Cinema Occultism as Pseudo-Realism: Using Achille Mbembe’s Concept of “The Double” to Rationalize Nollywood Film Audiences’ Fetish Mindset

Floribert Patrick C. Endong

Makale detayları

Cinema Occultism as Pseudo-Realism: Using Achille Mbembe’s Concept of “The Double” to Rationalize Nollywood Film Audiences’ Fetish Mindset

Yazarlar:

Floribert Patrick C. Endong

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Filmvisio Issue 4, pp.25-43

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340796

pISSN:

2980-3101

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Like other forms of fictional productions, Nollywood occult movies are makebelieve. Yet, it is not uncommon for African audiences and film directors with religious or fetish mindsets to believe that the content of these occult films is real and imbued with energies that can negatively affect viewers, cast, and crew. Despite their fictional nature, Nollywood audiences tendency to perceive occult movies as real has received limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, the present study examines Nollywood audiences superstitious mindset through the lens of Achille Mbembes concept of the Double. This paper specifically aims at three main objectives. First, it explores Nollywoods obsession with the occult. Second, it investigates how some audiences and film directors associate Nollywood occultism with realism. Lastly, it seeks to rationalize these viewers and film directors fetish dispositions in the light of Mbembes philosophical concept of The Double. The paper argues that the inclination of Nollywood audiences and film directors to associate cinematic occultism with realism stems from unscientific and speculative methods. Indeed, the religious and superstitious Nollywood audiences who view occult films as real often rely on intuitive approaches. These audiences tend to use an intertextual understanding to draw connections between the events depicted on screen and occult-related occurrences in real lifeevents that are not only prevalent but often regarded whether rightly or questionably as empirical evidence. In other words, audiences attribute a sense of truth and empirical value to everyday occult-related events. This religious disposition shapes their reception of filmic occultism. Off-screen occultism acts as a meta-influencer, prompting audiences to perceive the experience of filmic occultism as an authentic representation of reality.

 Like other forms of fictional productions, Nollywood occult movies are makebelieve. Yet, it is not uncommon for African audiences and film directors with religious or fetish mindsets to believe that the content of these occult films is real and imbued with energies that can negatively affect viewers, cast, and crew. Despite their fictional nature, Nollywood audiences tendency to perceive occult movies as real has received limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, the present study examines Nollywood audiences superstitious mindset through the lens of Achille Mbembes concept of the Double. This paper specifically aims at three main objectives. First, it explores Nollywoods obsession with the occult. Second, it investigates how some audiences and film directors associate Nollywood occultism with realism. Lastly, it seeks to rationalize these viewers and film directors fetish dispositions in the light of Mbembes philosophical concept of The Double. The paper argues that the inclination of Nollywood audiences and film directors to associate cinematic occultism with realism stems from unscientific and speculative methods. Indeed, the religious and superstitious Nollywood audiences who view occult films as real often rely on intuitive approaches. These audiences tend to use an intertextual understanding to draw connections between the events depicted on screen and occult-related occurrences in real lifeevents that are not only prevalent but often regarded whether rightly or questionably as empirical evidence. In other words, audiences attribute a sense of truth and empirical value to everyday occult-related events. This religious disposition shapes their reception of filmic occultism. Off-screen occultism acts as a meta-influencer, prompting audiences to perceive the experience of filmic occultism as an authentic representation of reality.

 Like other forms of fictional productions, Nollywood occult movies are makebelieve. Yet, it is not uncommon for African audiences and film directors with religious or fetish mindsets to believe that the content of these occult films is real and imbued with energies that can negatively affect viewers, cast, and crew. Despite their fictional nature, Nollywood audiences tendency to perceive occult movies as real has received limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, the present study examines Nollywood audiences superstitious mindset through the lens of Achille Mbembes concept of the Double. This paper specifically aims at three main objectives. First, it explores Nollywoods obsession with the occult. Second, it investigates how some audiences and film directors associate Nollywood occultism with realism. Lastly, it seeks to rationalize these viewers and film directors fetish dispositions in the light of Mbembes philosophical concept of The Double. The paper argues that the inclination of Nollywood audiences and film directors to associate cinematic occultism with realism stems from unscientific and speculative methods. Indeed, the religious and superstitious Nollywood audiences who view occult films as real often rely on intuitive approaches. These audiences tend to use an intertextual understanding to draw connections between the events depicted on screen and occult-related occurrences in real lifeevents that are not only prevalent but often regarded whether rightly or questionably as empirical evidence. In other words, audiences attribute a sense of truth and empirical value to everyday occult-related events. This religious disposition shapes their reception of filmic occultism. Off-screen occultism acts as a meta-influencer, prompting audiences to perceive the experience of filmic occultism as an authentic representation of reality.

 Diğer kurgusal yapımlar gibi, Nollywood okült filmleri de hayal ürünüdür. Ancak, dinî veya batıl inançlara sahip Afrikalı izleyiciler ve film yönetmenlerinin, bu okült filmlerin gerçek olduğuna ve izleyiciler, oyuncular ve ekip üzerinde olumsuz etkiler yaratabilecek enerjilerle dolu olduğuna inanması nadir bir durum değildir. Kurgu doğalarına rağmen, Nollywood izleyicilerinin okült filmleri gerçek olarak algılama eğilimi, akademik açıdan sınırlı bir dikkat çekmiştir. Bu boşluğu doldurmak amacıyla, bu çalışma, Nollywood izleyicilerinin batıl inançlı düşünce yapısını Achille Mbembenin Çift kavramı çerçevesinde incelemektedir. Bu makalenin üç ana amacı bulunmaktadır. İlk olarak, Nollywoodun okült ile olan takıntısını araştırır. İkinci olarak, bazı izleyicilerin ve film yönetmenlerinin Nollywood okültizmini realizmle nasıl ilişkilendirdiğini inceler. Son olarak, bu izleyicilerin ve film yönetmenlerinin batıl eğilimlerini, Mbembenin Çift adlı felsefi kavramı ışığında anlamlandırmayı hedefler. Makale, Nollywood izleyicilerinin ve film yönetmenlerinin sinematik okültizmi realizmle ilişkilendirme eğiliminin bilimsel olmayan ve spekülatif yöntemlerden kaynaklandığını savunmaktadır. Gerçekten de, okült filmleri gerçek olarak gören dindar ve batıl inançlı Nollywood izleyicileri genellikle sezgisel yaklaşımlara dayanır. Bu izleyiciler, ekranda görülen olaylarla gerçek hayatta sıkça rastlanan okült olaylar arasında bağlantılar kurmak için metinlerarası bir anlayış kullanma eğilimindedirbu olaylar sadece yaygın olmakla kalmaz, aynı zamanda doğru ya da tartışmalı bir şekilde ampirik kanıt olarak kabul edilir. Başka bir deyişle, izleyiciler günlük okült olaylarına bir tür doğruluk ve ampirik değer atfeder. Bu dinî tutum, filmdeki okültizmin izleyici tarafından alımlanma şeklini şekillendirir. Film dışındaki okültizm, izleyicilerin sinematik okült deneyimini gerçekliğin otantik bir temsili olarak algılamasına neden olan bir meta-etkileyici olarak işlev görür.

Makale detayları

Cinema Occultism as Pseudo-Realism: Using Achille Mbembe’s Concept of “The Double” to Rationalize Nollywood Film Audiences’ Fetish Mindset

Yazarlar:

Floribert Patrick C. Endong

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Filmvisio Issue 4, pp.25-43

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340796

pISSN:

2980-3101

Nollywood video films

realism

occult movies

Achille Mbembe

fetishismNollywood video filmleri

gerçekçilik

okült filmler

Achille Mbembe

fetişizm

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Floribert Patrick C. Endong

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Dergi: Filmvisio Issue 4, pp.25-43

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 12/2024

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340796

pISSN: 2980-3101

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Floribert Patrick C. Endong

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Filmvisio Issue 4, pp.25-43

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340796

pISSN:

2980-3101