Law as Narrative in Tunde Kelani’s Selected Films in the Cinema of Tunde Kelani: Aesthetics, Theatricalities and Visual Performance

Abstract

Tunde Kelani’s outstanding career in indigenous film production is worthy of study especially, vis-à-vis his position in contrast with most of his contemporaries whose plots, at best are unsophisticated. The poor scripting, poor film quality and bad translation of most films produced by most of his peers contrasted with his own production. The entrance of Tunde Kelani and his ilk have rekindled the multi-disciplinary interest of scholars in film discourse. My interest in this essay is to narrate law in selected films directed by Tunde Kelani. As case studies, I analyze two of his films (Saworoide and Agogo Eewo) and interpreting the law narrative thereof. This essay found that the selected films are blends of many ideas that lend itself to multi-disciplinary analysis. It concluded that the work espouses the clashes between the ancient and the modern traditions and episteme, whereby the modern man was desirous of enjoying the perquisites of an ancient stool without the detriments and restrictions imposed by such exalted office.