Crappy Foreign Film Knock-Offs: Nigerian “Purple Rain”

One of the biggest film industries in the world is in Nigeria. Nollywood, as it is known, churns out films that are seen all over Africa and the Middle East. They tend to be action films, as these are more universally appealing. But sometimes they decide to remake American films, just like they do in Bollywood. In this case we have Christopher Kirkley's Nigerian version of the Prince classic Purple Rain.

The movie is described by the director as "A revolutionary story of guitars, motorcycles, cell phones – and the music of a new generation". I'm not entirely sure what the hell that means, but there you go. It is called Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai, which translates into "Rain the Color of Blue With a Little Red in It". It tells the tale of Mdou Moctar who rides around Nigeria on his purple motorcycle with his guitar rocking out in local music styles. It doesn't have the rivalry with Morris Day and the time, but Mdou does get into some scrapes. It's silly and overwrought, but if you like African music the soundtrack is pretty good.

You have to wonder why someone would make a remake of Purple Rain thirty years later and set it in Nigeria. Maybe that movie is still popular there. Perhaps young boys still put up pictures of Apolonia on their walls.