Queering Pop Culture and Film in Nigeria
The third episode of Queer Circles is all about queer narratives in Nigerian film (Nollywood) and pop culture. Matthew Blaise talks to filmmaker Nosazemen Agbontaen and pop culture writer Malakai about the representation of queer existences in a media landscape marked by censorship, trans- and homophobia. The discussion focuses on the negative depiction of queerness in Nollywood, the third largest film industry in the world. Does Nollywood solely capture toxic narratives of the LGBTQ+ community, or does it covertly create a visual archive that makes queer lives visible? What channels do filmmakers and writers use to introduce positive and healing stories of the community into the Nigerian media landscape? What is the role of a younger generation in all of this? And how can memes be used as a pop cultural corrective to strengthen alternative storytelling? Find out more here!