BY: News Peddlers
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| Gang of Lagos |
Olusegun Runsewe, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has urged restraint in response to the commotion brought on by the making of the latest movie, "Gang of Lagos".
In a statement on Friday, Mr. Runsewe claimed that Nigerian filmmakers needed to strategically reconsider culturally relevant themes in order to prevent backlash from the people.
The Lagos State administration has expressed its opinions regarding the April 7 premiere of the film, which was co-produced by Jade Osiberu and Kemi Lala-Akindoju.
In its response, the state administration said that the movie showed the Eyo Masquerade as a villain brandishing a gun while dressed in full traditional attire.
Additionally, the state considered it to be offensive to Lagos natives' traditions and history and a misrepresentation of the cultural essence of the Eyo masquerade.
However, Mr. Runsewe begged the Lagos state government and its citizens to overlook the film's offences while promising to stop such cultural insensitivity immediately.
The Eyo masquerade, which is linked to the history of Lagos and Nigerian culture, was mentioned as one of the main cultural tourism items.
Mr. Runsewe recommended filmmakers to use caution when presenting Nigerian cultural history for general consumption in order to avoid inciting unrest and annoyances throughout the nation.
“Lagos state government, for instance, has invested and continues to champion the growth of the creative sector, targeting young persons for training in all aspects of film making and production.
“With community theatre halls built at each of its local geo-space and even with John Randle Yoruba Museum, where researches on Yoruba culture and tradition can be learnt first hand.
“So, films with narratives on the ways of life of our people must trend on the best acceptable and sensitive information profiling,” he said.
“Though the world of creativity is said to hold no boundaries, when it comes to cultural narratives, careful measures, strategic profiling, and dedicated investigation should be done,” he said.
He said requests to collaborate with custodians of national cultural and traditional institutions should be thoroughly considered and consulted.
“During the last National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in Lagos, we, at NCAC, wrote to the Oba of Lagos, requesting the participation of the iconic Eyo masquerade.
“We were made to appreciate and understand that Eyo masquerade public appearance is guided by certain traditional ethics and procedure, so we expect our filmmakers to follow the same engagement route.
“Honestly, we at NCAC appreciate Nigerian filmmakers for the efforts to use such narratives, to contribute to national cultural tourism rebirth and acceptance, including its international cultural tourism value chain.
“But we must advise that a cultural sensitivity context and content analysis should be part of both the production and post-production ecosystem,” he said.
(NAN)