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. lagos nigeria home of africa's biggest film industry. in terms of production output it's considered the 2nd largest in the world off to india but 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. never one to those who asked the movie scum out in the markets today

a new nollywood is a magic it generates an annual turnover of over $500000000.00 u.s. dollars and produces the superstars of the african continent going from hero figures a rooftop i think you got it. with glitz and drama the industry out shines its humble origins in an ordinary electronics market we started this business we are still in this business to get in the market i'm looking in the. 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 it up and take. a single entertain it is huge it's a don't go out here what is what it was

a jungle america because they don't win china because they don't win in india will be coming out the way it'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 proles 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. although there. are going. around 2 thirds of lagos ians live in slum areas like here in marco cote 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. then i juggled went. they have been telling us right from when the danger to land is the newest way 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 from which will need it in many industries by to fulfill. culture journalist who who sign it has been reporting on nollywood 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 realty foundation what were their visions what were they trying to prove what

we're doing things that they wanted to achieve you know with the industry. a film released in 1992 marks the birth of nollywood. living in bondage 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 deaths drive him to despair. he meets an old friend there 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. and. 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 ones. 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 chartreuse 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. oh 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 substitute 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 5 or so. people in the market traders also nollywood movie producers. the associations chairman is samuel and that can do it otherwise known as magnetic link was on the board is out you will get on this market going to 90 percent of the contents are not made up and i will. not mean to imply down to a lot more so for us you know a lot about we started this business we outsourced an indian business to do it based design using the news that i know.

you saw on too much money setting where. this song knocking was shot my none of that led to a reflection of the over 60 movies from out in the markets just like they did the business used in limits of movies yes i do want to lose too. many long long breath you know morning star didn't it seems like it's all down to our bread at our pipeline back to where news every yeah yeah. that. is the most important but not the only market for self produced films in nigeria the total number of films produced in nigeria the cell phone time. so we do 3 boards up in all of bodies to go for the scores on that is why it is obvious once you send him is out of date on the top of. a quite some time this was

the only method of distribution. but that changed in 2010 when 2 men with a bold business idea arrived in bangkok. one of them was german investor boston got. it since a masked man out of the market by the 1st time i was in the market and 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 there was a small market booth everyone was hot and sweating. his english wasn't easy for me to understand. as i said i wanted to buy the rights for some of his films but i didn't know if he really owned the rise she really 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 but i trust this guy or not i didn't have such

a clear feeling but i thought this is no fun. 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 he worked as a derivatives trader for the oil company british petroleum and sandwich to see 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 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. we're 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. they said sure we're in. the not life and we need all together another $200000.00 and went on a serious shopping spree. so the movie is that just business an issue he was surprised by the popularity the shop contrast to the producers. who know exactly why their films are so successful. oh. the producer of a. is the most successful film in the history of motherhood yes in the history of the men in 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.

his name pays homage to the hollywood action classic starring sylvester stallone. is a. western part of this country and he does this we do pity because of the. african magic schon believe in. penetrate into his body. in the film. come from a magical snake. films often make use of the treasure of west african oral tradition. sound and moving images give new life to well known narratives and make them magic appear.

to make money you must think of but just think of good movies alone. as a fake cause the one you hear from. as well by them. if he has. the most want to see that 1st. book one of the. christianity is also a strong source of inspiration for i cut you off in develops ideas based on compelling stories from the old testament 5 god take for protection it does a giant here and there's a small divide here on earth and i was told ok everybody would love the did was a put a gun is going to is the job so when you just make david to just go to giant and

bloody and killing is the most or you love the gent do. you think. good well my goodness what is going to let me get is what this is feeling people watch that we have the talk leave you abuse. so sometimes i'll be at the back and see people doing this in my field 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 if. the quality we do says this is the scene it is quality you know what i'm talking about so any fear of this sort you cannot be proud my picture is too good so what the essence of suffering where i was when nobody will give attention to we. are not you understand so it's 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 the said patterson challenge we now find out that for us we had the money enough in the screen loss deprived disparity between when and in a pad it's a given power it's more power to sell more because here people care about what is cheap. the nigerian police have just confiscated pirate copy is

worth over $100000.00 u.s. 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 bombard while ago. when i found the perfect. muslim. let's go around it i don't read. very well i want my family down here i think we're well well you know our. 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 i think some of the song. is actually. an african tell. about that caminiti would be seized by our own by the siege all evil men evil monk you can not participate because paula from the song. you've really got on you are going to suck yes you do some of these songs the subsidy is what you find out if you really wish to pump prices shot up. c c

several of the actors on science are actually evangelical pastors i'm a pastor when my church knows that they become nuts or stop me from octon because i believe i'm using that tend to preach something to the people also it's. ok that's good as good as good as look we're going to look at why are people this is africa before the coming of the white my we have a life we have we have no 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 in to 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 producers 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 staple of millions storytelling a picture. that you just. want to. kind of bring into into centrally our language the centrality address centrally. as a people you know that's what nollywood. stands for one. director ken stephen has been in the business for many years he stopped counting his films on long time ago. you can go out.

which. is on average of 2 weeks p. a movie so i'm hoping to rumble this one down 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 by and there's virgil he goes well if you are there you like time you're given a period of time to use it could be job and your success depends on the how well you do it and we didn't do given the particle of freedom of time we were given to deliver there i am i don't drive oh yeah i made it through ford here. solomon a patent is one of the most influential film producers in a samba. for for this you on the. other while 51. he's come to the set to ensure that shooting ball wrap today. will be just as there

will be down the road you don't usually like the movie that's up. to the middle of the field and that was the model for want but he was always. the thing is demanded by that they take that because chunk out of nollywood film budgets if johnson goes a single day overshadow the financial viability of the entire project is jeopardized. and move the raffle them on your left. on your left. thank you. 7 for. this round of writing and video. 'd

over the past 11 days the crew shelter 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 mandarin film industry people who can have the 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 nigeria how so you are by your book who go on an adventure to make a film inspired by history. the script for the film within the film is based on a text by character called professor organ and the thoughts expressed in 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 corruption 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 important bloody toothpicks i mean who in. port's toothpicks. 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 tables. we haven't had a cinematic movement on the continent you know and that's just what we're good at a new real cinematic movement that. will stand the test of time and 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 paro left his job but odeon cinemas in the u.k. once home he helped found the company film house which developed 9 multiplex cinema we now want to do at home get all 5 singles of 3 and a half years from hands. so. if its aggressive its ambition what is possible. when you sin amounts not just one component and part of his grand scheme. so welcome to financing it was. ok so we go to the next floor. to 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 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 we feel 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 poster of one. opera 3 years ago the scrutiny modeled on one individual box of the size of the one man made to be volume and 10 be this years ago 64 and that's where we will see a complete flip between hollywood and nollywood else we'll see a complete flip it will double dare say will 734000000 it's the only english

english begin so that i know of the war that the local films are crucial for them. as movie ticket sales go on. 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 screen 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 nollywood 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 because the huge population they spend a lot of money but small you know small denominations huge hollow 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 did meet with brazilian morefield i'm also says more than the next because we're working. think of this as the professionalization of knowledge and that's your points like. the

joint you're microdyne you are for this storm in the u.k. . before film one brought him back to his home country don't. well in television in the u.k. in nigeria he now wants to realize paris vision discounts for promising scripts writes them to fit commercially successful formulas and in some productions he also sits in the director's chair the market will continue to grow and that's what we're gong to be known as the tyrants you know is on steven spielberg's and all those guys of nigeria. but i gotta tell you i'm going to guys right on the outside now jim where do you have a camera lens plus i want to do what i did. dream where you were going to do waiting outside. yes the gun thank you i watch.

this is not doing this is the way we do it. i qualify good stuff guys that do this like did it. so we did it it's a problem with the about maybe's enough it's a struggle to get and there's a joke in nigeria that you know if you can find someone to give money to your family do you offer somebody. got thank you. 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. 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 that's what normally would mean somebody down if you have to watch your film and understand your plight somebody in japan somebody in china that's 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 is i think everybody toward want to be nigerian and that's where 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. iscar always have for the year in the go a lot of africans outside of nigeria like to watch nollywood films as normally would go. on that's when that's how iraq all got started and funks put in c.r. for you will. iraq 0 is the name of the company that developed out of distributing another 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. to come down in flames attempts fighters in september 2011 the guy arrived in laos. back then not many people came to largo's to invest. internet business as. i told the guy

a sort of small american. he said karma boys show me your office boys. we said ok let's go to the market. we had our office there. it was a 10 square metre room with 16 employees all crammed into it. he said interesting show me your numbers. side so we did we were pretty proud of the numbers. we were clearing about $30000.00 profit a month. this intrigue 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 good 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 even 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 weeks with a budget of around $10000.00 u.s. dollars each. and. daniel emeka already are he is 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 set

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 lured 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 and these kind of challenges we like to be different so with this plates and knowing that the money was long going to cover we had then we'd at all kill all

who were girl and deep holes into the from your call for us to make this work. is almost horrible anything is missing more. often step in the way. the couple has to come. with a tight budget similar to those of the film crews in sabah about their approach the film is more sophisticated they take a closer look at the reality of life around. you. look we're supposed to. be more than that for the fact. that what we're doing that's the 1st. time for you but. come on that's how we are so i don't think it should be any different than the. calls them all the you know the one for most of

our stuff well that's really good stuff. so yeah i mean this young guy. just my dumb how do you know this will be 5. for about 2 weeks. and. you. know. i am. a. little bit. lonely when he's at that phase where because the structure is becoming organized is becoming you know this in methods to the madness. last week for well 1st. let.

me understand the story telling for what it easily understand when lenin audience cultural and old games begin here and that's when i'm in a plane that you know we have people going to film school really knew how to handle come and any of our. director lending act seen all any differently and departments in filmmaking people are now going to when their skills and when all of these come back and you know and these are played gets to that place where we have that structure that you know i would have 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 the industry to be right 'd 6. you bet it like that. but you go. this is the hour you want on. nollywood has been built

by people from the heart of nigerian society who know instinctively what moves audiences in that country why don't. 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 counterweight the pictures it produces may have distortions of their own part as african self portrays they add an essential new dimension to the global flood of images a vast provide a more authentic view of africa. conflict zone you don't hear a lot about it in europe these days but some more than 2 months fog area compulsed finance you corruption and government demonstrations by just this week from sofia to speed so such about mr lake and social all the spiders she contributed an adjustment it's mistreating its most vulnerable people they should it's human

rights open. conflict so few minutes. here of pantsuits concepts of closing cinema. creativity changing our brains you know what's possible. galleries with the actual and musicians before well known lines the artistic world the culture of calm the storm no matter how hot it is here it's a look back on a challenging year today on on some culture on d.w. . an extraordinary personality stories that moved us deeply. looks like the best of our t.w. reporters and. destinies. role models. people read like to meet again the fish d.w.

. the to. cut. the flame . this is d w news live from berlin the e.u. and china open then mock its brussels and beijing seal an investment deal after 7 years of talks but is that putting business before human rights also coming up deadly explosions ripped through givens airport a lot they target a plane carrying the country's newly formed unity government and the signed and

sealed u.k. prime minister bars johnson and e.u. leaders put their signatures to the post brings the trachea.