International records / OpenAlex research

Screens of Resistance: Nollywood, Cultural Activism, and the Politics of Social Commentary

Nollywood has long been celebrated as an engine of popular entertainment, yet its role as a medium of social critique and cultural activism is increasingly difficult to ignore. This article examines how Nigerian cinema has evolved into a site of resistance, where filmmakers deploy narrative, affect, and symbolism to contest corruption, gender oppression, and political violence. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines textual analysis of key films (King of Boys, Citation, Òlòt?ré, The Milkmaid, 4th Republic, Shanty Town) with audience reception data, the study shows that Nollywood’s interv…