By PORTRAYAL OF YORUBA TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION IN NIGERIAN FILMS: I AM ANGRY WITH SET DESIGNERS, PROPS MEN AND COSTUMIERS – Kolade Segun-Okeowo
I am constrained to speak this morning after watching some films over this weekend.
As a film actor, producer and director of over three decades, I have seen enough of some anomalies in the portrayal of the Yoruba traditional royal institution and I am compelled to speak out.
My anger is directed at costumiers/costume managers, props men and set designers including the film directors who encourage them.
It looks to me that many of these professionals only watch previous films to determine what sets and costumes should look like instead of studying the script and paying attention to what is obtainable according to the dateline of the story in question.
*1. COSTUMES OF KINGS & CHIEFS:* The choice of what costumes to be worn by actors should be determined by when the story took place. There is a deep confusion of what costumes royalty should wear in several Yoruba based movies. The use of traditional Aso Oke has become more of a cliche in Yoruba films than a portrayal of reality. If you are shooting a pre-independence (1960) Nigerian Yoruba film, the use of Aso Oke may suffice, but not a contemporary film. Which Oba in present day South West Nigeria sits to have meetings with his Chiefs in the palace wearing Aso Oke and a crown on his head???
That presentation is amusing and far from reality. I am a Prince and traditional chieftaincy titles holder. Besides, I have reasons to relate directly with several Obas and traditional Chiefs. What I see in our movies are not directly proportionate to what is obtainable in reality. The use of Aso Oke by Kings and royalty in today South West has become limited to ceremonies and purely traditional/cultural occasions.
The same thing goes for the use of the crowns. No Yoruba Oba sits with his Chiefs to have private meetings and wears a crown. No. Such is possible only on official & traditional occasions. Most will wear normal Yoruba caps or simply the white fez caps.
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Even during official occasions, many still prefer to wear the normal Yoruba caps. Crowns are rarely worn.
What many costumiers don’t know is that real crowns are usually heavy and Obas don’t like to wear them until it becomes compulsory. This is unlike the make-believe crowns brought to sets by props men and costumiers which are usually light.
For example, the weight of the crown worn by the Ooni of Ife during the Olojo festival is a topic of interest. According to some sources, the sacred Aare crown weighs around 400kg, while others claim it’s over 70kg spiritually. There is also a mention of it being around 150kg. Although these have not been confirmed, the truth is no King wants to wear such heavy “burdens” every now and then as we see in Yoruba movies.
I think the problem is because these professionals have over the years acquired and accumulated these materials and make a living from them. Therefore, they bring them to locations willy nilly not minding the dateline of the script and insist on usage whether necessary or not at least to justify the pay.
*2.THE PALACES OF KINGS:* More annoying is the portrayal of Kings palaces and rooms in movies. The same confusion of shooting epic films and contemporary ones comes to play here. I have been opportuned by virtue of my Princehood, political leanings, ministry to Kings and traditional Chieftaincy status to enter several palaces and even bedrooms of many Yoruba Kings. They do not look like what is portrayed in many of our movies. At best what we see in movies are figments of imagination and at best expression of creative intellctualism.
What worries me most is when I see palaces of Kings decorated with mats on the walls in a contemporary movie where characters in other locations are using I phones !!! I am tempted to scream “where does that happen in South West Nigeria ?” Please stop that. It is a misrepresentation and an insult to the Yoruba traditional royal institution.
To add more insult to injury, I see movies where Kings and Chiefs walk around barefooted !!! Again I scream “where does that happen in South West Nigeria ?” Please stop that.
Therefore, to all costumiers, props men and set designers before you portray Kings, Chiefs or even any character and their palaces or sets, do more than watching previous films, pay attention to realities. Visit palaces if you can. Be a guest at traditional occasions and watch with eyes for details. Ask questions from real Kings, Queens, Chiefs, Princes, Princesses and others close to the Yoruba traditional royal institution. They will tell you what these people and their real life situations look like.
*Stop the wrong portrayals.*
