APPRAISAL
OF FILM SCRIPT AS A STUDY ON HYGINUS EKWUAZI‘S
“I’LL ATTEND YOUR FUNERAL TO CURSE”
ABSTRACT
This study presents an appraisal of the film script I'll Attend Your Funeral to Curse by Hyginus Ekwuazi, focusing on its narrative structure, thematic depth, and cultural significance within African cinema. Employing a qualitative analytical approach, the research examines the script's exploration of grief, justice, and ancestral influence, highlighting how these elements are interwoven to reflect the complexities of Nigerian society.
The analysis reveals that Ekwuazi's script employs a non-linear narrative and rich symbolism to convey the protagonist's emotional journey, effectively capturing the tension between traditional beliefs and contemporary realities. The study also considers the script's potential for visual storytelling, noting its detailed scene descriptions and character development that offer valuable insights for filmmakers and scholars alike.
By situating the script within the broader context of African film discourse, the research underscores its contribution to the understanding of indigenous narratives and their role in shaping cultural identity. The findings suggest that I'll Attend Your Funeral to Curse serves as a significant case study for examining the interplay between scriptwriting and cultural expression in African cinema.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Purpose and Scope of the Appraisal
1.3 Methodology
1.4 Overview of Hyginus Ekwuazi’s Works
CHAPTER TWO
Biography of Hyginus Ekwuazi
2.1 Early Life and Education
2.2 Literary and Cinematic Career
2.3 Contributions to Nigerian and African Cinema
CHAPTER THREE
Overview of I'll Attend Your Funeral to Curse
3.1 Synopsis of the Script
3.2 Historical and Cultural Context
3.3 Genre and Narrative Style
CHAPTER FOUR
Thematic Analysis
4.1 Death, Betrayal, and Memory
4.2 Revenge and Justice
4.3 Gender and Power Dynamics
4.4 Identity, Silence, and Voice
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion
10.1 Summary of Key Findings
10.3 Recommendations for Further Study
Biography
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the study
Film scripts are essential components in the filmmaking process, serving as the blueprint for translating a story from page to screen. They play a significant role in shaping the narrative structure character development, dialogue delivery, and overall storytelling of a film (Dancyger. 45) The screenplay serves as the foundation upon which directors, actors, and other creatives build the visual and auditory elements that bring a story to life on screen (Macgowan, 95). One of the key aspects of film scripts is their ability to convey the vision of the writer and director. Through detailed descriptions. dialogue, and scene directions, a script provides a roadmap for how a story should unfold visually and thematically (Gulino, 29). It sets the tone, pace, and mood of a film, guiding the creative team in making decisions about cinematography, editing, sound design, and performance choices. Analyzing film scripts can offer valuable insights into the creative process behind a movie (Horton, 76). By examining the choices made by the writer in terms of character development, plot progression, and thematic elements, scholars and critics can gain a deeper understanding of the filmmaker's intentions and artistic choices. Script analysis allows for a closer examination of how cultural representations, societal issues, and historical connects are depicted in films (Katz, 81). Studying film scripts provides an opportunity to explore the nuances of storytelling techniques employed by screenwriters, From narrative structure to character arcs to dialogue delivery, scripts offer a wealth of information about how stories are constructed and communicated through visual media. By dissecting scripts line by line, researchers can uncover hidden layers of meaning, symbolism, and subtest that contribute to the richness and complexity of cinematic narratives (Lukk, 21).
Nollywood, the Nigeria industry, has gained global recognition for nu vibeant and rapidly goning A condered the second-largest film industry in the world in terms of vaput, following closely behind India’s Bollywood (Moustakas, 89). Nollywood films have not only cured the hearts of domestic audiences but have also garnered a significant international following Nollywood emerged in the early 200s and has since experienced exponential growth, producing a large number of films each your across various genres such as drama, comedy, romance, and action. These Slams and typically low-budget production that cater to local tastes and preferences while addressing soicial relevant to Nigerian society (Seger, 63). The industry's success can be attributed to its ability to resonate with audiences through storytelling that reflects their cultural identity and experiences (Seger 42). One of the key characteristics of Nollywood is its prolific output, with hundreds of films being released annually. This high volume of production has contributed to the industry's economic impact, creating employment opportunities for actors, filmmakers, technicians, and other professionals within the sector. Additional, Nollywood has played a crucial role in projecting Nigerian culture and values in the global sus, shaping perceptions of the country beyond its borders (Johnson, 57) Nollywood has leveraged technological advancements to reach a wider audience both locally and internationally. The industry has embraced digital distribution platforms and social media channels to promote to films and engage with fans worldwide. This digital presence has enabled Nollywood to expand to reach beyond traditional cinema screenings and DVD sales, tapping imo online streaming services and video-on-dettiand platforms (Johnson, 21).
The other reason has to do with the geographical distribution of film-making in Nigeria. Most of Nigeria's film-makers come from the south-west of the country, with its virile theatre tradition. In the main, the bulk of the films come from stage adaptations. This underscores Soyinka's point at the 1979 Film/Culture Seminar:
the two (film and theatre) are inter-related and mutually complement each other so often, both in practice and theory, that new-comers to the cinema, which include all of us, tend often to transpose the form of theatre directly unto film with of course stagey, static films (Opubor and Nwuneii, 98).
What we find from the Nigerian experience is a corps of film-makers from the stage: film-makers who have made the transition from stage to film not only with the same story but also with the same cast. Acting in most of the films is therefore essentially stage-acting. The larger than life acting demanded of stage-acting is carried into film. At times, there is a conscious attempt by the actors to adopt a low-key acting technique. One sees the actor straining and striving to liberate himself from his stagebound self/role.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Although the home video industry in Nigeria, has borrowed a lot from the oral traditional narratives of traditional African drama there is a huge disconnect between the use of traditional African narratives in the video productions in Nigeria, and the vast potential it offers in terms of constructing and projecting meaning and perception in the minds of its viewers. This disconnect has created a rather disturbing trend in which the home video is seen to be lacking in intellectual and philosophical thrust. Hyginus Ekwuazi (47) believes that African films will do better with aesthetics that express the fundamentals of the African cosmology. According to him, one of the shortcomings of African films is that “whereas the content is African, or strives to be, it is drawn from the Hollywood idiom”. He adds that, this is true of even the folklorist cinema, where there is no visible attempt to marry content to structure, “to distill a film aesthetic based primarily on the oral traditions and visual languages of African culture”. This lack of philosophical thrust also based on a fundamental absence of a national philosophy or ideology which should serve as a beacon for all other directions of the national ethos. This lack of direction is also prevalent in the home video- leading to an absence of a well orchestrated and planned video-film policy which is in line with our national objectives. Another film scholar Brendan Shehu (40) recalls that it took the relative failure of the first two indigenous films made in English to force film makers to again look at the issue of the most appropriate medium of expressive representation to be used in their films. He notes that the emergence of Yoruba folkloric films was based on the recognition that films made in English never recouped their cost of production, perhaps due to their lack of traditional African cultural appeal. He further notes that the basis for the creation of an independent African film tradition lies in the exploitation and use of indigenous African languages. Brenda explains that the Yoruba folkloric film industry was only possible due to the use of an all embracing language that the people could identify with. Emphasizing the import and beauty of African language in film, Sembene Ousmane cited by Hyginus Ekwuazi (47) says about his films, that ‘even the blind came to see it for the sheer wonder of hearing their language spoken’. Ekwuazi (47) recommends that Africans will have to resort to the use of its indigenous cultures including its language in its strive to attain development, arguing that though the African culture has been distorted by the west, a restitution of the distorted culture becomes imperative. U. S. A. Galadima (164), in his article The Cine and Video Technology Interface states that no matter the arguments, video and motion picture technology have provided a new essence of story telling, using picture and sound to show characters in a unified plot which affect our emotions and at times enable us to participate in the cinematic rituals. The series of shots assembled, edited and arranged in sequence, providing continuity, which eventually works on our visual perceptions of meaning, feeling and form. To this end, this thesis examines in general how the methodology and technology of the video can better tell the popular African story or as in this case the Igala story in a much more, creative, meaningful, impactful, and much more relevant way, through adaptations, by using traditional African dramatic element in the video films AMOBONI and OTIDI.
This lack of appraisal has resulted in a limited understanding of the script's themes, character development, and cultural significance, thereby undermining is potential impact on the audience and the fine industry.
1.3 Objectives of the study
The objective of this study therefore is generally to look into the appraisal of film script as a study on Hyginus Ekwuazi "I'll attend your funeral to curse"
Specifically, the objectives of this study are to:
1. Analyze the narrative structure and stylistic elements in Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse
2. Identify and interpret the themes and motifs presented in the script and their relevance to cultural and social context.
3. To study the form and content of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse
4. To explore the relevance and interplay of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse
5. To analyze technical and professional issues in the adaptation of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse
6. Identify areas of strength and weakness in the script and provide recommendations for improvement.
1.4 Research Questions
1. How to analyze the narrative structure and stylistic elements in Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse?
2. To what extent do we identify and interpret the themes and motifs presented in the script and their relevance to cultural and social context?
3. What are the form and content of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse?
4. To assess the relevance and interplay of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse?
5. How to technical and professional issues in the adaptation of Hygims Ekwuari's fum script, "I”ll Attend Your Funeral to Curse?
6. To Identify areas of strength and weakness in the script and provide recommendations for improvement?
1.4 Rationale of the Study
In film script as a study on Hyginus Ekwuazi I'll attend your funeral to curse", here are four basic rationales to this study:
1. Contribution to Nigerian Cinema: The study will contribute to the growth and development of Nigerian cinema, particularly in Delta State, by providing a scholarly appraisal of Ekwunzi's work.
2. Cultural Significance: The scripts exploration of cultural and social issues in makes it a significant work that deserves academic attention
3. Academic Gap: The lack of scholarly appraisal of Ekwuazi's work creates an academic gap that this study aims to fill
4. Enhancement of Scriptwriting: The study's findings will provide insights for scriptwriters, filmmakers. and scholars in the field on the importance of film scripts in storytelling and the role of scriptwriters in shaping the film industry.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The significance of the study hes in its contribution to the understanding and analysis of Nigerian cinema, particularly in the context of Ekwuazi's script, researchers can delve into themes, storytelling techniques, character development, and cultural representations that are unique to this specific work. This study can shed light on the creative process behind the film script, providing insights into how narratives are constructed and interpreted within the Nigerian film industry. Analyzing Ekwuazi's script can offer valuable insights into the socio-cultural landscape, The themes explored in the script may reflect societal issues, historical events, or cultural traditions that are significant to the region. Understanding how these elements are woven into the narrative can deepen our appreciation for Nigerian cinema and its ability to reflect and critique contemporary society. Moreover, by conducting an appraisal of Ekwuazi's script, this research work will contribute to the academician, historian, government at large, mostly the theatre department as a whole, also to African cinema and screenwriting. The study may Innovative storytelling techniques, thematic explorations, or stylistic choices that enrich understanding of African cinematic practices. It can also provide a platform for discussing the challenges and opportunities faced by Nigerian filmmakers in creating compelling and culturally relevant scripts.
1.6 Scope of the study
The study will focus solely on the analysis of the film script, "I'll Attend Your Funeral to Curse", and not on the film's production or direction. The study will explore the cultural and social context, as represented in the script. The study will focus on the script's historical contest.
1.7 Research methodology
Research Design: This study will utilize a qualitative research design to analyze and evaluate the film script "I'll Attend Your Funeral to Curse" by Hyginus Ekwuazi. Qualitative research allows for an in depth exploration of the themes, characters, and narrative structure of the script.
Data Collection: The primary data for this study will be collected through a close reading and textual analysis of the film script. Secondary data will be gathered from scholarly articles, books, and other relevant sources that discuss Nigerian cinema, Nollywood, and screenwriting.
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