the nollywood critique

If there is a female actress that I can unequivocally say that I admire the most, that would be, hands-down, Joke Silva. Very few younger actresses can compare to this seasoned performer. Her contributions on and off the screen will be lauded for decades to come. Actually, I think older women in Nollywood have done very well for themselves in terms of perfecting their craft. Stalwarts that come to mind are Ngozi Ezeonu and Patience Ozokwor. While these women have served the industry well, I am not sure if the industry, that is Nollywood has made the best use of their talents…

I just finished watching the film Sister’s Love, which featured a splendid performance by Joke Silva. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if there is ever a time in which casting directors have dared considered other roles for Joke Silva to play. In this film, she played the role of the well-to-do, stay-at-home socialite, wife and mother. In fact, in almost every movie she stars in, she features as the wife of a rich man. I have heard of several complaints by other Nollywood watchers of the all-too-obvious fact that their are either one of two roles for younger Nollywood actresses - the angel to be married or the temptress to be scorned. Few women have ventured beyond these rigid roles (to the credit of the screenwriters), such as Genevieve Nnaji, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, and Omotola Ekehinde. More work needs to be done in this regard. However, I think the situation is even more dire for older women in Nollywood. When you see Patience Ozokwor, you think annoying mother-in-law and when you see Ngozi Ezeonu you think mother or barren woman enduring pain in her matrimonial home.

What other roles are available to this population? I have never seen myself as the creative type, so I can’t think of any off the top of my head….though it would be nice to see these women play roles outside of their element (e.g. A Joke Silva film in which she plays an impoverished woman). But the more I think about it, the more I realise that possibly the dearth of roles for older women in is more reflective of their limited overall position in Nigerian society - mother and wife.

(Picture is from the Vagina Monologues poster, 2007)