Netizens are abuzz following filmmaker Genevieve Nnaji’s recent remarks about her experiences attempting to break into Hollywood.
QEDNG had reported that the 45-year-old Genevieve expressed her disillusionment while speaking at the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum organised by the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) under the Afreximbank programme.
“For the first time, I realised I was a commodity,” Genevieve said. “I thought, given what I had done with Lionheart and all of that, I was going to have an opportunity to do more. Getting there and having the kind of support that CANEX is bringing on board, I thought I could find it in Hollywood. That was not quite the case.”
Genevieve added that Hollywood seemed more interested in leveraging her work for their benefit rather than fostering authentic African narratives. She emphasised her commitment to building a thriving film industry in Nigeria that could rival Hollywood, stating, “I could have been in Hollywood a long time if I wanted to. But I am Nollywood, and I have a dream to build an industry in Nigeria that could rival it.”
The online community, particularly on YouTube, has been quick to respond. Nelly Kutana commented, “It’s rather unfortunate we glorify Hollywood as a bed of roses, but the pipeline entails a lot more than what is portrayed in front of the camera.” Sifuna Gloria echoed this sentiment, writing, “I love Gen, I think it’s about time we create our own ‘Hollywood.’ I’m sick and tired of everyone glorifying Hollywood.”
Gracelove praised Genevieve for her stance, saying, “Self-love is what I am seeing in you, amazing woman.”
However, opinions were mixed. One user simply named Random MZ critiqued her work: “Much respect to Ms. Nnaji, but Lionheart was a D-rated movie.”
Ayanda Ma added, “The mere fact that you call your industry Nollywood can only make you a commodity. Being copycats, flooding the film industry with subpar films, and expecting to be treated with the utmost respect is naive, to say the least.”
Another netizen named Cogniternet suggested a rebranding of the Nigerian film industry: “First thing first. Remove ‘ollywood’ from the name, then we know we have begun on the path to ingenuity.”
Also, Lotus pointed out the broader challenges, stating, “Girl, wake up. Even well-established, talented African-American actors and actresses aren’t given their dues; what or who made you think you would?”
Some reactions were more supportive, with this netizen identified as Tunein asserting, “India is doing it. Nigeria can do it even better.”
