The disqualification of Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut ‘Lionheart’ by the 2020 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) has been generating reactions from social media users across the globe.
TruetellsNigeria gathered that the movie, which is Nigeria’s first-ever submission for the Oscars in the Best International Feature film category, was disqualified prior to screening for Academy voters in the international category on Wednesday.
The majority of fans and celebrities have taken different standpoints on the recent development, while some were critical, some made a joke out of the issue which is the most discussed on twitter.
While some social media users are not taking the disqualification with a pinch of salt, others are calling on Nigerian producers to pay attention to details and do greater works that will eventually go beyond the screening stage.
David Lammy and a few others questioned the chances of Nigerian films from ever making a name at the Oscars owing to English being regarded as the official language of Nigeria.
To think that some Nigerians actually complained that Lionheart had too much igbo! Only for the oscars to think it has too much English??
Total BS! Honestly I don’t even care for the oscars at this point! They might aswell change the name back to “Foreign language”
— Steven Chuks (@SteveChuks_) November 5, 2019
Lionheart was a “feelgood” movie and I loved it. It was largely free from typical Nollywood “loudness” and abrasive acting deemed as dramatic. The part I loved the most was when Pete Edochie spoke Hausa. That part won me over than all UpNorth (another great one) did for the North
— Osaretin Victor Asemota (@asemota) November 5, 2019
Going to watch Lionheart again this evening ❤️
— Ebuka Obi-Uchendu (@Ebuka) November 5, 2019
On Lionheart.
It’s okay if you say you disqualified a movie because the story line isn’t good enough. Or the picture quality. Or the sound.
But why penalize because the movie is in English, the country’s official language?
Common colonizer.
— ‘Tunde Omotoye (@TundeTASH) November 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/Cutewalterr/status/1191597286217977856
And then there were 92, because Nigeria submitted a film mostly in English to the category formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film. https://t.co/ubzQfIqPqP
— Steve Pond (@stevepond) November 4, 2019
So if Lionheart had been produced and scripted in the Igbo and Hausa language that the storyline was based on, but given English subtitles, would it have qualified for the Oscar in the category of Best International Feature Film? 🤔🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♀️
— ✨👑 DaddyMO👑✨🏁 (@therealdaddymo1) November 5, 2019
Lionheart has been disqualified from the Oscars awards. Reason being that the movie had too much English. Are they passing a message to Africa/Nigeria? pic.twitter.com/0il36xMkGQ
— Obinna Nwosu (@obi_Nwosu) November 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/TheBullofJohn_/status/1191616446272614400
https://twitter.com/BiyiThePlug/status/1191609405524987904
Something about this doesn't seem fair. The film was disqualified because it's mostly in English. Meanwhile, the official language of Nigeria is….English. https://t.co/oKOIQpBRRV
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) November 4, 2019
Wow @TheAcademy, disqualify Nigeria’s first-ever submission for Best International Feature. Despite 500 ethnic languages, English is the official language of Nigeria. They cannot change their coloniser. Are they barred from winning an Oscar forever ? https://t.co/UPpH4oBpX0
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 5, 2019
Some social media users, while lauding the feat Lionheart pulled since its submission and eventual disqualification, explained that the rules are clearly spelled out for the International Feature film category.
A Twitter user, Obed Jefferson posed a question, asking if the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) who picked ‘Lionheart’, failed to read the criteria before nominating the movie.
1/1 1/2 Thank you so much @ava❤️.
I am the director of Lionheart. This movie represents the way we speak as Nigerians. This includes English which acts as a bridge between the 500+ languages spoken in our country; thereby making us #OneNigeria. @TheAcademy https://t.co/LMfWDDNV3e— Genevieve Nnaji MFR (@GenevieveNnaji1) November 4, 2019
Is it that those who submitted Lionheart as an entry to the Oscar didn't read d rules or, or they just tried to beat the system by being fraudulent?
The rule is the rule. This is not a Nigerian base award where we could bend d rules.
Take a grid. pic.twitter.com/SS6OUC3MUW— DEON (@TBoywonder) November 5, 2019
“Didn’t she know the rules?” was what they said when Firdaus refused to remove her hijab for her call to bar. The next year, the rule was changed and she was called to bar.
Ava’s point was not that Lionheart was qualified for the category, but that the rules make no sense.
— Ụlọma (@ulxma) November 5, 2019
