanded by the big stars take the biggest chunk out of nollywood film budgets if my seat johnson goes a single day overshadow the financial viability of the entire project is jeopardized. and lose the raffle them or you are left on your own you are. all you are left. thank you. 7 for. writing a very. no man was. over the past 11 days the crew shot enough footage for a 4 hour film it will be divided into 6 parts and each one will be released as a separate video cd this production style has made nollywood one of the biggest film industries in the world. unfortunately real improvements in the art of filmmaking are almost impossible but things have started to change as many nigerian filmmakers begin to break new ground. with i got an interest in german expressionism new hollywood. i want that same appreciation. for the nigerian film industry people who can have the intellectual discourse of our. album a camera sees film as art is feature length debut green white green from 2016 was screened at festivals around the world and streamed on netflix. green why green is a coming of age story about 4 friends from the 3 major ethnic groups of men your house they are by your book who go on an adventure to make a film inspired by a man you're as history. the script for the film within the film is based on a text by character called professor organ and the thought is expressed and it reflects my karma's own analysis of the current political situation in nigeria. having seemingly moved on from over 3 decades of merry go round military rule we stand now with the 3rd regime of the 3rd democratic republic we find ourselves still uncertain when will the scourge of boko haram be brought to an end how can we curb the mass corruption crippling our country can we truly eradicate poverty when will we become an export based economy nigeria worth will it what it was we're ready to speak so that we can quit importing bloody toothpicks i mean who in. port's tooth picks. among other things become a criticizes nigeria's heavy reliance on imports something that also applies to sophisticated films. with green white green the young filmmaker has shown that it is possible to turn the tables. we have an idea cinematic movement on the continent you know and that's just what we're good at a real cinematic movement that. will stand the test of time and make an imprint in global cinema you know. macam a has attracted attention he received state funding for his film benefiting from the fact that the government has identified the industry as a key center of the economy. in 2008 after realizing the business potential in his native country. left his job but odeon cinemas in the u.k. once home he helped found the company film house which developed 9 multiplex cinema we now want to do a bit of 5 singles or 3 and a half years from harrods. you know so. if it's aggressive its ambition what is possible. the new cinema just one component in grand business scheme. so welcome to film house and it was. ok so we go to the next floor. see the building there the green building there. that's the house of don't go to the rich or the black man in the whole world clearly the rich africa so we like this office because something is when the wind blew from the side here blows through him and then touches us if we like. here it's. one production and distribution. ok this is not just the fastest growing but the biggest film theatrical film distribution company of nigeria in west africa really was about to appear the executive director of empower through one iraq war. 3 years ago the stupidly nollywood in the middle box of the sides with the violence it made to be followed and be more than this years ago $64.00 and that's where we will see a complete flip between hollywood and bollywood will see a complete flip it i double dare say will 1734000000 it's the only english english speaking so that i know of the war that the local films are through sheer volume. as movie ticket sales go up and the demand for local productions increases a brand new market for high quality films is evolving. film house film one does not only want to scream these films. we definitely produce films we have produced albeit as one of a coproduction the wedding party the biggest dream ever in west africa in cinema anyway we get a feeling. the wedding party released in 2016 was the 1st nigerian film to earn more than a 1000000 u.s. dollars at the box office. but even new nollywood biggest broadcaster only reached a certain section of the population. when you look at the demographics of the place it's really from here to the top from the middle to the top we haven't reached those guys down there and they constitute the huge population this spend a lot of money but small volumes you know small denominations but huge part of it so we are looking to go target those guys give them the entertainment they want. paro wants to reach the masses starting in the poorer districts of lagos he envisages cinemas which sound tickets for about $1.00 and screen films produced by his company. i do think. it's a formula and its work is what he told me personally more fields i'm also says more than the next because i work you. think of this as the professionalization of nollywood and thus your points like. the joints of my crew down the aisle from the states from japan and from the u.k. love all the time to like your. film one brought him back to his home country don't want in television in the u.k. in nigeria he now wants to realize can impair his vision discounts for promising script rewrites them to think commercially successful formulas and in some productions he also said sen rector's chair the market will continue to grow and that's where we're gong to be known as the talented nose and steven spielberg's and all those guys of nigeria. ok guys thank you come good guys nights i need you outside now jim where did you become dallas last time what to do when you. dream where you were going to do waiting outside. yes i can thank you i watch. this nollywood this is the way we do it. i call it good stuff guys that do this like this. so we need it. there's a joke in nigeria that. many. new nollywood has been producing. the films a wildly successful in nigeria. but the movies are not made specifically for the local market that meant to showcase the nigerian lifestyle and sense of spirit while at the same time telling stories that touch the hearts of people all around the world but we need to start telling universal stories that's what nollywood need somebody down if you have to watch your film and understand your plight somebody in japan somebody in china that's storytelling that's the way we used to go because when i was growing up i wanted to be a japanese i wanted to be an american i wanted to be british i think everybody toward want to be like and as well making films. cinema culture which almost died out during a particularly tough period for nigeria's economy in the 1980 s. is experiencing a revival it's creating a promising market for technically sophisticated films but so far new not a word has relied almost exclusively on rehashing successful formulas and allows little scope for new ideas real creative innovation might as a result 1st emerge in a different medium the internet is an inexpensive global distribution platform german investor bastion daughter was among the 1st to capitalize on this opportunity. it's got hours i have from india here and you go a lot of africans outside of nigeria like to watch nollywood films as normally would go. on and that's how it got started and france put in c.r. for hugo iroga is the name of the company that developed out of distributing another market films on you tube culture yoku experienced a sudden turn of fortune by never contacted by a representative of a venture capital firm named tyco global. their company in infuse attempts 5 times in september 2011 the guy arrived in laos. back then not many people came to largo's to invent. internet business as. i told the guy a sort of small american. said carna boys show me your office boys show me off yeah. we said ok let's go to the market. we had our office there. it was a 10 square meter room with 16 employees all crammed into a. defense. he said interesting show me your numbers. so we did we were pretty proud of the numbers. we were clearing about $30000.00 profit a month. this intrigue look things over and said this is interesting we talked for about 45 minutes and then he said ok i'll give you a term sheet. we didn't even know what a term sheet was ok that's the ask we found out that it is the 1st step towards a concrete investment the next day he sent the term sheet which valued our company at 9000000. and that was just incredible. as video there we were making about $30000.00 a month and that was ok but then this american comes along and says your company is worth $9000000.00 make something of it he said here is 9000000 take another 3 in cash and suddenly the whole thing is worth $12000000.00 all right great let's do it . but yeah. with that kind of money the partners were able to set up one of his most successful media enterprises today iraq gets most of its income from t.v. channels in various african countries as well as in france and england nevertheless the company is betting its future on online streaming. video on demand platform users can access around 3000 films according to company figures the site reaches 100. 1000 subscribers divided more or less equally between africa the americas and europe. the worldwide audience gets to see a side of africa fundamentally different from the crisis and disaster written continent shown by western media. hiroko no longer buys its content ready made but has its films produced exclusively for the company at least 3 per week with a budget of around $10000.00 u.s. dollars each. with. daniel emeka already are he is shooting his faith film for iraq o.t.v. the director learned his craft at the nigerian film school. he produces most of his movies in collaboration with his wife grace a goof who takes on more than one job on sat for production of their next film they have travelled to village. for my girls the title of the current production is based on true events it tells the story of a girl from a village played by a drama who dreams of a better life in the big city. an alleged friend takes advantage of an experience and lures her into a trap he turns or over to a criminal organization that uses girls for its dirty dealings. the 90 minute feature length film has to be shot in 7 day. we like these kind of challenges we like to be different so with this creates and knowing that the money was not going to cover it would have ended at all kill deep holes into the family coffers to make this work. is almost 43 minutes missing multiple. offers they've been doing. for. the couple has to come. with a tight budget similar to those of the film crews in sabah their approach to film is more sophisticated they take a closer look at the reality of life around. you. know . not. more than that for me that's what i do like that's it's a person that it's afrikaans for you but. what you don't know. how much that's how we are so i don't think we should be any different in the. calls that molding me you know that was one of the 1st thought no. way. just my dumb how do you want to be 5. so that's really. you. know. yeah i am. not. good at. math. not. really what is at that phase where because the structure is becoming organized is becoming you know the same methods to the madness. i think for well 1st. let. me understand the storytelling for what it is we understand when leonine audience culture and all games behavior in a plane that you know we have if we're going to film school as many house 100 command me now. directed lending at let me differently and department in filmmaking people are now going to hone their skills and when all of these come back and in the end these are played gets to that place where we have bastrop showed that you know hollywood has what do we have to look at yes we do we have people we call him what we produce yes we do and that's all you need fine industry to be great 6. you bet it like it. but you go. this is it is the hour you want on. nollywood has been built by people from the heart of nigerian society who know instinctively what moves audiences in that country well that. they have created an industry that doesn't care much about room some flaws which is its greatest strength and weakness at the same time you nollywood is counting on professionalism and is driven by the economic interests of international investors a purely capitalist venture and yet the development is opening doors for the next generation of nigerian filmmakers now graduating from film academies it is up to them to take advantage of the new distribution channels create movies with artistic vision and initiate a cinematic movement in africa. for a long time films that shape the world's image of africa were largely made by europeans and americans nollywood constitutes a powerful counterweight the pictures it produces may have to store sions of their own part as african south portrays they add an essential new dimension to the global flood of images a vast provide a more authentic here of africa. into the conflict zone between sebastian. punggol never means to news for long means days now it's the draft of a new security law to be imposed by beijing the provoking controversy and protests joining me this week from hong kong is regina a member of the city's legislative council and chair of the probate people's policy fellow conflict zone. in 30 minutes d w. a new era has become. a fire going to feel the need. to fill in flame hohenheim it is. only since most of the flames that consume forests and entire residential areas from. rising temperatures water shortages lands clearance there's an abundance of flammable material once again i did there's no stone the fire soon to be so moved going up and soon to global concentration the world on fire starts aug 12th on g.w. cut. cut. cut. cut. this is d.w. news live from berlin anger boils over in beirut demonstrators stormed the lebanese foreign ministry following file and protests over tuesday's devastating explosion the protesters blame the blast on years of political corruption also coming up mandatory coronavirus testing begins today for travelers arriving in germany testing stations are open at terminals as concerns grow that a 2nd wave of the pandemic may be hitting the country. and the champions league returns.

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