Nollywood Babylon is an in depth documentary that takes a look at the third largest film industry in the world. Yes, you heard me right, just behind the United States and India.

The film follows filmmaker Osita Iheme, a prominent film maker in Nigeria who, at the time of the film, was working on his 157th film. The Nigerian film industry started in the beginning 90’s as way for Nigerians to make films that they could relate to. Their film strategy is to pump out as many films as they can, and then sell them on the streets. The other side to their film industry is the religious figures that push films that they make they make themselves. These are directed towards promoting Christianity, and keeping those who are already devoted to their religion.

The main idea is to make films for Africans, by Africans. Sure, American films are featured in Nigeria, but they are not exactly easy to relate to. Their films have to do with culture, soul and issues related to society. This includes witchcraft. One of the biggest targets for the Christian films is to bring down witchcraft and evil. In one clip from their films, a woman admits to being a witch, and then her soul escapes her body in the form of a sitting dog. Let me tell you, these effects are epic!

The best part of the film are the clips from various films. These low budget flicks feature over the top acting, mostly in English, and effects that might have been acceptable in the late 60’s. early 70’s in the United States. In other words… I want to watch some of these films! They are completely different that what we are use to, and look like a lot of fun! One, for example, looked like a comedic version of “The Jerk” and featured some very obvious comedy, but was still hilarious.

This film is both interesting, and gives the viewer a glimpse into a film industry that is very different from our own. The films are made quickly to make quick money, unlike Hollywood, where it takes years sometimes to make one film. The only industry that I can remotely compare it to would be the porn industry. Not in the sense of nudity or profanity, but in the manner they shoot a scene, often times in one take, finish a film in a matter of weeks, and move on to the next one. It was mentioned in the film that the great Nollywood film has yet to be made, and with how fast they are producing these films, I can only assume that they are right.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars