SOMETIMES I ENVY WRITERS AND FILMMAKERS FROM THE SOUTH EAST AND SOUTH SOUTH- ABUBAKAR SANI. (PHOTO).

 Sometimes I envy writers and filmmakers from the South East and South South.

The creatives in these two regions truly understand the art of storytelling, especially when it comes to passing information and documenting history. I’ve read many books and watched several movies that talk about the Nigerian Civil War and its aftermath, stories of communities affected by oil spillage, stories about human trafficking, and many others. These show how serious they are about telling their stories and preserving history for future generations. Even though some of those works may be one-sided or sometimes biased, at least they have made an effort to tell their own side.

I remember in 2020 when some human rights organizations sponsored a movie titled Fatal Arrogance to tell the story of the Shiites’ massacre by the military in Zaria in 2015. But our own people heavily criticized the movie, which eventually led to the cancellation of the production. The film featured actors like Pete Edochie, Yakubu Muhammad, and others.

Yakubu Muhammad, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said he noticed some errors in the script and made observations and corrections before production continued.

Even though the movie might have had its flaws, at least they tried to speak for the voiceless, something Northern filmmakers have not even attempted.

I will continue to challenge our filmmakers in Northern Nigeria to put Indian-style stories aside, stop making films only for the Kano audience, and start promoting our own stories for a global audience. Always remember that no one will tell your story better than you, and if you allow someone else to tell it for you, then you have no right to question how they tell it.