Tradition and Culture: A Reflection of African Society in Femi Adebayo’s Film; Seven Doors.
Publication Date: 01/05/2025
Author(s): Ajala Adeola Toyosi (Ph.D.), Adeyanju Adewumi Raphael, Adebagbo Adebanjo.
Volume/Issue: Volume 8, Issue 2 (2025)
Page No: 1-20
Journal: International Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics (IJLLL)
Abstract:
African traditions and cultural heritage are deeply embedded in the values, beliefs, and practices passed down through generations. Despite the pressures of modernization and globalization, preserving these traditions remains crucial to maintaining African identity. This study examines Seven Doors, a Nigerian limited series directed by Femi Adebayo, as a depiction of cultural artifact that reflects and preserves African heritage. The film, set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, explores themes of monarchy, tradition, morality, and the tension between cultural continuity and modernity. Using the Afrocentric Theory as a framework, the study analyses the film’s narrative structure, symbolic elements, and visual representations to highlight its role in cultural preservation. The research employs a qualitative analysis to highlight the cultural practices and its function in preserving and advancing African heritage. The findings reveal that Seven Doors serves as a medium for promoting African values such as kingship, ancestral reverence, communal responsibility, and indigenous knowledge systems. The film’s depiction of language, rituals, music, and spirituality reinforces the significance of oral traditions and storytelling in African societies. Additionally, the study underscores the challenges posed by cultural erosion and external influences, emphasizing the necessity for continued cultural introspection through creative media. By examining Seven Doors as a cinematic representation of African identity, this research contributes to the discourse on the role of film in safeguarding heritage and fostering cultural pride.
Keywords:
African Traditions, Cultural heritage and preservation, Afrocentric Theory, modernisation and globalisation, cultural erosion and external influences.
