“Better Half” is a Nigerian film following the Ruth Kadiri storytelling format, maintaining a characteristic approach.
Directed by Richard Nwosu and produced by Ruth Kadiri, "Better Half" narrates the events that unfold between Kanye (played by Chidi Dike), a young university student, and Sia (portrayed by Uche Montana), one of his lecturers.
Kanye has always been infatuated with Sia, to the point where he creates an online persona named Kennedy to connect with her and eventually enters into a relationship. In this fabricated identity, Kennedy poses as a long-distance lover residing in the United States, older than Sia. She accepts the proposal, and they proceed with a traditional wedding ceremony, where the groom is absent. It is only after the ceremony that Sia discovers she is actually married to her student Kanye.
The revelation leads to emotional turmoil for Sia, who feels betrayed and manipulated.
To be honest, the synopsis above is unsettling, as it reads like the introduction to a horror thriller. While our longing for romance, particularly with a wealthy and attractive partner, can fuel our imaginations, a storyline like this should raise red flags for most adults. Instead, we are presented with a narrative where a young man essentially manipulates a mature woman into marriage and then refuses to dissolve the union. Astonishingly, the elders in the story validate his stance and enable it.
Read also: Education and creative arts in Kenya
This is where the influence of our art begins to mirror society. In Nigerian culture, a persistent pursuit by a man, even after repeated rejections, is celebrated as “knowing what he wants” rather than being viewed as disrespectful towards a woman’s wishes. Similarly, a man who incessantly follows a woman is considered “persistent” rather than recognized as engaging in stalking behavior.
The movie “Better Half” centers on a very young male student, Kanye [Acted by Chidi Dike] who falls helplessly in love with his beautiful, sexy, and hardworking lecturer, Sia [Acted by Uche Montana]. This lecturer happens to be way older than him. So, Kanye finds other means [online dating means] to date Sia and lets his Grandfather, [Acted by Sir Chris Akwarandu] know about his intentions to marry Sia without being present on the wedding day. Sia falls deeply in love with Kanye oblivious that it is one of her students. After their wedding, Sia was taken to the house to see her husband and this happens… What happened?
This movie is beyond interesting. So, very interesting to watch. A good screenplay. No boring scenes, they are very intriguing.
Common Pitfalls in Nollywood
Aside from the storyline, Better Half falls into the familiar pitfalls commonly seen in Nollywood movies made for YouTube. One notable example is the portrayal of lecture halls and university settings, which can be quite amusing. Interestingly, it seems that the area around the Lekki Conservation Center has been exclusively used as the backdrop for these university scenes, yet no effort is made to conceal the prominent signage. There are scenes depicting students supposedly attending lectures, but they are shown entering doors leading to the Conservation Center’s office instead. Additionally, the lecture halls themselves are rather comical, as they lack desks entirely.
Another issue lies in the insertion of music within the scenes. It often feels as though the music plays on a repetitive loop, occasionally coming to an abrupt end, resulting in silent scenes until someone from the production team realizes and presses “replay” again.
Read also: Delicious African Recipes
Performances
In terms of performances, Uche Montana and Detola Jones (portraying her friend ‘Muna’) are the ones carrying the weight in this film. Unfortunately, Chidi Dike appears woefully unprepared to tackle the role of the male lead.
Should You Watch “Better Half”?
Based on the comments on the movie, if you are the average Nigerian, particularly one who grew up in the country and shares the prevailing values of your community, there is a strong likelihood that you will appreciate the romantic aspects of this film.
Nollywood and Representation of Women
From its roots in TV dramas, produced by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in the 70s and 80s, the Nigerian movie industry has grown into the second largest movie industry in the world (by volume of films made) and Nigeria’s second largest employer outside of agriculture. In the past decade, Nollywood (a term used to describe Nigeria’s movie industry, coined by New York Times journalist Norimitsu Onishi in 2002) movies have generated millions of dollars in box office numbers and the popularity of Nigerian movies have reached global levels.
Unfortunately, as with many things in Nigeria, women have benefited the least from Nollywood’s success. Roles in front of, and behind the camera, are still heavily dominated by men while considerably more male-led productions are greenlit or able to secure funding relative to the female-led options. Perhaps most egregious is the fact that Nigerian women are mostly portrayed in Nollywood movies through the lens of harmful and dangerous stereotypes such as subservience, dependence on male figures, and a lack of ambition. It is common to see female characters in Nollywood films portrayed as homemakers, child bearers, cooks, care givers, sex workers, and other background roles that only serve to reinforce traditional gender roles for women.
“Considering that women make up 60% of the Nollywood film audience, it is important that women are represented better in films, rather than telling the story from the male gaze: from characterization to story, costumes, and more,” actor and producer Eku Edewor told BusinessDay in April 2021.
Read also: Experiences of Mixed-Race Individuals
These stereotypical portrayals of women impress on Nigerian society and are harmful to women in that they encourage the audience to continue to promote the same norms that have allowed gender inequality to flourish in Nigeria.
Fortunately, there are Nigerian movies that have not toed this line but rather the opposite: showcasing powerful, well-rounded, and more representative women-led characters.
Here are some examples of Nigerian movies showcasing powerful women:
- Lionheart (2018): Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut, the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria, follows Adaeze Obiagu (played by Nnaji) as she steps up to save her father’s business.
- Muna (2019): An action thriller featuring Adesua Etomi-Wellington as Muna, a survivor of sexual abuse and trafficking on a revenge mission.
- King of Boys (2018): Starring Adesua Etomi-Wellington and Sola Sobowale, this film tells the story of a powerful businesswoman whose political ambitions are threatened by her underworld connections.
- 93 Days (2016): One doctor’s action was critical to the containment of the Ebola virus outbreak in Nigeria in 2014: Dr.
Here is a table summarizing the movies mentioned above:
| Movie Title | Year | Director | Main Actress | Plot Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionheart | 2018 | Genevieve Nnaji | Genevieve Nnaji | A woman steps up to save her father's business. |
| Muna | 2019 | Kevin Nwankwor | Adesua Etomi-Wellington | A survivor of abuse seeks revenge. |
| King of Boys | 2018 | Kemi Adetiba | Sola Sobowale | A businesswoman's ambitions are threatened by her connections. |
| 93 Days | 2016 | Steve Gukas | Bimbo Akintola | The containment of the Ebola virus outbreak in Nigeria in 2014 |
