Doublethink, Society and the Gender Question in West African Video Narrative

Abstract

Society and its cultural configurations are important elements in the production and consumption of films. Apart from providing the social canvas from which films are framed, society provides the institutional framework for the film industry to thrive. The contradiction between the demand by society for „pure films’ or culture compliant films and the subtle taste for the opposite by some sections of the West African film audience is yet to be adequately explored . This paper, therefore, using Orwell‟s concept of doublethink examines the disconnection between culture, society and film in West Africa. It is established that the representation of the female body in West African video films is influenced by film audience. . The West African film audience presents two contradictory stimuli, an open dislike/hostility towards films considered to be morally corruptive and a hidden desire for such films. Ironically, it is this (mis) framing of the female body and its deliberate imposition on the narrative code that often serves as a stimuli for the attraction to the West African video film. This has created a hate/dislike and like/desire attitude towards video films in West Africa.