This book is a seminal work that tells how the Nigerian Video Film Industry popularly known as Nollywood came into existence. It is a book where most of the actors in the early movies spoke their minds as Eye Witnesses in the Nollywood Saga.
Read the book and hear what stars like Ken Okonkwo, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Kanayo O Kanayo, Jide Kosoko, and a host of others say about this nascent industry in its prime. The voices of Ngozi Nwosu, Ngozi Nwaneto, Nnenna Nwabueze (Merit), Ngozi Ezeonu, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, Zach Orji, Fred Amata and more resonate passionately in this book of adventure.
The crew is not left out as Tunde Kilani, Chief Kenneth Nnebue, Chris Obi Rapu, Sani Muazu, Kalu Anya, Zeb Ejiro, Andy Amenechi and more respond vivaciously to some nagging questions the book poses.
Posthumous renditions from the likes of Moses Ebere and Bolaji Dawoodu feature in this sourcebook.
Teco Benson, Pete Edochie, Nkem Owoh, Chiwetalu Agu, Patience Ozokwo are ably represented.
With more than 50 personalities that lent credence to this germinal document.
‘The Unusual Story of the Early Years of Nollywood’ is a worthy possession by all.
Here are some reviews bout the book
Good morning Sir.
I have glanced through the chapters and some pages of the book on Amazon where I have access to preview the Kindle version.
From what I have seen so far, it is a great book on Nollywood.
They will order the book and review it. Your book is the most comprehensive book so far on the making of Nollywood.
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Hello Tambay,
This is the first book on the phenomenon of Nollywood by one of the founding fathers of the first indie film industry in Africa, Dr. Chika Christian Onu, director of the 1993 sequel to “Living in Bondage”, of 1992, the first blockbuster movie of Nollywood and “Glamour Girls” of 1993, the first romantic comedy of the genre. He has been one of the most prolific Nigerian filmmakers since 1993 to date with over 100 movies in his filmography. From being a filmmaker to a scholar in film studies, Dr. Chika Christian Onu has finally written a book on the significant events and masterminds behind the sociocultural development of Nollywood from the studios of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to different locations of the productions of the home videos.
A must read for anyone who wants to know the true history of Nollywood, from grass to grace.
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I appreciate the author Dr Chika Onu for giving me an insight into the growth and development of the home video industry, especially in the Eastern part of our country Nigeria. Thanks for giving me an insight into Kannywood, the Hausa version of the Nigerian Video Film Industry. “The Unusual Story of the Early Years of Nollywood”, is a compelling narrative. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to go into Film Production.
My reading of this book exposed the role that the Structural Adjustment Program SAP played in re-engineering the history of film production in Nigeria. Necessity is indeed the mother of inventions. The author of this book explains in simple practical terms how effects like disappearing acts were manually generated in the early Nollywood films. This was a wonderful and thrilling experience for me. That was indeed our local technology at its best.
All these and many more. We’ll be sharing more of these.
