Mary-Isabella A. Chidi-Igbokwe1, Cindy A. Ezeugwu2, Cynthia Nwabueze3, Alphonsus C. Ugwu4 & Emeka Aniago5
1, 2, 3Theatre & Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
4Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
5Theatre & Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. ORCID id 0000-0003-3194-1463. Email: emekaaniago@gmail.com
Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 4, December, 2022. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n4.06
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Abstract
The need to proffer solutions to the consequences of girl-child forced marriages in Nigeria has continued to draw scholarly attention within the ambits of sociology, history, law and human-right, women and gender studies, health, and psychology studies. However, studies examining the application of Nollywood films as advocacy texts in this regard are scarce. In response to this gap, this study examines interpretively Stephanie Linus’ ‘Dry’ as a filmic advocacy text, portraying the psychological trauma and the socio-economic burden of girl-child marriages in northern Nigeria. Our interpretive analyses utilize theories espousing how denial of childhood can become traumatic to the child-wives and eventually become a socio-economic burden to their family, community, and country. The key observation is that ‘Dry’ typifies a proper and efficacious utilization of film as an advocacy platform to interrogate and communicate matters relating to health and wellbeing revolving around girl-child forced marriages.
[Keywords: child-marriage, filmic advocacy, girl-child right, northern Nigeria, trauma]