A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF BOLANLE AUSTEN-PETERS’ HOUSE OF GA’A

Abstract

Semiotics, which is the study of signs and symbols and how they generate meaning, provides a valuable lens for understanding how films communicate cultural values, ideologies, and emotions beyond spoken language. This study is motivated by the need to deepen critical insight into the ways Nigerian historical films, especially Bolanle Austen-Peters’ House of Ga’a, employ visual, auditory, and narrative symbols to reflect Yoruba cosmology, moral balance, and political consciousness. The motivation also stems from the increasing recognition of Nollywood as a space for cultural reclamation and the limited scholarly attention given to the semiotic interpretation of indigenous signs in African cinema. The major objective of this study is to carry out a semiotic analysis of House of Ga’a using the theoretical perspectives of Ferdinand de Saussure, Charles Sanders Peirce, Roland Barthes, Umberto Eco, and Algirdas Julien Greimas. The study further seeks to interpret the film’s signs and symbols, examine how elements such as the throne, blood, rituals, regalia, and family relationships convey ideological meanings, and explore how these visual and narrative codes mirror Yoruba philosophical values and postcolonial experiences. Also, the study aims to show how Austen-Peters transforms historical events into a philosophical reflection on leadership, morality, ambition, and justice. Through a semiotic reading, this research establishes that House of Ga’a transcends its historical narrative to become a moral and cultural text that redefines African storytelling and reinforces Yoruba aesthetics within the global cinematic space.