MORALITY AND ETHICS: A CRITICAL STUDY OF SELECTED NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN FILMS

The speed at which moral and ethical life standards are plummeting in human societies, especially among the youths is of general concern. Film is mostly blamed for projecting or reinforcing such moral-ethical debasements. The Church has often claimed to be at the vanguard of right moral and ethical propagation. Thus, the Church has joined the film industry for ‘corrective purposes’. This thesis “Morality and Ethics: A Critical Study of Selected Nigerian Christian Films” aims at probing the Nigerian Christian Film Industry by looking critically into the contents and themes of films to ascertain whether they truly convey such ingredients and qualities capable for use as campaign weaponry against moral and ethical decadence in society. How far they contain or have jettisoned those flaws which have been blamed on the secular films are also examined. The study relied on the Content Analysis Method as a
primary approach to data collection and interpretation. Five Nigerian Christian films selected from three major Nigerian regions and from three major Nigerian film market outlets were selected through the Fish Bowl technique of Simple Random Sampling Approach. It is observed from the research that majority of Nigerian Christian Films
are suitable for adult audience with little interest in the child and youth audience who are more enmeshed in moral decadence in the modern society. On the issue of morality and ethics there seems to be relatively no standardised ethical and moral parameter for all Nigerian Christian films. Some of the Nigeria Christian films are still involved in screening erotic, horror, crime and violent actions like their secular counterparts. Some of the Nigerian Christian films have not devised means of portraying the positive aspects of Nigerian culture instead they are also involved in
debasing it as evil, harmful and uncivilised. This study therefore recommends for the coordination and proper regulation of Christian Films through an internal regulatory body to be formed by the Christian Association of Nigeria. This will discourage unnecessary commercialisation, control contents and themes, technical standard as
well as encourage the integration of professional secular artistes and crew members in order to improve standards and gain wider audience appeal.

BY MORTANYA, GODFREY CHIEMEZIEM, A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE ARTS,
FACULTY OF ARTS, NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS (MA) DEGREE IN THEATRE ARTS