made for mines. lagos nigeria home of africa's biggest film industry. in terms of production output it's considered the 2nd largest in the well off to india bought ahead of hollywood. a new york times article published in 2002 coins the industry's popular name. nollywood 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 over 60 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 going from you all to give us a little hope of i think you know. with glitz and glamour industry outshines it's humble origins in an ordinary electronics market we started this business we outsourced them in this business to get in the market i'm looking in the. wall street vendors continue to lay claim to nollywood a new breed of investor has entered the business. class 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 a type. of cinema entertainment is huge it's a don't go up to what is what it was a jungle america because they don't which i love because they don't bring india will be coming up the way he's becoming you know this in methods to the level of our girl go out there to compete on the world stage that's when the wood is good. plan. 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. lagos sproles over a series of islands all connected to the mainland by a network of concrete bridges. urban development can't keep up with its exploding population. of the on. fire. around 2 thirds of lagos ians live in slum areas like here in the cocoa a community built on stilts between lagos island and the mainland. the economy depends on trade through lagos is industrial homes. crude oil is nigeria's economic lifeblood it accounts for much of its federal revenues. the nigerian government. they have been telling us right from when the danger to land is in this toy money for the country they want to focus on it in because they know that they cannot rely heavily on oil revenue and in this revenue that they can where they can get money for me from the entertainment industry magically fulfill. culture journalist who who sign it has been reporting on hollywood for over 20 years he's particularly interested in the generation that started the business you need to know your past to know where you're headed in the future you need to know those who lead the foundation what with their visions what were they trying to prove what we're doing scenes that they wanted to achieve you know with the industry. a film released in 1992 marks the birth of nollywood. 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 despair. he meets an old friend who introduces him to a world of luxury. and his desire to join the club of the rich and beautiful draws him into an occult brotherhood. the price of membership is high. and he is confronted with a moral issue. in the end he chooses the money over his wife. shortly after her death and the now rich marries another woman. despite the material comfort and his life takes a turn for the last. man . his wife's ghost returns to haunt and terrorize him and he eventually goes insane. the only source of hope left for andy is jesus christ. living in bondage to find one of the most important nollywood genres the get rich quick film it's narrative structure has a strong message of christian faith which remains a standard element of nigerian films today. oh. 000-000-0000 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 something to chew 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 this. same people the mafia traders also nollywood movie producers. the associations chamonix samuel and mecca do it otherwise known as magnetic link was on the disaster you guys are on this market going to 90 percent of the contents are not made up in other words that mean to imply don't offer a lot more so forth you know a lot about we've started this business we outsourced any of these business to invent the design using the things that go so i thought i know. he's gone too much money safe anywhere and just wrong knocking the washouts mine on them with that little bit of a fortune to over $60.00 movies smallest in the markets just like he did the business used in the names of movies yet. you want to use just. me a long long breath you know and want to start giving it seems like it's all down to on brad it's hard on 500 titans where it meets every yeah yeah. but 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 up in all of bodies to go for the scores and that is why you stop in this once you send it out all fixed up. for quite some time this was the only method of distribution. but that changed in 2010 when 2 men with old business idea arrived in bangkok's. one of them was german investor boston gotten. it since a man. the 1st time i was in the market there were 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. because i said i wanted to buy the rights for some of his films but i didn't know if he really owned the rise is 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. 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 food 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. but 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 movie is that just business initially he was surprised by the popularity. a sharp contrast to the producers. who know exactly why that films are so successful. oh. welcome welcome welcome welcome lisa is the producer of a film about sheena rambo is the most successful film in the history of motherhood yes in the history of the making in the julia and 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. pays homage to the hollywood action classic starring sylvester stallone. with them part of this country moneyball this new punitive because of the. magic schon believe in that penetrate into his body. in the film supernatural powers come from a magical snake. nollywood films often make use of the vast treasure of west african oral tradition. sound and moving images give new life to well known narratives and make them magic appear. for you to make money you must think of but just think of good movies alone. i feel. like a fake. one here from toyota. and i got. as well by them. if you have on the movies here and now one is involved you most want to see that 1st. part of the show. christianity is also a strong source of inspiration for i call isa he often develops ideas based on compelling stories from the old testament find the take before. it does a giant here and there's a small divide here on earth and i was talking ok everybody would love the did as a put i'm going to the i'm going to do the job so well you just make just go to giant and bloody and kill him you know most or you love the giant do. you think. good what good is what is. good is what this is film people watch that we have that block the view abuse. so sometimes i'll be at the back and think people doing this in my film 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 their feet on. the quality reduces this is the the citizens quality you know what i'm talking about so any fear of the soft sort you cannot be a proud my picture is too good so what the essence of suffering where are we are nobody we give attention to we. are 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 this. challenge we now find out that for us to be adding money enough in these clean laws deprive disparity between one and the pilots are given pilots more power to sell more because here people care about what is cheap. the nigerian police have just confiscated pirate copies worth over $100000.00 us dollars. in order to survive in the face of piracy filmmakers need to keep their 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. when i. fell. asleep sleep let's go run it read. what i want my family don't go out there what. are. 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 are some of the song. is actually. an african tell. about that caminiti you know you see the bar on by the seas all evil men evil monk you cannot practice for me because paula from. the song. you report on you are going to doctors even do some of this song will self see is what you find out if you really wish them home prices shot up. several of the actors on science are actually evangelical prostitutes i'm a pastor when my church knows that they can become monks stop me from opt in because i believe i'm using that seemed to preach something to the people also. ok that's good i'm good i'm good i'll go quickly quickly 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 succeeded to the next what's into the war outside i bought another woman. 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 producer's imagination more than research about historical 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 cultural to the stable of millions of storytelling picture. so you just. want to. kind of bring into into centrally our language essentially addressing it centrally . as a people you know that's what nollywood stands for want. 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. which . is on average of 2 weeks p. a movie so i'm hoping to rumble this one then harvey to do a rest stop on the 30 yes let's go see rowsley i have to be frank about it he puts me on buying things for a girl he goes well if you were there you would like time you given a period of time to if you could to joke and you all suck says the depends on the how well you do it we didn't do given the particle of freedom of time we were given to deliver their i o. o. i don't drive over here and get it right forward here. solomon a patent is one of the most influential film producers in a samba. far for this year long was a dozen. other while truth was. he's come to the set to ensure that shooting bull run today what you will do with your would let you down the way you don't usually will be like the movie without. proving that the little boy. who was the model for one that he will always will get along in the face demanded by that they stop take the biggest chunk out of nollywood film budgets if my son johnson goes a single day over the financial viability of the entire project is jeopardized. lose a raffle them or you are left on your own you are. on your left. thank you. for. this round of whining and video no man. it 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 having intellectual discourse about. karma 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 by your book who go on an adventure to make a film inspired by of nigeria's history. the script for the film within the film is based on a text by character called professor org and the thoughts 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 collection crippling our country can we truly eradicate poverty when will we become an export based economy nigeria was really it what it was we're all ready to speak so that we can quit importing bloody toothpicks i mean who in. 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 table. we have an idea cinematic movement on the continent you know and that's just what we're good at doing a real cinematic movement that. will stand the test of time that will make an imprint in global cinema you know. has attracted attention he received state funding for his film benefiting from the fact that the government has identified the industry as a key sector of the economy. in 2008 tough to realizing the business potential in his native country came home power left his job but odeon cinemas in the u.k. once home he helped found the company film house which developed 9 multiplex cinema so we now want to do a whole get all 5 singles of 3 and a half years from now. you know. it's aggressive its ambition but it's possible. the new cinema is not just one component in his grand business scheme. so welcome to film house and it was. ok so we got to the next floor. see that 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 blows from that side yeah blows through him and then touches us if we like. and here is 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 that executive director of a film posted one in the uk 3 years ago the stupid remote wouldn't in terms of books of the size of one man to 10 may actually be followed and 10 be more than this years ago 64 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 1734 no it's the only english english speaking so that i know of the war but the local films are screwed. as movie ticket sales go up. and the demand for local productions increases a brand new market for high quality films his evolving. film house film one does not only want to scream these films. but we definitely produce films we have produced albeit as part of a core production the wedding party the biggest film ever in west africa in cinema anyway because for me. the wedding party released in 2016 was the 1st nigerian film to more than a 1000000 u.s. dollars at the box office. but even new not the world's 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. the huge population this spend a lot of money but small volumes you know small denominations was huge part of you know so we are looking to go target those guys give them the entertainment they want. power wants to reach the masses starting in the poorer districts of lagos he envisages cinemas which sell tickets for about $1.00 and screen films produced by his own company. it's a formula and if work is what he told me repeatedly more fields i'm also says because i work you. think of this as the professionalization of nollywood and that's your points like. the joint you're. from the u.k. . before film one brought him back to his home country gone on. i want in television in the u.k. in nigeria he now wants to realize participation discounts for promising scripts they write them to think commercially successful formulas and in some productions he also sets an interactive check the market will continue to grow and that's what we're gong to be known. starting to nose on steven spielberg's and all those guys of nigeria. but the guys guys you camera guys right on the outside no dream where do you become alice cloth i want to do what i did. dream where you were going to do and waiting outside. yes you can i go i watch. this nollywood this is the way we do it and. i call it the good. guys let's do this let's get it. so you know if it's a public call with the about ladies and it's a struggle to get on there's a joke in nigeria that you know if you can find someone to get married to your family would not do you off the somewhat. thank you thank god since the success of the wedding party in new nollywood has been producing one romantic comedy after another featuring a huge wedding ceremony the film's a wildly successful in nigeria pocket of the 500. but the movies are not made specifically for the local market they're 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 yes or no you would need somebody in germany if you have to watch your film and understand your plight somebody in japan somebody in china does 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 nigerian and that's why i'm 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 nollywood 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. i was to have a new goal a lot of africans outside of nigeria like to watch nollywood films as not you would . want to ask them that's how iraq all got started and folks put in c.r. for you will erode co is the name of the company that developed out of distributing a larger market films on you tube culture yoku experienced a sudden turn of fortune when they were contacted by a representative of a venture capital firm named tyco global. their company in infuser 10 bucks fighters in september 2011 the guy arrived in la girls. you know back then not many people came to largo's to invent. internet businesses. i told the guy sort of small american. he said gonna boys show me your office boys show me off yeah. we said ok let's go to the market office we had our office there. it was a 10 square meter room with 16 employees all crammed into it. and. 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 is interest 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 when 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 . one 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's shooting his 8th 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. gu who takes on more than one job on sat for production of their next film they have traveled to home 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. new leg these kind of challenges we like to be different so with this appearance and knowing that the money wasn't going to cover we had then we'd at ok well we're going to deep helpful to the family coppers to make this work. is almost $43.00 is missing the. office for doing. the koppel has to come. with a tight budget similar to those of the film crews in a samba about their approach to film is more sophisticated they take a closer look at the reality of life around them. you've. been talking to some folks who. don't know yet. and we're going to. want to know. what we do with that's. first. we come for you but oh. come on that's how we are so i don't think you should be any different in the movie called the old me you know the one for most of our stuff no. good. boy so if you i mean this young guy. would just be my dumb how do you. want to be 5. what we. have so that's what we. are yeah yeah. yeah i am. a. little bit a. little. lonely when he's at that phase where you become mean structure is becoming organized is becoming you know the same methods to the madness. but 1st. let's. understand the storytelling for what it is where understanding when leonine audience cultural and all games behavior and you are playing that you know we have people going to film school is the new house 100 command me and now. to direct the lending act let me the difference department in filmmaking people are now going to when their skills and when all of these come back and in the end these are play gets to that place where we have that structure and 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 for an industry to be great 6. you've made it like you can't go back. but you go. this is the hour you want on. nollywood has been built up 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 rules some laws 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 council weight the pictures it produces may have distortions of their own but as african self portrays they add an essential new dimension to the global flood of images a vast provide a moral thing to hear of africa. this woman is on a mission. ellison's new homes. whether they're used for work or as tourist attractions in thailand the concerns are often severely abused to the animal welfare activist organizes complex mostly missions in her camp elephants can finally live freely again. 3000. and 90 minutes on d w. a new era has become. a bunch of fire believe. this insane. oh i'm such a piece from her. home place is still going to be some. place that consumes forests and entire residential areas of clay. the blazing temperatures for water shortages lead to clearance there's an abundance of flammable material but once again you did there's no stopping the fires mum heavy equipment. on his own morals going up in smoke from. liberation the world on fire starts aug 12th on g.w. we have to invite it back in. and dance with the big. plane. this is. from. democratic freedoms in hong kong police arrest a media tycoon and. search his news room he's accused of colluding with foreign forces under the tough new security imposed by beijing also coming up. a question arose as president lukashenko. victory despite strong challenge from an opposite.

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