On Intersections of Power and Vulnerability: A Critique of Nollywood, Heteropatriarchy, and Ideologies of Motherhood

Abstract

This article explores the representational politics of motherhood in Nollywood. It argues that a latent hetero-normative/patriarchal ideology shapes the construction of motherhood in Nollywood. Through a postcolonial media critique of both lived experiences and six purposively selected movies, I analyze the interplay of power and vulnerability in Nollywood’s portrayal of motherhood. Themes of heteropatriarchal fetishism, paradox of matripotency, and strategic silencing were identified. I propose a decolonial rethinking of normative ideologies, critique culturally sanctioned power imbalances, and invite more scholarship on queer politics and identities in Nollywood and postcolonial Nigeria. I conclude that to achieve equitable representation, Nollywood requires transformative reevaluation of how the mother-image is calibrated and negotiated. Producers must reflexively animate mother-affirming representations and critically examine the implied meaning of their portrayal of women/mothers.