Nollywood

"Pieter Hugo (Johannesburg, 1976; lives in Cape Town) is one of the most representative photographers of his generation. With great capacity of penetration, his works explore the most striking contradictions of African societies, together with certain peripheral aspects which are nonetheless dense in meaning. For the production of his Nollywood series, with its large size pictures, the artist frequented in 2008 and 2009 the sets of the Nigerian film industry. With an eye that is at once detached from but in dialogue with the subjects of his portraits – with whom he always builds up relationships of mutual awareness – Hugo is fascinated by the borderline situations he identifies on his trips throughout Africa.

Nollywood is said to be the third largest film industry in the world, releasing onto the home video market approximately 1 000 movies each year. Such abundance is possible since films are realized in conditions that would make most of the western independent directors cringe. Movies are produced and marketed in the space of a week: low cost equipment, very basic scripts, actors cast the day of the shooting, 'real life' locations. Despite the improvised production process, they continue to fascinate audiences."

Hugo exhibits at the e x t r a s p a z i o gallery, Rome, from 25th Nov 2009 to 9th Jan 2010.

This image: Obechukwu Nwoye. Enugu, Nigeria, 2008