Nollywood improving Nigeria’s image across Europe, says filmmaker Isaac Izoya

Isaac Izoya, a Germany-based filmmaker, says Nollywood has improved Nigeria’s image in Europe.

In a Channels TV interview, Izoya spoke of how Nigerian film and music are gaining traction across the globe.

“Love Nigeria hate Nigeria, you must play their music, you must watch their movies,” the filmmaker said.

“Call them any names you can, 419ers, call them the exports of prostitution and all that, we have something we can use to change the narrative, which is entertainment, especially Nollywood and now, music.

“It gladdens my heart that all our efforts over the years in the last two decades are actually yielding positive results.

“How they look at Africa in Europe twenty years ago is not how they look at Africa these days. Different institutions across Europe always look for Nollywood movies to teach people about Africa.

“Nollywood movies right from your sitting rooms take you to Africa to know what’s going on in Africa, how they reason, how they value their culture.”

Isaac Izoya said navigating language barriers and lack of finance remain the major challenges Nollywood faces.

“Many people are curious. They want to know what Nollywood is about. And they want to know the story you are telling but, because of the language barrier, you can’t reach those people,” he added.

“With the Nollywood Film Festival, we have upgraded to showing Nigerian movies on the big screens cinema where they show American, French, German movies and all that.

“Both Africans and Europeans were having fun and enjoying the movie.

“But to be realistic, something is missing because we would have penetrated the Germans more if we had the financial capacity to translate our movies into German, but we have not gotten there yet.”