GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IS AN ESCALATING ISSUE IN NIGERIA, AND THE FILM INDUSTRY HAS BECOME AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR HIGHLIGHTING THESE HARMFUL PRACTICES.
IN LIGHT OF THE PREVALENCE OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, WE HAVE CURATED A LIST OF MOVIES THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE CRIMES, DISCRIMINATION, AND HARMFUL PRACTICES COMMITTED AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS IN NIGERIA.
1. DRY
DIRECTED BY STEPHANIE OKEREKE-LINUS, THIS 2014 DRAMA IS BASED ON TRUE-LIFE ACCOUNTS, FOCUSING ON THE IMPACTS OF CHILD MARRIAGE. THE FILM CENTERS ON THE STORY OF A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL, HALIMA, WHOSE POOR UNEDUCATED PARENTS MARRY HER OFF TO SANI, A 60-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO FREQUENTLY RAPES HER. HALIMA BECOMES PREGNANT AND SUFFERS VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA (VVF) AFTER CHILDBIRTH, LEADING TO DISCRIMINATION AND ABANDONMENT BY HER HUSBAND AND COMMUNITY. ZARA, A MEDICAL DOCTOR WITH A SIMILAR TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD, MEETS HALIMA AND TRIES TO HELP HER AND OTHER YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS FACING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.
THE FILM STARS ZUBAIDA IBRAHIM FAGGE, STEPHANIE OKEREKE, LIZ BENSON, WILLIAM MCNAMARA, DARWIN SHAW, PAUL SAMBO, OLU JACOBS, RAHAMA HASSAN, HAUWA MAINA, REKIYA IBRAHIM, HAKEEM HASSAN, TIJJANI FARAGA, KLINT DA DRUNK, AND VINEETA PATHAK.
2. OCTOBER 1
SET IN PRE-NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE, THIS FILM FOLLOWS A DETECTIVE ASSIGNED TO CATCH A MURDERER IN A TOWN WHERE WOMEN ARE BEING MURDERED. THE FILM EXPLORES THE STORY OF THE RAPES AND MURDERS OF WOMEN IN AKOTE TOWN, PERPETRATED BY THE ONLY SON OF THE OBA OF AKOTE TOWN. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE INJUSTICE FACED BY SURVIVORS AND THE IMPUNITY OF THE PERPETRATORS.
WRITTEN BY TUNDE BABALOLA, THE FILM STARS SADIQ DABA, KAYODE ADERUPOKO, DEMOLA ADEDoyin, KEHINDE BANKOLE, KUNLE AFOLAYAN, FABIAN ADEOYE LOJEDE, KANAYO O. KANAYO, IBRAHIM CHATTA, BIMBO MANUEL, FEMI ADEBAYO, ABIODUN ALEJA, NICK RHYS, DEOLA SAGOE, DAVID BAILIE, COLIN DAVID REESE, LAWRENCE STUBBINGS, IFAYEMI ELEBUIBON, AND MEG OTANWA.
3. WILDFLOWER
THIS FILM TELLS THE STORY OF THREE WOMEN LIVING IN THE SAME COMPOUND, EACH EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT FORMS OF ASSAULT FROM THE MEN AROUND THEM. ROLACKE DABIRI, PLAYED BY DAMILARE KUKU, SPEAKS UP AND REVOLTS AGAINST THESE MEN. DIRECTED BY BIODUN STEPHEN, THE FILM SHEDS LIGHT ON SEXUAL ABUSE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO REPORT PERPETRATORS.
OTHER CAST MEMBERS INCLUDE TOYIN ABRAHAM, SANDRA OKUNZUWA, JIDE KOSOKO, ZUBBY MICHAEL, DEYEMI OKOLAWON, KACHI NNOCHIRI, KIKI OMEILI, IMOH EBOH, ETINOSA IDEMUDIA, ANGEL UNIGWE, ESO DIKE, BABAREX, AND NINI MBONU.
4. THE DELECTABLE AZEEZAH SAMA
PRODUCED BY DESMOND EBUWA EKUNWE AND FISAYO OJABODU, THIS SHORT FILM FOLLOWS THE STORY OF AZEEZAH SAMA, WHO, DESPITE BEING LOVED BY THE PUBLIC, ENDURES SEVERE ABUSE FROM HER CONTROLLING PARTNER. THE FILM EXPLORES THE CHALLENGES SHE FACES AND HER EFFORTS TO HIDE HER SITUATION WHILE MAINTAINING HER PUBLIC IMAGE. DIRECTED BY TOCHI ONWUBIKO AND OROBOSA IKPONMWEN, IT STARS NONSO EKEMEZIE, ISOKEN ARUEDE, BOBBY EKPE, AND TOMISIN OSINUBI.
NOLLYWOOD CONTINUES TO USE FILM AS A POWERFUL MEDIUM TO ADDRESS SOCIETAL ISSUES, PROMOTING CONVERSATION AND ADVOCACY AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.