By Furera Bagel, PhD
Famous actress Viola Davis once said, “There’s one place that all the people with the greatest potentials are gathered, and that is the graveyard. People ask what kind of stories do you want to tell Viola, and I say exhume those stories. ….” She simply means that all the greatest stories are in the past and they deserve to be researched and told. Unfortunately, filmmakers, especially the ones in Kannywood are yet to tap into our vast historical themes.
Therefore, I would love to see the outrage that followed the release of the movie Amina from some northerners who feel that they have been misrepresented in the film due to some historical inaccuracies, be converted to pressure towards Kannywood filmmakers, to take up the challenge thrown by Okechukwu Ogunjofor and Izu Ojukwu and make some authentic movies inspired by original stories.
I believe they have the potentials to make such movies due to the accessibility of everything that can inspire a great movie in their immediate environment. What they need to add up is commitment to the cause of telling the stories of people who lived, loved, fought, and died while leaving their marks through their valour, magnificence, uprightness, wit, and intellect
Movies can be made based on folktales Fifidalla, Daskindaridi, Mowa Da Bora, Imbajiya da dodo and others just like the west has done with famous fairy tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel. The most famous Hausa folklore character Gizo deserves a whole comedy series based on his shenanigans, like Gizo da budurwan Danko, Gizo Da Auren Tururuwa, and others. Of course humans can play all the characters, which would portray their known traits, e.g Gizo’s cunningness.
If Folksongs, children rhymes, and popular music could inspire good movies like The House That Jack Built and the Blind Musketeers in the Hollywood and Gutur gutur and Ringringa in Bollywood, why shouldn’t Carman-Dudu and Na Debo Ruwa Daga Bebeji do the same? They only need to research the inspirations for the songs, which in the case of the former, I gathered that it was inspired by one of the first white men to come to Zaria who was hosted by the then emir. The girls about town were so intrigued by the guest who does not perform salat, fast, or court the town maidens, that they made a song about him. This storyline can also take the form of comedy or even Historical Drama.
Biopic of famous people who left their marks, like the great Mamman Shata and the legendary boxer, Shago, can be made, exploring various interesting storylines that may captivate the viewers. I believe a Shata’s colourful life can inspire a thousand movies. One storyline that can be employed is the inspiration behind some famous the legend uttered in his famous song, Sarkin Sullubawa Jikan Korau
I remember learning in late Professor Dalhatu Muhammad’s class that it was actually inspired by an incident that involved a prince who invited Shata to perform at a ceremony but Shata was already engaged elsewhere. Feeling insulted, the enraged prince went to the venue Shata was performing and humiliated him by beating and slapping him and then forced him to abandon his gig and perform on the prince’s own.
Shata later sang the song in praise of the haughty prince’s brother who succeeded the throne, and it was in that song that he mocked the dreadful prince by saying he will slap, push and kick any stingy arrogant, stingy prince who couldn’t succeed the throne nor get a title yet dared to put hands on him. A lot can be added to this based on research and can be made into an interesting movie.
The rivalry between famous Hausa boxers Shago and Dandunawa can also be explored or the how he and the famous musician Dan Anache made each other famous. Researching their love Histories and marriages can introduce a romantic angle.
Epic films about mythical characters like Barbushe, Bagauda, Bayajidda, and famous kings and leaders like Danfodiyo, Muhammad Rumfa, Alkanemi, Mahdi, should be made just like the west made of theirs about the Greek mythology, Beauwolf and Grandel, The Odyssey, King Arthur, William the conqueror and KrishaEmperor Asoka and Jumung in Asia.
Even the notorious criminals like Ligidi who abducted and murdered children in 1970s Kano and was coughed and executed in 1975, and Da’u, who even though is a fictitious armed robber, could still inspire thriller/horror films just as we have American movies about Notorious armed robbers like Jesse James, Bonny and Clyde Jack The Ripper and other serial killers.
Apart from Shehu Umar, none of the Hausa classics has received the attention of filmmakers, yet we have adventures and love stories in Jiki Magayi, Gandoki, Iliya Dan Maikarfi, Tauraruwar Hamada and Tauraruwa mai wutsiya can inspire their first Sci-Fi movie. The Story of Habibu and Habiba has the potential of becoming a beautiful love story and even The Boy Slave can make a great movie for even though a non-Hausa wrote it, it is still a Hausa story.
We know the argument about the better part of the population preferring movies with the usual song and dance, but that is because that was their only option, and wouldn’t mind a better deal. With a vision, commitment, and originality Kannywood may not only have their movies on Netflix but may even have a shot at getting the much coveted academy award for the foreign category.
I wish them luck in making great movies. Meanwhile, should Nollywood decide to make an excellent epic movie inspired by Nana Asma’u or Daurama, I would not hesitate to go and watch. After all, what we are really after is a great movie no matter who made it.
