Banned by Nigerian Government, fuelling poverty competes for best documentary at 2013 AMAA
The film was banned by the Nigerian government on April 8.
The documentary Fuelling Poverty, described as a national threat by the Nigerian government, has received industry acclaim following its nomination for the 2013 African Movie Academy Award, AMAA, in Malawi.
On March 15, barely 25 days to the ban announced by the Nigeria Film and Video Censor Board, NFVCB, fuelling poverty, a documentary made by Ishaya Bako, was announced, amidst pomp, one of the best made documentary for the year 2013.
AMAA, a highly competitive and arguably the most important African film event and awards, nominated Mr. Bako’s documentary in accordance with its core values of professionalism, excellence, integrity and passion.
The NFVCB however consider “highly provocative and likely to incite or encourage public disorder and undermine national security” as it banned the airing and distribution of the film.
The NFVCB, in a letter dated April 8, warned Mr. Bako to desist from distributing the film, a move described by critics as anti- democratic and a descent into the Gestapo style of clamping down on the media adopted during military regimes.
In a twist of event, though, the film which was already on YouTube, a video sharing website, garnered more viewing than would have been possible had the ban not been announced.
After the announcement and the subsequent exclusive publication of the ban by PREMIUM TIMES, activists on social media urged all Nigerians to go to the video sharing site to watch the documentary.
The call received massive compliance as the film rose from a low popularity level of about five thousand views to 46, 397 views, a development analysts and media rights activists have said might have been impossible if the NFVCB had let the film be.
The Federal Government “made a serious mistake,” Tive Denedo, the Campaign Director of the Media Rights Agenda said, “More people will now want to see the film.”
Social media activists say this is just the beginning of good times for the film as they intend for the video to grow even more popular.
Clearly the government has no power over what is viewed on social media. What is not so clear at the moment is if the NFVCB ban will affect the documentary’s performance at the awards ceremony which holds on Saturday, April 20, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Nominated for the best documentary category at the AMAA awards, Fuelling Poverty, might have another hurdle to scale, perhaps two – will it win the best documentary award; will it even be allowed continued participation at the AMAA?
Organizers of the awards could not be reached for comments Friday. But Mr. Bako is optimistic. “As it stands the film is still nominated,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
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