Witchcraft in films reflects ‘reality’

ACTOR Jim Iyke has described the Nigerian film industry’s focus on witchcraft as its way of telling stories that are based on the “good vs evil” theme.

During an interview, the Nigerian superstar said he believed filmmakers included witchcraft scenes because it came from a place of reality for them.

“We can’t create a surreal reality‚ we have create a reality that is relatable,” he said.

“The reality is that certain parts of our culture informed people who were creating movies at that point in time‚ they were grassroots people.

“People were embedded in witchcraft and religion‚ and all kinds of ills of cultures.

“But the singular message was that good always triumphs over evil. That was the chief reason for making those movies.”

Iyke said “black magic” was a part of their reality they could not ignore if they were to tell authentic stories. He believes that telling real stories distinguishes African filmmakers from others.

The actor‚ who has been living in the US for the last four years‚ said filmmakers from around the world faced critical audiences.

“People will never always agree with the contents or concepts of a film. “However, sometimes that is the point. “As a storyteller‚ ours is to spark conversations and raise debates, in fact the more people react to the story‚ particularly with critics, the better.

“Because it means you are touching a nerve‚ you are doing something right.”

The Nigerian star said he was proud of the courage of African storytellers‚ such as what the makers of The Wound (Inxeba)‚ had shown in telling stories that sparked dialogues about “unpopular” topics from across the continent. — DDC to