By Anwar Usman
Dr. Victor Okhai, a seasoned filmmaker and critic in Nigeria, decried that cultural imperialism has made people forget about Indigenous films, which has caused a significant setback in the local film industries.
This was made known during the Kano Indigenous Languages of Africa Film Market and Festival (KILAF) conference, which was held on Monday at the Faculty of Communications, Bayero University, Kano.
He explains that ” one thing about indigenous film is that it contains a variety of activities. One can see how a particular culture operates, their way of life, and other things contained within that particular culture that people cannot know without being portrayed in a local movie.”
Dr Okhai further added that people mainly rely heavily on American movies. As such, they ignore their own heritage and embrace the Western way of life, which later cultivates them and makes them behave in a particular way the filmmakers want.
He also asserts that “through local films, individuals within a particular culture can be able to know their roots, what their forefathers have done which they might not necessarily know.”
“Indigenous film serves as an important medium of explaining cultural heritage, an avenue for generating revenue and an important tool for entertainment,” Okhai stated.