Community Responses to Kannywood Hausa Films in Northern Nigeria: A Cultural and Societal Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63385/cvca.v2i1.152Keywords:
Hausa Films, Northern Nigeria, Community, Reactions, KannywoodAbstract
"Kannywood", a term referring to the Hausa-language film industry rooted in Kano, Nigeria, plays a significant role in shaping cultural, social, and economic narratives among the Hausa community. This study explores the diverse reactions of the Hausa audience toward Kannywood films, based on content gathered from social media platforms and previous research. In addition, the exclusively qualitative data were gathered from interviews and participant observations. A purposive sampling procedure was adopted to secure the right audience for good data. The findings reveal differentiated responses among demographic groups, such as youth, elders, and religious audiences, based on religious and cultural expectations as well as personal preferences from other audiences. It is noted that these groups’ reactions are not unconnected to the perceptions informed by culture, religion, and the special interests of the audience. Recommendations are offered to filmmakers on how to align production values with community norms while maintaining artistic expression. Government and censorship boards were also encouraged to improve on their duties to boost production quality among the filmmakers and allow productions that go in tandem with norms, values and thoughts of the Hausa people. The actors were also called to improve their performance through strict guidance from their directors.
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