CULTURE, LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY: TOWARDS A SYNERGY IN IGBO VIDEO-FILM

Abstract

Nollywood, the adopted name of the Nigerian Film Industry, can be argued, would not have been but for Igbo movie makers and business men and women. This is not a mean contribution to the economic, social and political life of the nation. But how much and to what extent has the industry been utilized by the film makers to uphold the integrity, culture, language and overall image of the Igbo nation? This paper tries to examine how the Igbo movie has been used or not used to rebrand the Igbo ways of life. How it has fared in the hands of the people, the makers and viewers and how it has treated the issues dear to the people, such as culture, language and identity. How far has the Igbo video film been faithful to, projected, or tried to preserve these ways of life of the Igbo people? The movie has become one of the major items on the people’s daily conversation menu and as such, cannot be ignored except by the most backward of people. This is why this paper sets out to examine ways via which the medium can be utilized to appeal more to the people, make their culture more relevant and create avenues for its projection and preservation.