Audience reception of the Benin language video film in Nollywood

This article inquires into the Benin-speaking audience's reception of Benin video films in order to show their status as part of a micro-national film culture in Nollywood. It holds that, apart from films of English expression, Nollywood films have been made in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Nupe, Benin, among other indigenous languages. The article argues that, although studies on Nollywood are increasing by the day, very few of these studies deal with questions of audience - and fewer still with audience reception. It uses the reception model developed by Susan Bennett, and builds on Karin Barber's insights into African performance and performative contexts. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to interrogate the Benin-speaking audience's perception of Benin video films. It affirms that a majority of Benin viewers is enamoured of the Benin video because in it they find a portrayal of their culture. In particular, the use of iconic-cultural materials such as the artefacts, festivals, the language and mores of the people are perceived by the sampled audience as a projection of Benin culture. The study concludes that Benin video film has emerged as a viable variant of Nollywood owing to a large Benin-speaking audience and a production of about 400 movies. Iruemwin na keghi nota kaen vbene emwan ya mien oren yi ighe iku usaaro mien oghe Edo ne a mien ere na rhiere maan zee vbe ukpo ne ne iran na zee, zee vbe o kpa vbe usuen emwan no mwen arree o ghe ikueta vbe Noliwudu. O roo we, Noliwudu mwen ikueta nibun vbe avbe uru evbo Iyoroba, Hausa, Igbo Nukpe, Edo kevbe ovbehe nibun. Ne iruewmwin rri ere maan we iruemwin nibun maan ire guan kaen avbe ota oghe ebu nidamweneho, ra na dolo tae, ibuzeghe emwan o re rue kaen vbene ebu emwan ya mien yi ighe ikueta na ru ladian, aghe rre mien we irue emwin Noliwudu wa muan ayo muan ayo. O ke ighi lo iruemwin a mien yi ze vbe ne Suzan Bennetti ya rhan oto ere vbenen o na ya ta vbene emwan Afrika ya kue ere he, zee vbe ne imwina oghe Kari Baba rhan eren. Ne iruemwin lo ode ughughan oghe vbene ovee ewae seere kevbe vbene orue ekpataki seere ya no ebu emwan ne ze Edo ota ekpae avbe ikueta nearu ladian vbe uru Edo. O keghi se agbada vbe unu tae we ivbie Edo nibun rue emwen ikueta oghe Edo rhunmwunda we o keghi rhieremaan ighe arree oghe Edo. Ne agha lo emwin arree, avbe idugie kevbe unu evbomwan na ze keghi ere ne ebu emwan iso wa rhan obo mien ze vbe a ton mu o ghe arre Edo. Ne iruemwin keghi tae vbe ufomwen ore