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June 02, 2005
Nollywood days: If your mother gives you your father's land
Nigeria Online deciphers how movies are made in Nigeria's "Nollywood" today, from agronomist-turned-director Chico Ejiro: "These days, we are trying our best, but we still have problems, in terms of professionalism... technically, equipment-wise, even finance, so we are praying to God and hoping that with time, we would get better. Hollywood was not built in a day. And Bollywood in India too. With time, our own Nollyhood would get there. In Africa now, Nigeria number one. They should give us time.” With over 80 movies to his credit... his most memorable? ... Silent Night was one movie I loved because it was a very emotional story where a father had to sentence his own son to death by firing squad. ... How does one start out as a director in the industry? "You must be focused. As far back as 1988 when there was no movie industry, I’ve been there. Then they paid us fifty Naira per episode. ... If you don’t have the spirit to fight, and you give in any time you face an obstacle, you can’t succeed in this industry. You must have a dream." ...In Hollywood, you have big corporations like Banks, when you want to shoot a film, you send in your proposal and they finance it. Do you know how we shoot films in Nigeria? If you are my uncle and you have money, I would walk up to you and say, borrow me 2 or 3 million. Let’s be sincere with ourselves, how many banks would loan you that kind of money. Like Ameze, she sold her mother’s land to shoot Flesh and Blood. So, if your dream in life is to be a movie producer and your mother gives you your father’s land and you sell it, use the proceed to produce a movie and you bring back the money, what would you do? Would you go and use greenhorns? No. You will go for [local stars], because you’re sure the people would first buy movies featuring those stars, so that you can recover your money. So, what I’m trying to say is that, we are businessmen as well, despite the fact that I want to make a new star, I would look for people too that would make me recover my investment at the end of the day." [More anecdotes at the link.]
Posted by at June 2, 2005 01:40 PM
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