Female Narratives in Nollywood Melodramas

Dr. Elizabeth Johnson is an Associate Professor of History and Social Sciences at Governors State University. She is the author of Resistance and Empowerment in Black Women’s Hairy Styling. She has published articles in the following journals: World Literary Review, MP: An Online Feminist Journal, and Southwest Journal of Cultures. Her research and speaking interests are grounded in group identity and critical race theory including hair aesthetics, body image, nineteenth-century U.S. history, and media representations of ethnicity and gender.Dr. Donald Culverson is a University Professor of Political Science and Justice Studies at Governors State University. He is the author of Contesting Apartheid: U. S. Activism, 1960-1987. He has published articles in the following journals: Political Science Quarterly, Race and Class, and Transafrica Forum. His research focuses on globalization and its relationship to racial inequality.

• I. IntroductionII. Alternative Frames for Viewing and Thinking about Nollywood FilmsIII. The Women of Nollywood: Suffering and AgencyIV. Differential Access to Nollywood Films V. Female Directors and Producers VI. Concluding ThoughtsAppendix A: Themes of suffering in the nine selected filmsAppendix B: Themes of agency in the nine selected filmsAppendix C: African/African Diasporic Film FestivalsAppendix D: African female filmmakersFilmographyBibliographyAbout the Authors

The authors have provided an in-depth study of Nollywood, depicting rich African cultural and traditional values, exploring the reconstruction of West African women and examining the role of online communities, making it a must-read for Nollywood fans.