Evaluation of Nigerian Film Productions in the Representations of Igbo Royalty

Abstract

Over the years, the institution of Igbo royalty has featured prominently in Nigerian film industry, which as a leading source of entertainment in Nigeria, may thus influence how people view the royal institution. Hence, this study focused on the evaluation of representation of Igbo royalty in Nigerian films. Situated within the framework of social representation theory, the study adopted critical discourse analysis (CDA) and key informant interview (KII) as the design. Four Igbo royalty films were randomly selected, while three key informants were interviewed. Analysis was qualitative. Findings revealed that Nigerian films have represented Igbo royalty as an important aspect of Igbo cultural setup, portraying royals as playing vital leadership role – political and religious – in their respective communities. It also showed factors that have shaped portrayal of Igbo royalty in Nigerian film industry to mainly include cultural pride and commercial considerations. It was found that sources of ideas of Nigerian film producers in their construction of Igbo royalty mainly included personal observation of Igbo cultural realities and Igbo oral and written literature. It was concluded that representation of Igbo royalty in Nigerian films tended to reflect some dominant discourses of power, class and gender in Nigeria. It was recommended that filmmakers should do more in the area of research towards better portrayal of Igbo culture in their works.