Nigeria Film as an Instrument for National Unity (a Case Study of Half of a Yellow Sun by Bandele)
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain whether Nigeria film is an instrument for national unity
- To ascertain whether the film half of a yellow sun brought unity to the nation
- To ascertain the level of unity half of a yellow sun brought to the nation
- To ascertain the relationship between Nigeria film and national unity
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
HISTORY AND IMAGINATION IN HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
Chimamanda Adichie did not witness the Nigeria-Biafra War, because she was born seven years after the war ended. However, she wrote the war novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (HYS) because, according to her: I wanted to write about love and war because I grew up in the shadow of Biafra because I wanted to engage with my history to make sense of my present, because I don’t ever want to forget1 . „Growing up in the shadow of Biafra‟ evidently suggests that the horrors of the war and the indelible scar it left on the predominantly Igbo Biafran landscape and on the psyche of the people were still visible and palpable at the time of her birth and even beyond. In fact, the events of the war remain relevant and topical more than four decades after it ended, prompting Adichie to observe that “many of the issues that led to the war remain unresolved in Nigeria of today” (HYS, 350). The emotional involvement of the writer in the war privileges history and therefore affords her the opportunity to express in artistic form some aspects of her own history. Hence, the novel becomes the author’s imaginative way of recreating Nigeria’s political history which has been marred by ethnicity, religious bigotry and leadership failure. By attempting to reposition this history, the writer, who believes that her work contains “emotional truth”, employs fiction as the clarifying agent that makes truth plausible (Achebe et al, vii). Moreover, articulating in writing the horrors of the war as stored in her memory through stories she was told by her parents and relatives, and written accounts of the war serves as a cathartic process, because „going through the gory details of war is perhaps the only authentic psychological and spiritual cleansing exercise for the individual or group who went through all manner of harrowing experiences” (Onukaogu and Onyerionwu, 77-78). Half of a Yellow Sun contains what Philip Bagu calls “the historical truth and the artistic truth” (49) both of which are legitimate and valid for our understanding of the contentious issues but operate on different pedestals, though they complement each other. The result of this fusion of the facts of history and the art of imagination is “the story of sadness, loss, resilience and destruction that is Half of a Yellow Sun” (Onukaogu and Onyerionwu, 40). But the book is not just about loss and destruction, it is also a book of self-determination, survival and hope – qualities which Ugwu perhaps the most rounded character in the narrative is endued. Adichie foreshadows the hope of a new enlightened Nigeria through Ugwu‟s initial encounter with modernity when he first arrives at Odenigbo‟s quarters to find spacious rooms wide enough for him to walk around the house up and down, touching books, curtains, furniture and plates, “and when it got dark, he turned the light on and marveled at how bright the bulb that dangled from the ceiling was” (HYS, 7). Usually, books and light bulbs symbolize enlightenment, hope and optimism. Unfortunately, it is the darkness of war and the horrors and trauma which characterize war that Half of a Yellow Sun is often associated with and that is the memory that often lingers in the mind of the reader. This negative memory is not surprising since the book begins with a symbolic reference to the negative history of Nigeria. The title of the book Half of a Yellow Sun‟ is symbolic, suggesting the genesis of the Nigerian dystopia. The title is a reference to the symbol of the Biafran flag. The sun is not full, but half, a reference to the incompleteness of the fledgling republic (Biafra) and its indebtedness to the other half (Nigeria). The title could also be seen as the author’s affirmation of the idea that „Nigerian identity is burdensome‟ (Nyairo, 21). This idea is further projected in Half of a Yellow Sun where Nigeria is described as „a collection of fragments held in a fragile clasp” (HYS, 158). This is perhaps a reference to the country as a product of a colonial administration which for administrative convenience welded together disparate tribes without the people’s consent.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to a study of Nigeria film as an instrument for national unity
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information a study of Nigeria film as an instrument for national unity. 200 staff of Nollywood in Lagos state selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Nigeria film as an instrument for national unity.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of Nigeria film as an instrument for national unity
Summary
This study was on a study of Nigeria film as an instrument for national unity. Four objectives were raised which included: To ascertain whether Nigeria film is an instrument for national unity, to ascertain whether the film half of a yellow sun brought unity to the nation, to ascertain the level of unity half of a yellow sun brought to the nation, to ascertain the relationship between Nigeria film and national unity. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of Nollywood in Lagos State. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up producers, directors, actors and actresses were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Film is a mass communication medium that can be used to bring about unity and promote our cultural heritage and this can be done by the kind of messages portrayed. By and large, Nigerian films have gone to the far ends of the earth and it should be a medium for show casing our rich cultural heritage. The unity of this nation can be enhanced through the packaging of films or movies which is being watched by Nigerians at home and abroad
Recommendation
Following the trend of all that is going on in the film industry, I thereby make the following recommendations:
- The Nigerian films censors’ commission should scrutinize films before they are sent out for viewing by the larger audience.
- Script writers should always have at the back of their minds that Nigeria’s cultural heritage should be foremost on their minds when they are writing any script.
- Henceforth, village heads should be contacted to get actual story lines that would reflect their culture.
- Producers should use film as a medium to first and foremost promote unity among Nigerian communities as they have done in very few films to reiterate our oneness in spite of our cultural, religious or ethnic differences.
- The talents (actors and actresses) chosen should be compelled to dress and speak like real Nigerians.
- Filmmakers should explore the lives of great African women who have made meaningful contributions to the success of the family and the country, and whose stories are both powerful and compelling to promote unity.
- There should be an analysis and understanding of the Nigerian cultural life, cultural values and cultural needs and expectations of people.
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