Nollywood Film Plots

December 24, 2007, Heritage Hotel, Oshogbo, Nigeria

Plot elements of Nollywood films–

  • Male honor, public humiliation
  • Gifts among family members, particularly from men seeking daughters in marriage
  • Sin of sex outside marriage
  • Evil of non-Christian devil magic
  • Overriding importance of marriage and marriage into “good familyâ€?, to the point of parent-forced marriages going awry, children escaping arranged marriage for love marriages
  • Evil aunt taking care of orphaned nieces, abusing them over her spoiled daughter
  • The wealth and vice of the big city, the modern ways in conflict with tradition
  • The prevalence of fraudulent activity (419 law, FCEE agency to counter fraud)
  • Bandits and violence
  • Foreigners as bandits, negative influence on Nigerians who travel abroad
  • Submission of women, women like children, only to serve and comfort husband
  • Domestic violence and abuse
  • Value of foreign education in business
  • Importance of flashy car, especially Mercedes (sensual car cinematography)
  • Pregnancy and miscarriages, but little of early childraising
  • Lack of funds for life-saving medical treatment
  • Hysterical grief of women at loss of loved one
  • Tendency to pair lighter-skinned women with darker-skinned men
  • Importance of forgiveness for past wrongs

Terry Is a Gay Thief!

Before heading to Seattle, Terry paid me a visit yesterday for some yummy sex followed by Tartine’s morning buns and a southern Indian brunch at Dosa’s then a hilarious movie called “Eating Out” and some more yummy sex. 

He recently told me a story about when he was a child. He had gradually pilfered more and more cash from his elder brother’s cookie jar, full of his savings, until Terry started to feel really guilty about it. He went to his sister for his advice and said, “There is something I really need to talk with you about.” She replied, “Is this about you being gay?” He said, “No, I stole some of my brother’s money and want your advice about what to do.” “Sit him down and explain what happened… it will turn out fine.” Then Terry went to his brother and said, “There is something I really need to talk with you about.” His brother replied, “Is this about you being gay?” “No, it’s not! Remember your cookie jar with the money in it?” “Yeah.” “Well, I hope this doesn’t make you mad, but I’ve been taking some of it from time to time and now it’s all gone.”

Jim in Love, Little Tree Makes Me Cry

My friend Jim H. came by last evening and after eating penne pasta with tofu-tomato sauce and some Half Baked ice cream with semisweet chocolate sauce and Vermeer chocolate liqueur, we sat down to a film. The film was “The Education of Little Tree,” the story of a half-Indian, half-white boy raised by his grandparents after the death of his parents. They are a bi-racial couple living in Tennessee’s beautiful rural Smoky Mountains and distilling whisky for a living. One of our favorite lines from the film: “I believe your calf has died.” The film brought me to tears a few times, especially around Little Tree’s capture into a school for Indian boys, then his subsequent escape.

Speaking of favorite lines, my favorite so far from “The 4400: Series 2” is: “We left normal behind long ago.”

Jim told me all about his relationship with Jazzy. He’s planning to spend a lot of time up in Vancouver, Canada, exploring their connection further, with a possibility of marrying him and immigrating to Canada.

Lately, my life is full of crazy horrible dates with guys who talk on their cell phones during our date. Talk about a turn-off!