Protest Culture and Protesters' Ignoramus in Yoruba Film: A Study of Femi Adebayo's Seven Doors Production

Abstract

Protest culture being an integral part of humanity in any society entails individuals and groups using various forms of protest to express dissent, challenge authority, and advocate for social change. Protesters ignoramus becomes the act of an individual who’s uninformed is particularly relevant in the context of protest culture. Film as a modern mode of communication involves telling a story by creating images as illusion. This study, therefore aims at examining the intersection of protest culture and protesters' ignorance through film production. The study adopts qualitative approach that uses descriptive and content analysis as instruments.  A Yoruba film with five (05) series of Femi Adebayo with cultural elements of protest culture has been purposively selected: Seven Doors. This study, thus aims at examining the intersection of protest culture and protesters' ignorance through a thematic analysis of Femi Adebayo's film, Seven Doors. Findings reveal the ways in which Seven Doors portrays the complexities of protest culture, highlighting the tensions between informed activism and uninformed mobilization. It exposes the catharsis and regrets of protesters at the end of the protest in the form of an action regretted due to lack of adequate information and genuine reason for the protest before it ever happens. Findings also extrapolate a deeper understanding of the dynamics of protest culture and the importance of informed engagement in social movements through the lens of Social Learning Theory. Ultimately, this paper provides a new insight into the ways in which cultural film productions like Seven Doors can shape and reflect societal attitudes towards protest and social change.