It’s time to celebrate the ways we are different. Diversity is variety and it is important to remind ourselves the ways in which inclusivity has been better imbibed into our society.
Diversity is the practice of including people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds. It is the inclusion of people across genders, sexual orientations and mental spectrums. Any situation that the status quo is not the only narrative accepted and portrayed is embracing diversity.
In entertainment, the plea for diversity cuts across the content put out to the talent engaged. From the stories to the crew selected to create the stories, the cry for diversity is as old as the industry. Starting with the portrayal of women, to the inclusion of the LGBTQ community to the way mental illness is framed, audiences – and creatives, have wanted to see more than the typical when they watch a movie, TV series or documentary.
In 2018, Netflix created the classic, Lionheart, a film where Nollywood’s sweetheart, Genevieve Nnaji doubled as a strong female lead and the director. Since then, Netflix has treated its audience to a mirage of titles that test the bounds of the norm and showcase the reality of various Nigerians.
The story of Lionheart is an expression of diversity because it shows a dauntless woman break the chains of misogynistic cultural expectations. It’s a story that shows a hardworking woman who is not afraid to be the winner that she was raised to be, despite the social backlash of standing against culture and the male-dominated industry. Other Nigerian titles with young strong female leads are Isoken, Citation, Òlòturé, King of Boys, Sugar Rush and Doctor Bello.
Other than this film, Netflix has created more titles that showcase their commitment to diverse stories. Skin, a 2019 documentary by acting sensation Beverley Naya, took the Netflix viewers on a journey to understand the concept of colorism and how it plays out in the Nigerian society.
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This documentary took a topic that many Nigerians are either unaware about or naïve about and started an important conversation that can be continued across time through a sequel documentary or other projects. Furthermore, a documentary like Awon Boyz takes a close look at the lives of men and boys who hustle and are members of Lagos street gangs. We all know that there are many young men and boys who live the street life, but this documentary opens our eyes to their reality and introduces the Netflix audience to them as a people with realities that deserve to be understood.
Diverse content can also include the portrayal of realities that are not just that of millennials. A story like Fifty explores the life of older women who have different realities from the norm. This movie shows how women deal with illnesses as well as sexual harassment and other topics typically shied away from by Nollywood producers.
Nollywood has also stepped out the status quo by creating stories that are not just like the ‘home videos’ that the industry was built on. The industry has ventured in stories that are in the action and adventure like The Accidental Spy, District 9 and Cold Harbor.
Although stories that break the boundaries of normalcy are a great way to unwind, but even the feel-good movies with family storylines have been created in ways that explore every day in ways that are more entertaining. Some Netflix titles to consider are Cold Feet, My Wife and I and Potato Potathto.
Nigerians are a diverse people with multiple realities that can be explored in films, TV series and documentaries. The aforementioned Netflix titles are important to explore if you want to experience the diversity of Nollywood content.
