High Numbers of Pôrnographic films Being Acted By Nigerians

Date: 05-06-2013 1:44 pm (10 years ago) | Author: Direct
- at 5-06-2013 01:44 PM (10 years ago)
(m)
Explicit sèx scenes are taking over a portion of the movie industry driven by the passion for money and fame at the expense of the public sensitivities and regulatory agencies. Is there now a thin line between creative license and immorality?

From cultural standpoint, the Nigerian society is somewhat conservative. And if this should trail our way of living, then the screen productions being churned out lately by a section of the movie market has every reason to generate the buzz it is getting.

A typical example is Afrocandy, who goes by the birth name of Judith Opara, apparently the most daring of this bunch, who seems to be living up to her promise to be ‘one producer who is determined to change things around the Nollywood movie Industry by setting the pace while others follow’.

This ‘change,’ ironically, launched its first negative step, May 31, when she premiered her pôrn film, Destructive Instinct, in New Jersey, United States.

With themes ranging from prostitution to black magic to politics and corporate survival, a subtle pôrnographic revolution appears the order of the day in some home videos which find their way to movie shelves across the country.

During a recent survey carried out by Arts Lounge, it was revealed that in the last six months, over 40 film titles with Nood scenes have flooded both the Idumota and Alaba markets, the two major open film markets in Nigeria. While efforts are being made by some renowned producers to get Nigeria onto the map of quality film productions, certain filmmakers, driven by the passion to make quick profits have turned their attention to making films with lewd scenes, which are often sold without proper censorship.

During Arts Lounge’s random visit to Idumota, it was revealed that films such as Edge of Darkness, Dark Secrets, Sinful Act, Sinful Truth and Oyoyo Airline were the rave of the moment. Some other titles like Five Bold Babes, Room 027, The Benjamins, Pregnant Hawkers and Destructive Instincts were eagerly being awaited to appear on mass consumable formats.

Although not displayed conspicuously on the shelves, all a customer needs to do is to explain what he or she wants and the films are brought from inner chambers. For instance, after our reporter was able to convince the shop owners that he was on a genuine mission, they disappeared to other adjoining shops to collect over 40 titles which they claimed had appeared this year.

The reporter was also let in on the method of selling such titles, which are usually broken into several parts, with potential buyers being forced to buy all the parts of any title they wish to acquire.

“We do not allow people to buy only the parts they like. Anyone who wants to buy any title must buy all the parts, because when the new ones come out; they are replaced with the old ones in that same order. That is why we refuse to sell in parts”.

Meanwhile, the market appears organised, as the shop owners also explained that the producers who are responsible for these titles have resorted to online portals to generate interest in their works. According to them, aside word of mouth method which generates minimum sales, bulk of the advertising happens online where producers upload the trailers of such films. That is why films like Pregnant Hawkers, Bold 5 Babes and Destructive Instinct, though not released are eagerly being awaited. According to one of the film retailers, “Alaba Market has taken over from Idumota now in terms of films and music. Since the advent of DVD and VCDs, a lot of the supplies come from Alaba; they also dictate what sells. People watch and tell others who in turn begin to search for them. However, lately, a new method of advertising works happens online. With the boom in online awareness, such works are first put online to generate the buzz that can drive sales in the open market. This usually happens the moment production is concluded. Portals like YouTube are increasingly safe havens for such works, which are sometimes dumped with express notification that they are pôrnographic materials. Some popular Nigerian blogs dwelling on entertainment and lifestyle have also been used to generate attention for such works. The trailers of these movies are packaged in a way to whet the appetite of soft pôrn consumers who do not hesitate to ask for the works”.

For reasons best known to soft pôrn film producers, they seem to have also narrowed their choice of actors to some upand- coming acts –desperate for stardom and fame, while some popular faces have also had their shot in pôrno films. Actors like Tony Umez, Muna Obiekwe, Jibola Daboh, Tonto Dike and Ghanaian actors like Prince David Osei and Frank Artus, have at one time or another in their career taken up sèxually provocative film roles. More recently, Umez was one of the star actors in Room 027, but telephone calls to Tony Umez to hear his views on this development were neither picked, nor text messages sent to him replied as at press time.

Although the market seems to be booming in Nigeria, Arts Lounge also gathered that majority of the films available in the market were actually shot in Ghana. A source at the markets confirmed that most of the films originated from Ghana and that with the increasing collaboration between the industries in Nigeria and Ghana, some Nigerian producers who prefer such lewd themes, go to shoot their films in Ghana. This could, however, be blamed on the operations of the Ghanaian censorship authorities, considering reports in the past bordering on leakages of film materials from authorities at the Ghana Censorship agency levelled against them by one director, Shirley Frimpong Manso, over her film Adam’s Apple.

The whole process seems to be happening behind the back of the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB. A member of staff at NFVCB’s Corporate Affairs department, who spoke to Arts Lounge for this article, averred that the producers may be cutting corners by submitting master tapes that are at variance with the ones that are finally released. “And they go along to put the classification logo of the board when they have clearly violated the rules of the classification”.

When asked if the Board was aware of Bold 5 Babes, Room 027 and The Benjamins making waves online, he said it was not within the purview of the Board to monitor what happens online. “Some of those may have been posted from other locations other than Nigeria. It will be difficult to say what is being done elsewhere. As I speak to you, the board is not aware of such movies because they have not been classified yet”. But the truth remains that the trailer of a film like Destructive Instincts, though made by a company incorporated in the United States was shot in Nigeria, as exemplified by the locations.

For now, the most visible producer in this genre is Judith Opara. This producer, actress and singer has been upbeat since she made an incursion into the entertainment industry a few years ago. Aside calling for auditions online, she also utilises online portals to defend her actions.

On her Facebook page, Arts Lounge observed posts like: “If you call me a pôrn star ‘cos I play my roles in the movies well, then you should call all the people that kill in the movies ‘murderers’. Here you go my people, as I promised, I have delivered; As for all them people talking, go ahead and talk cr-p while I make history”.

Only three weeks ago, she announced her plans to hire actresses like Cossy Orjiakor, and Uche Ogbodo for her next pôrn film.

May be she will have a convert in Cossy Orjiakor, who in a recent interview with a national newspaper (not National Mirror), praised the guts of Afrocandy, equating it to what is obtainable in Hollywood. “I’ll like to have a dinner date with Richard Branson, it’s just a wishful thinking. It’s when she approaches me then I will know she is serious. I have gone through a lot, now I know better. I can’t condemn her; she is Hollywood standard when it comes to showing off her body. The likes of Janet Jackson, Halle Berry even most of their female musicians have gone Nood, and Nigerians adore them. For me, I can’t go totally Nood, never. My mum told me never to go Nood. If not, I have got a beautiful body and I’m not afraid to flaunt it”.

Posted: at 5-06-2013 01:44 PM (10 years ago) | Hero
- jamesbondchick at 5-06-2013 01:58 PM (10 years ago)
(f)
 Lips Sealed Lips Sealed Lips Sealed Lips Sealed

Posted: at 5-06-2013 01:58 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- kennynaija at 5-06-2013 02:46 PM (10 years ago)
(m)
WHO WILL READ THIS TRASH

Posted: at 5-06-2013 02:46 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- kebella at 5-06-2013 03:08 PM (10 years ago)
(f)
 Roll Eyes Roll Eyes

Posted: at 5-06-2013 03:08 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- stevbros at 6-06-2013 02:47 AM (10 years ago)
(m)
Na dis is a novel. I no fit read  Roll Eyes
Posted: at 6-06-2013 02:47 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie
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