How Showmax is making a case for local content through Diiche

Old Nollywood and films from that time are remembered fondly today. The memes and videos from that era are shared across the internet with lines from old Nollywood films printed on T-shirts. Old Nollywood-themed parties where guests come dressed as cosplays of characters from that time have happened all over cities in Nigeria and even in cities like London and New York.

Old Nollywood’s pop culture moment has been attributed to nostalgia. But beneath the shiny surface, one would see that old Nollywood’s endearment is tied to its authenticity.

I have been a firm believer that one of the many successes of old Nollywood was how well it captured the zeitgeist of its time. How socio-culturally relevant the films were. The 90s and early 2000s were rife with news of ritual killings for wealth and armed robbery, and it translated into many films that were moralistic tales condemning such acts, one being the film that started the industry as it is today–the 1992 Living in Bondage. Its success spurred other filmmakers into making films with a similar storyline, while some found their voice in stories very different from the film. Living in Bondage was an Igbo-language film but it was watched across the country, from Lagos to Kano. In non-Igbo cities and towns.

Genre films were also common at that time. Tunde Kelani made allegories condemning the political class. Amaka Igwe’s films reflected Nigerian society and condemned social vices. Tchidi Chikere’s films were concerned with depicting romance and family life in the village. Kenneth Nnebue was popular for his moralistic Christian propaganda films. Tade Ogidan’s dramas were about family life and crime. Their stories were unique and different but what they all shared was the authenticity that they reflected Nigerians, that you could look around your neighbourhood and find the characters represented in their films.

But a shift happened from 2006 that saw a different band of filmmakers who were ultra-focused on the lives of the upper middle class and with characters that had barely any cultural rooting beyond their names, and that has followed till now. And even worse now, our stories have become more and more focused on glamour. It is why a project like Diiche stands out. It is why I found Diiche exciting.

With Diiche, Nollywood seems geared towards tracing itself back to its root, towards finding its originality, to what made it so loved in the first place, and how it was able to make its mark in the film world despite technical challenges. Before the advent of fancy cameras and gears.

For the uninitiated, Diiche is a Showmax Nigerian Original limited drama series about an actor who must confront her dark side and the secrets of her past when her fiancé is found murdered.

The logline already tells you it’s a whodunnit. But, I promise you, the world of the show is more expansive. Delving into details would be spoiling the show for you. But let me leave you with a sentiment that I had when the showrunner James Omokwe sent me a preview teaser; I had uttered words along these lines to myself, “enough of filmmaking that are mere reimaginings of Hollywood!” Enough of derivative storytelling.

From that simple teaser, I could see that the show had a quality of difference. That it wasn’t the same old, same old. Watching the show now, the sentiment remains. And it goes beyond the lines of Igbo dialogue. It’s in the contextualization of the story in the mythologies and customs of Igbo culture. And I am impressed and heartened that the show achieved success in the telling. That the cultural nuance in the story did not come off as contrived, or as mere decoration.

Especially impressed by the fifth episode of the show, I had to speak with Diiche’s creator Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi about her motivation for grounding the story in Igbo culture. This is what she had to say:

“Lately, I have been studying a lot of work on the Igbo pantheon, gods, and so on. Also on Igbo History. I have been looking into Igbo mythology and beliefs because I am a big culture head. It is all very fascinating. I love telling stories that weave in Nigerian culture and I hope to expand outside the Igbo, but for now – my creative space is Igbo. Originally, when the first draft of Diiche was pitched, it was a stripped-down version that didn’t have all of that included.”

An executive with MultiChoice suggested that the show be rooted firmly in Nigerian culture. Chidi took the plunge and did so.

“James heard the story and added another layer and I appreciate how it all came together,” she concluded. I couldn’t agree more. Has it paid off? Let me give you a little assignment. Search #DiicheShowmax on Twitter. Diiche is loved by the audience and critics alike.

It gladdens my heart. I hope other Nigerian filmmakers are taking note. This is what we want. Not champagne-popping on yachts. Not characters with British and American affectations. Not stories we have seen a million times in Hollywood films. Not gorgeous gowns.

The full season of Diiche is currently available to binge watch on www.showmax.com. You can also be a part of the conversation on social media with #DiicheShowmax.