By Eliza Mendoza
African comedy movies is a fascinating and quirky genre of foreign films. Major players are Nigeria's Nollywood, Yoruba, a people from West Africa, and South Africa. Measured in terms of sheer numbers of films released, Nollywood is one of the world's biggest contributors.
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
The Mangler (1995) is a South African/Australian horror film discovered on a list of most popular comedies with origin in South Africa. A folding machine in a laundry is possessed by a demon from hell. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a story of the same name written by Stephen King. The original short story may be found in "The Night Shift, " King's inaugural collection of short stories. The critics panned the film but, based on the provenance and the synopsis, how can anybody not want to see it?
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Burkina Faso's "Yaaba" (1989) does not meet the classical criteria of a comedy film but it is one of the most significant to come out of Africa. It illustrates a modern conundrum of having to choose between modernization, and hence westernization, and retaining its own cultural identity.
"The Nightingale's Prayer" from Egypt (1959) also does not meet the strict definition of a comedy, but then Four Forty is a comedy without any laughs. Here we have the story of gender inequality amongst the Arab nations. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film is based on the Taha Hussein novel.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
If you are going to close your eyes and leap into a pile of Nigerian film comedies, perhaps "Four Forty, Part I" (2012, Nigeria) may possibly not be the best place to start. Most of the scenes play out in the dusty gardens of a small village where a bored and lazy middle aged man amuses himself in the arms of an innocent teenager who is confined to a wheelchair. Two months later, the girl's parents march her angrily to his front garden and dump her into his custody. While it is not at all difficult to work out what has transpired here, what is difficult is trying to find the funny here.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980, South Africa) is a series of five films set in Botswana. The final three, all of which were unofficial sequels to the first, were produced in Hong Kong. The central character of the film is Xi, who lives in a tribe that is completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The film catapulted N!xau, a Namibian bush farmer, to fame as the most noteworthy actor to come out of Namibia. The farmer-cum-film star died of tuberculosis while out on a hunting trip.
The Mangler (1995) is a South African/Australian horror film discovered on a list of most popular comedies with origin in South Africa. A folding machine in a laundry is possessed by a demon from hell. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper and based on a story of the same name written by Stephen King. The original short story may be found in "The Night Shift, " King's inaugural collection of short stories. The critics panned the film but, based on the provenance and the synopsis, how can anybody not want to see it?
The West African Yoruba tribe has evolved into a force in African cinema. The latest release to come from Yoruba is "EKO ONIBAJE" (2014, Yoruba), featuring Bolaji Amusan and Mistura Asunmo. Here, a man seeking personal growth allies with a group of businessmen whose product is defrauding innocent people by posing as disabled persons.
Burkina Faso's "Yaaba" (1989) does not meet the classical criteria of a comedy film but it is one of the most significant to come out of Africa. It illustrates a modern conundrum of having to choose between modernization, and hence westernization, and retaining its own cultural identity.
"The Nightingale's Prayer" from Egypt (1959) also does not meet the strict definition of a comedy, but then Four Forty is a comedy without any laughs. Here we have the story of gender inequality amongst the Arab nations. Directed by Henry Bakarat, the film is based on the Taha Hussein novel.
What is lovely about African comedy movies is you don't need to jump a plane to Africa to view them. Many of Africa's best are available online for streaming. Hopefully, this will prompt someone to find the comedy in Nollywood's "Four Forty."
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