by Remi Jordan.
Past the blockbusters, hyped romantic comedies and annual action flicks lies the DIY community of filmmakers who dabble in the brevity of the avant-garde, the “afro experimental”, limited by financial constraints and location permits – the Nigerian short film (regardless of genre) brings something fresh to the table, something to a niche audience aching for something with soul and wit in its briefness.
During the extensive research on the short film scene for this article, I spoke to a budding filmmaker by the name of Ifeoluwa Olutayo, and according to him, the art of the short film in Nigeria is a juxtaposition of stylistic freedom with the inability to fund a feature-length film. In his words, there’s a “certain freedom and open-mindedness” that comes with making short films for an audience that craves the abstract and the brief. He states further that in the event that he gets the resources to pull off a feature-length, he’ll be better off for it. “The DIY spirit never leaves you”, he says. The resilience that comes from making something so obscure yet so entertaining eventually helps young filmmakers when they get the opportunity to create something longer in the midst of interference and a potentially larger audience.
What the short film offers in this part of the world is attention to craft. Films like The Rehearsal by Michael Omonuha, a Berlinale favourite and the anthological juju stories have managed to crack open what can be done with the medium if nurtured. In a country that barely funds the art or champions the beauty of experimentation in place of cheap, safe entertainment, the scene has managed to create a bubble of like-minded artistes who want to create a new wave of Nigerian cinema and topple the zeitgeist. There’s a need for more Abbatt Makamas and CJ Obasis – more film collectives like Surreal 16 that are disillusioned by what is being churned out annually to satiate a saturated market. We must be able to embrace those who want to make cinema as not only a livelihood but because there’s an aching need to make something that has a purpose and transcends the norm.
We live in an attention economy, in a country where absurdities of life have integrated into our day-to-day living and we are beyond the need for escapism and banal distractions. The Nigerian short film can be a political statement – an aesthetical exhibition, a quiet storytelling medium for those who want to say something bigger than them and for people who want to see and hear those stories. The film Rehearsal keeps coming up and gets a lot of reverence here because of how it dives into the psyche of the church, doctrine and the importance of faith with a few spatial shots and the power of decent acting. That is what the short film offers too ; questions.
Speaking to Ifeoluwa Olutayo placed further exposure on what goes on behind the scene and the mind of the young filmmaker; the scene has a lot of anxiety and obstacles to overcome every day. From the permits to shoot at certain locations if a story requires it to the renting of equipment if need be. It is a communal scene with an almost “You don’t need film school” philosophy. People work for free and you are always running at a deficit but ultimately pushes these filmmakers to not waste anyone’s time and say something they want to say. It pushes them to take critique and improve on their craft as they progress. Because someday they’ll have to do a feature-length film for a Nigerian audience that needs something they have seemingly never seen before.
This is a case for the short film, the Nigerian experimental short film. We must set aside space for these young filmmakers and show our support by helping them with our financial contributions and services. We can show our support by helping them promote their work on social media and word of mouth. We can show up to screenings and give our constructive critique when absolutely necessary. We must give courage to those who have grand ideas that are way beyond the regular. This is how we construct the new generation of filmmakers that will take over in the years to come. This is how we push the envelope. There is nothing stopping us from being the favourites at some of the world’s most seminal film festivals. There are billions of eyes out there in the world and we have stories to tell them.
