Recently came across this video written/directed by rapper turned Film Maker Tosin Igho(@Tosin_Igho), like his colleague Sanchez Aghohawa(How She Left My Brother) he’s ventured into the Web Series arena,and it’s pretty good, a lil rough story wise, but it’s definitely a good watch.
We are making progress people. Look out world, Nu Nigerian Cinema is here to stay.
So, i was reading a blog by Seth Godin (brilliant mind, great writer). And there was an entry titled
“Is to stand for something when you’re here. Works for people, works for brands”.
Now, he’s talking about brands and marketing, but in my case, and in my current thinking, i applied it to film making and writing(my first love).
A few weeks ago a programme came on TV,talking about how Shakespeare plays were being reset in a African setting by African thespians in diaspora. It really struck me. Shakespeare has been dead for several centuries now, but yet, his stories remain so relevant, to many cultures he may never even heard about.
In the 20th century alone, there were countless incarnations, retellings and simple renditions of his stories, both on and the stage and screen. Makes me wonder , if he knew his stories would transcend over a 100 years on.
Then later on, the Sight&Sound list came out , and Citizen Kane’s reign of over 40 years at the number one spot , was toppled by “Vertigo”, another film that is over 40 years old.Several of other Hitchcock films are highly regarded classics, and just a few days ago his post humous 113th birthday was acknowledged by fans worldwide(just shows how much awe and respect he is still regarded in) 32 years after his death.
It initiated another thought. There are film makers out there churning out movie after movie, sometimes 3-4 (or more) in a year. Now, while they may make a killing at the box office,in the next 5, 10,20, 50 years, how will those films be seen? Would anyone remember them? Would they be stored on the virtual holographic cloud drive of future generations 25 years from now? Will they have film school students, in awe of what you were able to achieve, analysing it to see what they can pick up? Would it just be a great oldie to watch and be entertained? Would it have film fans and critics pontificating about your work as a film maker. Or literary stalwarts , chat over coffee about your great writers voice. Do you really want to make a film, that people may enjoy, but never desire to own or see again and quickly forget by the time another movie comes out?
Not everything we do as artists, is going to be a masterpiece. Not everything will enter the annals of what is deemed as “classic”. Not everything has to aim to be an award winner or critics choice. There are many pop corn/escapist books and movies that transcend generations. However, i think we should aim to create things that would enable people to remember us when we are gone and continue to enjoy our creative output centuries after we are laid to rest. After all, isn’t that why we are artists?
The Godfather
Considered to be one of the greatest American film ever made, every aspiring film maker need to see this and just be awed by it. Great writing, brilliant cinematography, had one of the greatest cast ensemble. A young Copolla created a masterpiece, and unknown to many, was in constant danger of being fired and replaced, because the studios disagreed with his casting of a young Al Pacino as opposed to Robert Redford who was already an lister. He stuck to his gut and the gamble paid off. The Godfather consistently remains in the top 5 of greatest films ever made We can only guess, where the film would be, if Coppola had caved in to the wishes of the studio.
Citizen Kane
CK has amazing cinematography, in fact, it was ground breaking , and in some cases still remains unsurpassed. It was phenomenal acting and did a lot of pioneering things on the screen. One of the most amazing things about the legendary Citizen Kane, is that it was co written, directed and produced by Orson Well at the age of 23, not only that! It was a feature debut. There is debate as to what makes it so great but the fact is, that right up there with The Godfather, it remains amongst the top five in the list of the greatest films ever committed to film. If not for the technical and the arts. Watch just to realize what a 23 year old with research tenacity and ambition was able to achieve.
El Mariachi
If you’re an aspiring film maker , with no studio funding or millionaire daddy funding your films and you’ve never heard of this film, shame on you, In fact, stop reading and go away. ,,Ok you can stay. In the world of independent cinema and guerrilla film maker this is the stuff of legends. Armed with a camera, two lamps , a wheel chair and a $7,000 budget a 24 year old Robert Rodriguez came out with this debut that stunned the studios. Rodriguez’s creed paraphrased is, look at your environment,, and write your story with what you have not what you want. The sheer innovation and creativity to create an entertaining film . This was once of the first films shot on video that was purchased by a studio for distribution. Rodriguez continues to use the same principles to make his films and is one of the few film makers that is able to make studio films out of his own home, literally.
Breathless
Another legendary film in the annals of cinema. Written and Directed by Jean Luc Goddard, there was no big budget or luxury of large cast and crew. This was one of the films that defined the French Nu Wave(read up on it, inspiring). It’s said that Goddard could not afford a dolly, so he just got a wheelchair and pushed his cameraman around on that. He also could not secure city permission to shoot on the streets, so it was done mostly guerrilla style, with real people on the streets.
CLERKS
This is one film that you must see, just to realize that you don’t need huge set pieces, explosions or car chases to make an engaging movie., a huge lesson in location economy. Written and directed by Kevin Smith, loosely based on his own life as a store clerk, Clerk took the film industry by storm. Financed by loans from family, friends raised the film’s minuscule $27,000 budget by selling off his comic collection, borrowing $3,000 from his parents and maxing out his credit cards. Kevin Smith cultivated a cult classic. The story takes place mostly in and around the convenience store that the main character works in. It’s potty mouthed, controversial and quite nutty, and it launched a career for Smith and a long time partnership with the Weinstein Brothers.
Annie Hall
This is the movie that is a romantic comedy classic, that not only did not have happy ending , but defied everything that you see in rom coms these days. From the fragmented chronology, the breaking of the fourth wall, animations, characters interacting with scenes from the past. Annie Hall did a lot of pioneering and very different things on the screen. It’s no wonder it won Best Original Screenplay, iin my opinion one of the most deserved in the past few decades. Don’t just duplicate what is out there, dare to be different. Don’ follow a formula script of what you think might work, be innovative and creative.
There are a lot more films , which i have not listed and will do so at some other point, but for now, Happy viewing.
No, i’m not talking about the Chris De Burgh song, that one is actually Lady in Red(1986).I’m referring to a minor character from a scene from the 99 hit “pop culture affecting, trendsetter”, movie THE MATRIX. (there’s only one Matrix, the others are Fa(ke)trix,Wa(ck)trix)
There is a scene where Morpheous(Lawrence Fishburne) is guiding Neo(Keanu Reeves) through the rush hour streets in matrix.
He talks as he walks , revealing to him(Neo) the world they are in;how it functions, the dangers ahead. Struggling to keep up Neo is suddenly takes his eyes off Morpheous as he’s distracted by a beautiful woman in a red dress, that walks by with a sweet smile. Morpheous , notices and queries
MORPHEOUS:Were you paying
attention,or were looking at the woman in the red dress
NEO:Huh
MORPHEOUS:Look again
Neospins around to find Agent Smith at point blank range with a Glock
22,the room freezes
It turned out to be a training sequence, just a simulation of The Matrix , the agent wasn’t real,but Neo had learned a vital lesson that day,much like Lot’s wife , when you take your eyes off the goal, very bad things are likely to happen to you.
While this is not an endorsement for the movie,one can take a vital lesson from it. Neo got distracted, by what seemingly looked amazing, (which she actually did). He took his eyes off his leader and if it had been a real situation, that would have been “bye bye Neo”.
No, this not a rant against beautiful women that wear red dresses,lol , this analogy applies both to males and females, we all have our points of temptation,disillusion and distraction. Morpheus also said something very striking in that scene
“If you are not one of us,you are one of them”
the “them” refered to those still plugged into the system of “The Matrix” and could be used by agents at any point in time to bring down the resistance. In spiritual terms , that refers to “children of this world” those that live by the constantly changing declining and fickle philosophy, standards and ideals of a God denying and often God hating world.
They are still plugged into the system of what is culturally or socially acceptable,but against the will of God, whether that be pre marital or casual sex, abortion ,drunkenness, lewd behavior and language, hedonism, cultural “christianity”, alternative lifestyles and other lifestyle to that effect as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9 .
Some people actually think they are unplugged,attend the services, speak the slang, wear the t-shirts, but their lives show no evidence that they are free
“by their fruits you shall know them grapes do not grow on thistles”
They intellectually acknowledge God, but their hearts and consequently their lifestyles are far from any acknowledgment him.
Others have no idea of the system they are trapped in and don’t realize what lies ahead if they stay in this system. Unlike the movie, we aren’t in a simulation, we are in the real world, where “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”, if we get distracted the room won’t freeze to give us a chance recompose and change strategy and keep in mind, the enemy does not take prisoners.
We have to keep our eyes on the Cross , which is our GPS(Sat Nav) in our journey through this world. It’s our obligation to unplug as many friends, family ,colleagues from the system of this world just like we were once unplugged; but we also have to remember that anyone not unplugged posses a danger to our spiritual progression if we get distracted by them.
Many of us would already have had an “i should have known” moment ,at least once or even several times in our life already from distractions we have experienced.
This may be a crush,love interest, relationship, career pursuit or passion for anything else that can take us off tangent; it would vary with each person, we all have to search ourselves using the scripture as a compass and find out,what is our “Lady in the red dress” could possibly be,before sashays into our line of sight.
“The prudent see danger and take refuge,but the simple keep going and suffer for it -PROVERBS 27:12
So a little while back i’m watching Fame, the 2009 remake of the 80′s classic. If you’ve never heard about either one, Fame is a movie that chronicles the life of seven different young people admitted into the New York School of Performing Arts . They include a drama student Doris that wants to act on the stage and screen., another drama student Ralph that just wants to be on the stage. Coco that wants a career in drama music and dance.Leroy who longs to be a dancer. Montgomery that wants to be a word famous actor. Bruno a music student and Lisa another dance student. We also follow their teachers and everything they go through in the four years that they journey through the school. Some of them go on to achieve their dreams due to talent resilience and skill development and it doesn’t work out so well for some others.
That movie also reminded me of Backstage , a South African tv show also about a performance arts academy and the trials of the students who often learn that it takes more than just talent to make it in the creative and entertainment industries.
Both got me thinking seriously that there is the need for a performance arts academy in Nigeria. Performance Academy both at the secondary level and the tertiary level.
With the growth of the movie industry there is a need to feed it with new talent, who have crafted said talent into skill. Currently, when an audition is called for there a lot of walk ins People without any training or any acting experience that just want to be famous. A lot of people like those are cast everyday in home video productions and it leads to disaster on the screen. Now granted, people can have ambitions it’s great when a diamond in the rough is discovered. However we have to remember that a movie is like a chain, and the actors are meant to be one of the strongest links, cos even with a great director,out of this world cinematography, and £100m budget, if the acting link is weak,the house of cards falls.
Acting is a profession and it should be treated as such, not just a hobby people just jump into, or a means to satisfy the hunger for the spotlight. Kids that want to be doctors go to medical school. Aspiring lawyers to Law School, why can’t aspiring actors put themselves through the same ropes to achieve their dreams?
I’ve been fortunate to work on two seasons of a talent show and in the course traveling across the country i saw the hunger in the eyes of young Nigerians to become actors, singers and dancers. Some should consider an alternative career but for those that have the X-factor, they need a place that they can attend to harness those talents, a school where they can receive the proper training and go on to become the next Fela, Lagbaja , Onyeka Owenu ,Chiwetal Ejiofor. David Oyelowo,Nonso Anozie. Nigerian, both home bred and Western raised who are globally recognized for their various talents. And I’m not just talking some place where they have 6 weeks of classes,taught by someone that can’t act in the first place and are dubbed actors.
Instead of spending four years studying a “safe” and professional degree which would make them just another corporate zombie. They could upon finishing secondary school be admitted into this academy. For narration sake let’s call it the Lagos School of Performing Arts(LSPA). The same way a student would write JAMB or SAT to seek admission into the University, these talented kids would audition to enter the Academy and they will be admitted based on merit into a degree course like any of their other colleagues in a regular University. At the end of four years they come out with a Bachelor’s degree. We have private universities started to educate professionals in other industries don’t we ? Just think what a Performing Arts school could do for the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Now, lets say three students seek admission into LSPA. Bola who wants to be an actor. Chioma who wants to become a dancer and Uwem who wants to become a composer. They all audition and successfully get admitted and begin their four year journey into the creative arts, harnessing their talent and developing it into a craft.
Upon graduation they all begin their forte into the creative industries. Bola goes straight away and auditions for tv shows and movies and soon lands work on a soap, where his ability stands out from everyone else who had no training, He knows all the techniques Meisner,Method, Character,Improvisation, he knows how to wield them like a skilled pianist in a concert. This standout ability from everyone else that entered through, “i sabi person there”, or those that just served as eye candy.
His performance on the soap catches the eyes of Writer/Director Kenneth Alli an NFI and NYFA graduate making his feature debut after a string of successful short films an documentaries and award wining tv shows. He’s looking for a fresh face and he’s found his leading man in Bola. It turnout out to be a breakout role for the actor and a smash hit for the director.The two form an alliance similar to Scorcese and Deniro, and go on to make many more stunning films. Did i forget to mention that Uwem scored that first film,based on Bola’s referral and people could just not get the sounds out of their heads. Uwem had been making original scores and music for the theater, radio and advertisements and the movie project was just what he needed to fully show his capability.
Chioma the dancer gained popularity in her neighborhood when she taught a couple of high school girls some great moves for their Press Show. At that press show is a Ayo , elder cousin to one of the girls, and a renowned music video director who needs a dancer and choreographer for his latest video. She creates something unusal and unique for him and it spreads like wild fire, leading to a score of music videos offers. Soon there is a higher demand for her, artists and fans wanting dance classes, and to handle the demand she opens a dance studio. It’s a gigantic hit and aspiring dancers from all over the country come to learn from her.
5 years later somewhere in the city, a TV producer is making a talent show and he needs a Judge/Mentor for the hopefuls & mentor for the finalists He asks his teenage daughter who the hottest dancer is in the country is and Chioma is mentioned. He tracks her down and hires her as a judge on the show, which becomes a monster hit .
Now that’s a nice neat scenario and it doesn’t always happen that way. Some people remain in the doldrums of obscurity for the rest of their career, some never make it and give up finding something else more secure. But some do make it through all the rejections and the gigs way below their talent and training, and eventually they make it. They become stars in their own home and some even gain global recognition.
Having sat through numerous auditions ranging from sitcoms, dramas and movies, my discovery is that 9 out 10 auditionees have no training. They’ve never taken a course, a class or any form of training on a professional or amateur level.Many don’t even have an idea of what a monologue is, they just heard about an audition, have an aspiration to act and show up.They already define themselves as “im an actor”, even though from their audition is it evident that they don’t know the first thing about acting or capability to convincingly deliver a line. Let’s not even talk about finding a connection with the character or their motivations. How is a director meant to work with people that wake up one morning and decide “im an actor” just cos of the desire for fame? It does not apply to engineering . law or medicine,so why should acting be taken any less seriously?
Now, there are some people who have the natural talent and they build it up along the way but there is still a need for training. Even naturally great writers have an editor that helps them polish up what they produce. Performing artst still have voice coaches and producers to help them perfect what they have. Many of the best actors in the world today either went to a school of performing arts. Cut their teeth in the theatre or started acting right from their pre-teen days.Putting on shows for their friend and family. Going on to act in school plays and then enrolling in a performing arts school, a theatre program or skipping the academia and touring with a theatre troupe, learning the ropes hands on. Just like an apprentice would from a master.
Grammy wining performer the late Amy Winehouse had the natural talent , and that talent was enhanced by attending first the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School and then the famous Sylvia Young Theatre school .The school also produced a variety of performers such as Singer/Actress Billie Piper, All Saints group members Nicole and Natalie Appleton,actor Ashley Walters(Bullet Boy) and numerous others in the British music and television industry. Alongside their training they received their GSCE, which was a pretty good deal if they decided to go and get a degree in something else.
Perhaps the most prestigious and well known performance arts academy is Julliard, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Founded in 1905 it trains about 800 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama and music. Founded as the Institute of Music Arts because there was no Music school in the US and too many students were going to Europe. Sound familiar? The school offers various programs and degrees
.Bachelor of Fine Arts or a diploma.
.Bachelor of Music
.Master of Music,
.Doctor of Musical Arts.
Know who graduated from Julliard? Here’s just a few of them Christopher Reeves(Superman),Ving Rhames(Pulp Fiction,Mission Impossible),Kevin Spacey(The Usual Suspects,American Beauty),Bradley Whitford(The West Wing), Robin Williams(Flubber,Hook),Anthony Mackie(Adjustment Bureau,Notorious),James Marsters(Buffy,Smallville),Steve Guttenberg(Short Circuit,Three men & a baby),Marcia Cross(Desperate Housewives,Melrose Place),Val Kilmer(The Saint, Tombstone, Heat) and those are just from the dance and drama department. I’d list the music department alumni but it be moot at this point. …..Ok, i’ll mention two. Remember the pink panther theme? Yeah, that one.The composer Henry Mancini is a Julliard graduate. Also remember the Star Wars and Superman themes, John Williams , also a product of Julliard. Im sure the picture is painted very clearly now.
On mentioning this topic on Twitter it started an interesting debate , and the case for “natural talent” was presented. It was stated that some people don’t have to get training because they have natural talent. But i disagree, even with natural talent there is still a need for professional training.
Many people have a natural talent for design, whether it be cars,or buildings but Toyota or a Housing company wouldn’t just hire them based on natural talent without any formal training in ALL that is required in safely and properly designing a car or building.
Taking it further and out of the world of the arts. In sports there are many people born with talent, people like Usian Bolt, Tiger Woods, David Beckham,The Williams sisters.They were all talented in their various disciplines at young ages. Upon noticing those budding talents, their parents took them to coaches and schools where their raw talent transformed into professional skill. They just didn’t become champions and professional athletes based on raw talent alone they went through years of grueling training to refine themselves from ambitious kids to trained professionals. Even as trophy winners and world class athletes, this athletes have coaches till this date.
Just ask yourself, what would the Premier League,NBA,Olympics be like if all the athletes were admitted based on raw talent alone?
For the Film industry to rise to the next level and take prominence on the global stage, we need more people actually trained in the creative arts, as a profession, rather than just it being filled with people that stumble into it. We would see better written scripts, greater performances, directors that take us on phenomenal journeys. Cinematographers that paint with light and show us amazing moving pictures. We’d have more people dedicated to their performance, doing the necessary leg work it takes to portray their roles. These are the disciplines that would have been ingrained in them while in school. We don’t treated our Medical,Law,Engineering or any other profession with such nonchalance , i think it’s time we gave the same respect to the Film Industry.
Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
This is a powerful talk that resonated deeply with me. So many kids give up dream, ambitions and the machinations of their minds. Kids have an incredible amount of talent and creativity which formal education squashes while trying to fit them all into a widget, a production line of corporate zombies.
If you are a parent reading this , make sure you do not allow the education institution, or even yourself or your spouse do this to your child. You could save them from trying to restructure their un-lived goals and dreams, later on in their 20′s 30′s and 40′s.
BLISS – trailer.flv
WRITTEN&DIRECTED BY OLU-YOMI OSOSANYA
PRODUCER: ROBERTO IACURCI(BLACKLIST)
D.O.P-:MICHAEL TAYLOR(MILK WATCH)
After two years of marriage David(Daniel Swain) and Stacey(Emily Rayner) are the poster child for a great young relationship. Things can not get any better, but lately with David’s new best mate Brad(Wayne David) and the workload be has accumulated, he has developed a different way of de-stressing , which has Stacey in a suspicious mind. Things suddenly take a turn for the worse when David returns home from the gym one day and Stacey unravels some secrets that is about to shuffle the dynamics of their relationship.
Anyone that knows me even barely, knows that i have twin passion for music and movies.I love wide range of genres .I scream alongside Chester Bennington ,Croon with old blue eyes, “lose myself” with Marshall and get caught up in rapture that is the auditory and cerebral seduction of Kenny G’s saxophone.
Good music is a form that transcends all ethnic barriers .Despite the stereotypical molds placed on us .”Black people like Hip Hop and R&B, White people like rock”. and pop. The thing is great music shatters all that . As there are more white kids at Dre’s “Up in smoke” tour and there is an increasing Rock fan base in West Africa,the most populous black region of the world.
So how exactly are we affected by music. Possibly second only to movies & television ,music is the most influential force on the psyche and consequently culture. The musicians behind the songs attain iconic status and dictate through their music and lifestyle, what happens in a generation, more than education, religion or common sense ever has. Just take a look at “The King’s” continuing influence more than 30 years after his passing.
The influence of hip hop on a generation since the late 70′s is immeasurable.Surpassing the shores of the United States where it was born , we now see kids in Hong Kong, Lagos,New Dehli and Beirut dressing,walking and talking like they just stepped out of a Wu Thang video.Each genre Rock ,Pop,Punk ,Techno and hip hop forming their own disciples.
So where would we be now as a society ? As a people, how strong has music’s influence been on us ? Are we juke boxes(or i-pods) that project through our lives the music we listen to ? Are our mindsets and perspectives on issues a result of what we have absorbed ? When we say F the police, do we really mean that or we just projecting NWA. Our views on sex, are they really ours, or are they formed because we were told to see “nothing wrong with a lil bump and grind”. When offended do we go into an F word rant and threaten “now you’re about to feel the wrath of the menace” . What about our aspirations ? When they do not work out is it because we are walking along a “boulevard of broken dreams”? Or simply because “it was all a dream” and “in the end it doesn’t really matter”?
It’s interesting to think about what life would be like , or how different our personalities would be in a world without lyrics. If we lived in a world without lyrics, would our personalities really be that different? What would the world be like, if all we had, were symphonies of the Beethoven and Mozart type,lyric free Jazz tunes, or only techno beats?
(C) 2009 OLU YOMI
The movie District 9 has gotten a lot of attention in the past few months. First the anticipation of a riveting Sci Fi movie. Then the people that were blown away by how well executed it was, then recently the concern and uprise of the portrayal of Nigerians in the movie.
I must admit, sitting in the cinema, every time “the Nigerians” was hammered in description to the negative characters, it stung a little but i carried on regardless. I wont say i hated the movie, because it was indeed, very well done.
BUT in retrospect i can see why peeps would be enraged. It’s bad enough that Cop shows and Sitcom make us a punch line. But this was something else on a whole new level.
My consolation was that , they were not Nigerian actors, nor did they speak in any Nigerian language, nor did they have Nigerian accents. BUT , most non Nigerians would not detect that fact
Many people would say
“We have more important things to be worried about”
but we have to remember how powerful a medium film is. Both to the intelligent, and those that just absorb and believe EVERYTHING that they see on TV and in the movie, Film leaves a powerful impression on the mind for a very long time.
We all know how Germans have been associated with Nazi ,Neo Nazi History in the movies. The same goes for middle easterners as terrorists. Indians as convenience store clerks and Asians as martial arts masters. These portrayals find their way into the subconscious,and even if it is for a microsecond,affect our perceptions , and with a movie as popular as District 9, it looks like it is going to become a part of popular culture.
The fact is, the consistent reference and Hammering on “The Nigerians” was unnecessary, and “the gangsters” would have been sufficient enough,without specifying a nationality.
I found this quote on a blog , which i find very insightful
“Whatever any film maker may portray, the most important thing really is that Africans need to start telling their own stories more than they have done so far. Africans need to make their own compelling films – both fiction and non-fiction. As an an African proverb says “Until lions are able to tell their own stories, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”
-Supo Orimogunje
The Nigerian entertainment scene is growing in large proportions, TV ,and especially music which is now global.
Isn’t it about time, we loose all the Jazz ,Asawo, 419 stories in our movies? There are sooo many other aspects of Naija life we can write and make films about.
Chimamanda “Purple Hibiscus” Adichie, has become the pioneer of a new generation of Nigerian voices. .A voice that the world has taken seriously because of the QUALITY of the compelling and captivating stories she writes .
Isn’t it about time we do the same in our film making? Compelling stories, that are well made and excellently performed, that would sweep the floor and blow minds all across the world.
The literary world in Nigeria is NOWHERE as large as the movie industry,which has been touted as the second largest producer (quantity wise) in the world. But our literary figures are global brands that stand side by side with anyone from the west. Their books are stacked together in the same library and sold in the same book stores. In the case of Adichie promoted and distributed by the same publisher. The same can’t be said about our movie industry……yet. So for the love of all that’s good WHY??!!!
Why don’t we have film makers globally revered the same way Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka are held in high regard.
How come the Nigerian film world does not have ANY voice as respected as Chris Abani is globally? (If there’s one please correct me)
When are we gonna to have a 100%Naija made film(cast&crew) take the world by storm the same way Adichie’s books have done? Gathering critical acclaim and accolades from colleauges all around the world? Giving Keynote speeches at TED Talks Universities and seminars all over the World?
With all the movies made annually where is that movie that would garner a legion of awestruck fans with NO connection to Nigeria like Adichie’s book found?
Maybe the real question is “Why haven’t we done one or such yet?”
This is a challenge for all screenwriters,directors producers,creatives and all those involved in Tv and Film of Naija origin both inside and outside Naija.
We have the potential to tell fascinating Naija stories, those grounded in reality, fairy tale or fantasy, which we have many.
What stops us from adapting stories by Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi and others into screenplays. What stops “The return of Ikenga” ,”Things fall Apart” from being a Naija epic. or “Without a Silver spoon” becoming Naija’s answer to “Pursuit of Happyness” We have sooooo much potential, which can stop the recycling of stories.
We don’t even have to adapt books, but can come up with original stories that go beyond what is currrently available.
We’ve all had childhood experiences that would make great “Coming of age” films.
We’ve all heard tales in boarding school.Old wives tales or that story your friend heard, from his neighbor’s cousin’s sister’s daughters boyfriend, that sounds outlandish but you don’t mind because it’s throughly entertaining.
How about fictional stories with a historical backdrop?
How about stories set in a complete world of fantasy?
Biopics on heros. Satire ,Lord knows we have loads of ripe events that need to be told through the magic of Satire.
How about a gritty film that shows the social divide of Nigeria. The Haves vs The Have Nots. The Aje Butter vs The Aje Paki? Their resentment of each other and how they come to a mutual understanding.
The brutal reality of the “Area Boy” virus in society and how it could spiral into a much bigger monster that rampages the city like Godzilla.
I’ve said it a million times “City of God” is a prime example showing the potential a well made film can have to an industry.Shoot on a minimal budget and no big names ,It’s was brazilian film made outside Hollywood, and it took the world by storm. We have that potential too. How are we Naija young generation going to turn the tide, and start stunning the world with amazing globally appealing WELL MADE movies about naija life?
A COUPLE OF SAYING AND QUOTES,TEACHINGS I’VE HEARD HERE AND THERE IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS ,AND A FEW OF MY OWN
1-Good people don’t go to heaven ,forgiven people do.
2-God takes full responsibility for the life fully devoted to him.
3-DIRECTION, not intention ,determines your destination.
4-Never judge a relationship by where it is now, but by where it is going .
5-The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.
6-Purity in your single days , paves the way for intimacy in your marriage days.
7-If you can see as God sees, you will do as God says.
8-People never take purity seriously because we have given them the WHAT and not the WHY.
9-Jesus is not a little thing you add on to your life, he IS your life, or is nothing to you.
10-You don’t have to experience being bitten by a snake, to know not to walk into a snake pit, because you see a glimmer of a gold nugget.
11-What you use to enter a relationship , would most likely be what you have to use to sustain it.
12-Come on!!!, This is a worship service , not an interview/auditon for Hooters!!!
13-Ladies ,What would be going through your mind,if while trying to worship , the dude “worshiping” across you at church service, wore a t-shirt , with the words JOYSTICK and an arrow pointing towards his crotch. Probably the same thing a dude thinks when a girl shows up to worship and her cleavage is showing.
14-Can two walk together unless they agree?, Watch who you associate with, watch what you put in your mind.
15-The gospel is not a condemning gospel, if it is preached right.
16-We can’t fulfill God’s will on one side, by breaking it on the other.
17-Sometimes God has to destroy things in our lives, so we can raise our eyes to heaven.
18-The Bible is a set meal and not a buffet, we can not select only the promises and reject the chastisement , take what works for us and is sweet, and reject what is “inconvenient” to our lives.
19-It’s funny how we want God to work miracles for us, but we ask him not to interfere with our lives, or mess with our default settings.
20- When we begin to demand a scripture, in defense of a questionable lifestyle we have chosen, we are walking a dangerous path.
21- The prudent person forsees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences Prov 22:3
22- The excuses and logic that we hide behind instead of admitting our bad choices, will continue to be the foil, to achieving goals and dreams.
23- Not every mutual attraction, is necessarily a wise relationship choice.
24- In light of what you want in the future ,for marriage, career, family, finance, the choice you are about to make, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, but whether it is the WISE thing to do.
25-When asking yourself, “How far, is too far”, How far do you want your future spouse to have gone with other people.
26- If in our Christian life , we are propelled forward, by the current of the world’s standards, rather than swimming against the current, back to God’s will, we know not God.
27-We truly can judge a book by it’s cover , because the Bible says “By their fruits, you shall know them” and “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” . The things that manifest in a person’s continuous lifestyle are a testament to their character and who they truly are.
