#EndSARS: The Situation in Nigeria through a Cinematic Lens
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for all Nigerians at home and abroad. Recent events have had me shook and made me ask “what exactly is the Nigerian dream?” feel free to reply in the comment section if you have an answer. Over the last couple of weeks I have seen the best and the worst of this country and I have journeyed through the full length of the emotional spectrum. Anger from watching all the gruesome and disturbing videos that sparked the #EndSARS protests, to the joy and awe that came from seeing the world class and unprecedented level of organization behind these protests and finally the feeling of profound sadness and dejection that I currently feel from seeing our government’s response to peaceful protest.
Nigeria’s case really is a sorry one because during these protests we caught a glimpse of what it would look like to have a Nigeria with systems that work, a Nigeria where people looked out for their fellow man, a Nigeria where people were united regardless of their ethnicity, religion or status for something greater than themselves, a Nigeria we could all be proud of. However, in typical Nigerian fashion, we came crashing down to earth and once again, we were reminded why Nigeria, like so many other African nations has struggled to reach its full potential. I, like countless Nigerians watched as our brothers and sisters were shot at during various protests all over the nation and more memorably, we watched on Instagram live as protesters were being gunned down at Lekki in what can only be described as a show of devilry and a blatant disregard for human life. In the days since that shooting, I have felt nothing but pain and anger towards this country and those that rule it and in light of recent events in the aftermath of the protests, I now strongly believe that this country is just a poorly scripted film(and no one likes those). So I have compiled a list of well scripted movies that have made me just as sad and just as mad at governments and people in power for the despicable way they have treated innocent people. So without further ado, let’s dive into it.
If you have read my previous article about movies about race and racism, you would know that I got serious love for this movie but while the underlying theme of police brutality cuts across both articles, the issue of race and racism is absent in this case. It is no secret that the EndSARS protests in Nigeria is a cry from the young people to the people to end police brutality and reform the entire police force. The acts that have been committed by SARS and the entire police force over the years can only be described as extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile. Allegations of various human rights abuses ranging from extortion to murder have stuck to SARS and the police like fleas to a stray dog but if the cases of police brutality and prejudice in the west are racially motivated, how do you excuse those acts in Nigeria? How could you possibly commit such acts against your own people whom you have sworn to protect? It really baffles the mind, doesn’t it? How you could sleep at night knowing someone’s son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, husband or wife left their house and did not return home and it’s all your fault.
This film is also really relatable to the situation at hand because of the leading character. Starr represents the Nigerian women who have put themselves at the forefront of this movement. It’s an irrefutable fact that the lion share of SARS’ victims are young men and although the women may be forgiven if they had treated this issue with a certain level of nonchalance(“may” being the operative word), the way they have “carried this issue on their head” is truly commendable. The Feminist Coalition single handedly raised and distributed effectively and transparently funds for the feeding, medical, legal and miscellaneous expenses of protesters across the country teaching the government a lesson on how to care for its citizens. It was truly remarkable to see. Unfortunately, just like the protest in America earlier in the year, the government’s response to protest against police brutality is even more police brutality.
Up next is Bahman Gobadi’s Turtles Can Fly. Set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the border of Turkey and Iraq two weeks before the American invasion of Iraq in 2004, this movie is a perfect description of everything that is wrong with society today and i shed a tear while watching it because it is so relatable, especially to the situation in Nigeria today. The main characters in the movie are children, orphans who have lost their parents at some point during the conflict. The children, much like the young people of Nigeria have found a way to survive in an environment that is designed to make them fail. The children are led by a bright and industrious character named Satellite. He organizes work for the children picking landmines in the fields and reselling them to arms dealers. As the unofficial leader of the group, he feels a sense of responsibility towards all the children and makes their safety and welfare his number one priority, something the Nigerian government has failed to do. There are adults in the camp but they do little to improve their lives and the lives of those in the camp and the children are forced to take the initiative (sound familiar?) To be fair to them, there is really little they can do but the lack of effort is what is truly discouraging. Satellite develops feelings for Agrin, a young girl who is new to the camp. She has two brothers; Hyenkov, the boy with no arms who feels his gift of clairvoyance is more of a curse than a blessing and a younger “brother,” Risa. Throughout the film, we see that Agrin is battling with her demons, a battle which she eventually loses when she jumps off a cliff after she drowns Risa who we discover is not her brother but actually her son whom she conceived when she was raped by the same Iraqi soldiers who killed her parents and caused Hyenkov to lose his arms.
This film is an accurate description of everything a child should not have to go through. It is an extremely emotional movie that would have you in tears and if you are Nigerian, have you lamenting the situation in this country.
Based on the events of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, this true story follows the life of Paul Rusesabagina who housed over 1200 refuges at the Hotel Milles Collines and really proved that one man can change the world. This movie is one of numerous films on the topic, the Rwandan genocide that killed about one million Rwandans in a hundred days. Films like Sometimes in April, Shooting Dogs, A Sunday in Kigali and 100 Days all tell the same story of how the Hutus of Rwanda slaughtered the Tutsi people in what is one of the worst acts of inhumanity in history. Nigeria is not necessarily at war but this movie made me think of all the ways those in power seek to divide us. Throughout history, Nigeria has been no stranger to conflict, most of which are ethnically or religiously motivated. From elections to protest to normal everyday activities, the government and those in power weaponize our differences and turn us against each other in order to keep profiting at our expense. We need to realize that we are all human before anything else, what is bad for one person is potentially bad for all of us and we must not allow pointless sentiments to cloud our judgement. This film perfectly portrays the consequences of allowing hatred based on pointless sentiments to brew and simultaneously reinforces the need for unity and togetherness. And if you are looking for something closer to home look no further than the 2013 film based on the bestselling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of Yellow sun and its depiction of the Biafran war in Nigeria.
Similar to the plot of Hotel Rwanda, this extraordinary true story follows the life of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and a member of the Nazi party who was personally responsible for saving the lives of 1200 Jews during the holocaust. This movie is one of my absolute favorites. It’s emotional rendition of the plight of the Jews during the holocaust is extremely moving and provocating, making you hate and love humanity at the same time and completely deserving of the Seven Oscar’s it won in 1994 but I digress. Aside from its ability to give you a good cry and the impeccable acting by Liam Neeson, the movie is a mirror image of the social and political climate in Nigeria. No, Nigeria is not going through a genocide, you need to look beyond the surface and deeper into the acts of the individual characters to see how the movie represents the Nigerian situation without even intending to. Take a good look at Amon Goth and his acts of perpetual evil. Just like the Nigerian government, he has a problem with showing empathy and compassion and just when you think he has turned a new leaf and is actually becoming a good person, he switches up on you and becomes even more wicked. He kills the Jews in the concentration camp at will and puts them through incredible hardships while profiting from them. Now if that doesn’t sound like the Nigerian government to you, I don’t know what to tell you. To me, he is almost the mirror image of the Nigerian government ,the only difference being that he was appointed to make life miserable for the Jews while the people in power in this country were elected to act for the best interest of Nigerians but have decided to do the exact opposite. Which I guess in essence makes them worse than him. So what does that say about you, If a Nazi commander has the moral highground over you?
It is also a scathing indictment of the middle and upper class who would rather keep their social status and make a few extra quid than fall out with their country club buddies for speaking up and actually doing something about injustice but most importantly, it presents a glimmer of hope that one day, things would actually change and we can all be proud to be associated with this country. It’s just like Gandhi said, “first they ignore you then they laugh at you then they fight you then you win.” We have been ignored, laughed at and fought for far too long now winter has come for the powers that be and the time for us to win is here. So back to my question about what the Nigerian dream is, I think Aisha Yesufu said it best when she said dreams of “a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.” We are knocking on the door of the promised land folks and by God, the door is going to open soon.
PS. The headings are links to where you can watch or purchase the movies because I had a lot of people ask me about where they could watch the movies on my previous list. Also if you are not conversant with the events in Nigeria, i have attached a couple of links below. I suggest you educate yourself. I really had a lot of fun writing this article and I really want to know what you guys think. Please let me know in the comment section.
