Why I don’t like Igbo films - Yemi Solade

By David Ajiboye

Yemi Solade

He has been on the scene for 30 years and is still very vibrant. Yemi Solade, an actor’s actor is not only proud of his training but is also concerned about low standards in the industry. The actor, who hails from Abeokuta, in Ogun State, speaks about the movie industry and his career in this interview.

Before you became popular, have you ever had anything to do with the theatre?
I was never affiliated to any group or theatre company. But due to my inquisitive nature and, because I wanted Wole Soyinka to teach me in the university, I applied to study Theatre Arts. That was the propelling factor.

You seem to feature more in Yoruba movies, why have you not been prominent in English Language movies?
It is because we don’t shoot English (language) movies in Nigeria. Those films you consider English are not. They are Igbo-English movies; they are bastardised forms of the English movie. They are Nigerian movies, so stop calling them English movies.

Most of the actors speak awful English, so tell people to stop calling them English movies. We shoot Nigerian movies so there is nothing like English movie. Maybe you can say they are movies done in English Language, but from the sound track you would know that this is an Igbo movie. They often sing it in Igbo.

Have you ever seen a James Bond movie with a local language sound track? So, there is nothing like English movie in Nigeria. The next thing you are going to say is that Omotola Jalade is an English actress and Pete Edochie is an English actor. No, Omotola is a Yoruba actor, while Pete is an Igbo actor. For crying out loud; Ramsey Nouah, Segun Arinze, Yemi Solade, Ogogo are all Yoruba actors.

Some of your colleagues believe that the Nigerian movie actors are tribalistic... I’m not holding brief for anybody, I don’t know how they feel, but at least I’ve told you how I feel. If I want to work with those who frequent Igbo-English movies, you would find me there, but that is not my style. I don’t have that kind of problem. I think what is happening is more of nepotism than tribalism.

I’m from the Yoruba race and I’m proud of it. There is nothing wrong in being a tribalist. It only becomes nepotism in a situation where you go to your village to act roles, you know only professionals can do. That is nepotism and that is the evil begrudging the industry.

Ok, if you were invited on set of such a movie, will you go?
As long as the deal is right, I will. But more importantly, I’ll look at the script and if it falls into the standard of what I want to be a part of, then I give it a shot. I’ve got no problem with that.

Have you ever been invited?
I have done a couple of them. I did not start with Yoruba movies. I was trained in the English theatre. Home video came about less than 20 years ago and the noise started from there. You guys then hyped what should not be hyped, you praised the charlatans and the mediocre at the detriment of the professionally trained artistes. I hold journalists responsible for that, not artistes.

We thought that with the way you criticised them you will not participate in any movie done in English Language
No, I don’t have anything against them. I have every right to my opinions, about happenings in my industry. I am a major player in the movie industry, I don’t have problems with anyone, least those who ply this trade in English. I only start having problems when things are not going right.

Don’t you think there are lapses in the Yoruba genre of the industry where you featureprominently?
There are lapses in every system. Whatever we see as lapses today, we work on them so as to get them right tomorrow.

How will you rate the movie industry in Nigeria?
Well, it is coming up, it is evolving. It is still at the tutelage stage, a system that is less than 20 years, it is still growing but we will get there.

How long have you been in the movie industry?
This is my 30th year, I started in 1977. I began as a stage actor, that is where every serious actor starts; we all start from the stage. Name them: Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva, Kunle Bamtefa, Nobert Young, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Segun Arinze, Fred Amata and Sola Fosudo. We know ourselves. But the whole noise came when home video started and I still hold you journalists responsible for that.

Can you imagine newspapers referring to an artiste who has been around for only five years as a veteran? The lapses are not only in what people watch but what they see on the pages of newspapers. You even talk to illiterates who are actors and you launder their image unnecessarily. Then what is the essence of going to school? Didn’t you go to school as a journalist? Should everyone who picks up a pen to write be referred to as a journalist?
But in the Yoruba genre of the industry, people who are not trained , also produce and direct movies. That is a wrong way of doing things. You just hijack things and give yourself titles. If one is not good in his chosen field that means he is a quack. It is sad that there is no regulatory body to stop this. I am a professional actor. I was trained in the old Ife Theatre tradition.

Do you see yourself producing or directing someday?
I am a trained director, so I’m already one. I have not produced a movie but I’ll produce in due course.

What has been holding you back?
Directing home video is a different ball game. Some people direct a movie in three or four days but it should not be. So, timing and funding has been the problem. For instance, can a producer give me N500,000 to direct a movie? Is it the producer who got just N350,000 from an Idumota marketer for a complete work that will pay that kind of money? So, I would rather act, get my peanuts and go away. Whether the movie comes out or not is not my business.

www.nigeriafilms.com.

Remdel charts course for movie stakeholders at workshop

By David Ajiboye

Digital editing tutor, Kayode Falade teaching
the participants in the editing class during
the workshop.

REMDEL Optimum Communication (ROCOM), one of the country’s resourceful entertainment companies has confirmed its leading position at a workshop on “Capacity Building In the Film Industry” held in Akure recently. Organised by Remdel, the workshop aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the latest marketing strategy and logics of making it the money-spinning industry.

In her welcome address at the workshop where Afolabi Adesanya, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC), Jos, was represented, ROCOM’s Managing Director, Pastor (Mrs) Biodun Ibitola said there’s no gainsaying that the rich cultural heritage of the country is indeed a fertile soil .

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the rich cultural heritage of the country is indeed a fertile soil upon which a commercially viable and economically rewarding film industry can guarantee, flourish and develop to maturity. We are blessed with good content, innovative writers and talented artistes.

“It is now evident only the above can not guarantee the emergence of a vibrant film industry without injecting a genuine spirit of entrepreneurship into production and marketing of films in Nigeria. This was basically the issue which pre occupied our minds in 2001 at Remdel when we floated the Independent Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria. The issues are still as relevant as ever today.

“At a forum like this, apart from raw acquisition of knowledge, the industry whether formally or informally must consider salient thought provoking issues capable of bringing about a practical programme of action than will uplift the industry.”

Continuing, the REMDEL boss says in terms of marketing potentials, the gradual development of the Nigerian economy is guaranteeing increasing access to larger number of the populace and therefore ensuring a more vibrant market for films and indeed other entertainment contents.

“By our estimation, less than 20% of the market potentials is being tapped, hence there is urgent need to embrace a policy capable of maximally utilizing the market potentials. “But it is our observation that the existing market structure is not organized, receptive and resourceful enough to maximally utilize the market potentials. There is an absence of a robust and developed chain of distribution network as well as collaborative and co operative efforts to ensure better sales.”

If the film industry is to flourish again, she said “we must also pay immediate attention to the quality of the films being produced. The quality must be addressed in terms of themes, story lines, screenplay, dialogue, picture quality, sub titling, costumes and even props. That is essentially the essence of this workshop. We have no doubt that a good quality film attracts good advertisement to itself.

“Much of the problem of developing the film market is however associated with the issue of proliferation of films. Practitioners themselves must have lost count of the films being churned out let alone the buyers. The side effect of this is not only the attendant low sales but that the reputation of the industry has suffered and nosedived. “If the potentials of the film industry are to be fully commercially realized, banks, other financial institutions, corporate bodies and government must be of assistance. This assistance might elude us until we have demonstrated seriousness and commitment to making the film industry the gold mine it is supposed to be,”she said.

In his address, Ekiti state Commissioner for Arts and Culture, Hon. Abiodun Bamiteko commended the organisers of the workshop for coming up with a topic that has remained the bane of the entertainment industry. According to him, the benefits derivable from the workshop are so many especially for the new entrants who probably are getting their first feel of the industry from the workshop and may want to make a career out of it. “There is no doubt that there is a dearth of professionals, especially in the technical areas of production which often result into poor quality of films while at the same time attracting very prohibitive costs.

“A workshop of this nature is therefore striving to open up a new vista of opportunity for fresh hands who are disciplined enough to get thoroughly trained. This will move people without jobs to jobs without people and fill the capacity gaps which exist in the industry”, he said. The workshop which covered areas such as acting, directing, costume, make up, continuity, editing, camera handling, scenic design, script writing, special effects, production management, legal aspects and distribution was well attended. A goodwill message was delivered by Chief Sanya Oyinsan , retired Executive Director of Voice of Nigeria at the opening ceremony.