Hassan Giggs ‘My marriage is just like a Kannywood love story’
Hassan Giggs is an award-winning Kannywood producer, director and cinematographer who has been in the Hausa movie industry for the past 21 years. In this interview, he talks about his marriage, life in the industry, its future, and more. Excerpts:
Weekend Magazine: What has live been in Kannywwod?
Hassan Giggs: I have been in the industry for the past 21 years. I started from photography, then DOP/editing and later I became interested in cinematography. I developed a good relationship with the famous director in the industry, late Tijjani Ibrahim. Through this relationship I learnt the art of editing and became an assistant director and my contact with eminent personalities in the Hausa movie industry increased. I started working alongside people like Ishaq Sidi Ishaq and many more.
Being in constant contact with the profession and the zeal to make a living out of it made me enroll in some courses on cinematography in Lagos State. I also attended a yearly cinematography program called ‘Shoot’. As a matter of fact, I have attended a lot of courses on issues related to movie production, all in an attempt to develop my skills and to enable me acquire modern techniques in cinematography. The journey has been good and all thanks to Allah for making it possible.
WM: Your marriage to ex-actress Muhibbat has proven that celebrity marriages do last. What is the secret?
Giggs: There’s really no secret. A relationship built and based on mutual understanding and sincerity with undiluted commitment to each other will surely last, be it that of a celebrity or any other person. My wife and I are all parts and parcel of the movie industry, we love what we do as much as we love each other. My wife is my partner in all I do, including my business because she is an assistant director and at times she also directs movies.
WM: What has been your driving force in the industry in the past 21 years?
Giggs: It has always been the zeal to do something positive but different in the movie making circle. That was why I tried changing focus from that of the traditional domestic crisis- centered movies to epic and adventure movies. That, I believe, has been one of the things that has ignited the change revolution in the Hausa movie industry. So far, out of the over 50 movies I have directed, I have on record about 7 to 10 epic movies.
WM: Which movie challenged you the most in the area of directing?
Giggs: The movie ‘Hindu’ has been the most difficult one I directed because in that movie, I had to change the lead role and some other major characters to something entirely different from what the public is used to. Honestly, it wasn’t easy to do that because not many are able to adapt to change in their character profiling.
WM: Do you select your stories?
Giggs: Yes I do. I don’t do more than two movies in a year. It is not how many movies you direct that matters but how many qualitative movies you direct. This is why no matter the budget of a movie, if it tells no story I don’t think I will direct that movie. I make sure that the storyline has a message that if it goes out to the public, will serve its purpose.
WM: How many awards have you won so far?
Giggs: Actually I have won several awards at various events organized by various multinational and local bodies. People have told me not to talk about this but I find it very important to say this: In my 21 years in the movie industry, I have never felt cheated for once until I found out that I was not included in the line of nominees for a movie that has won 13 nominations at the last Kannywood award. ‘Hindu’ won 13 nominations, including best picture, best cinematographer and other nominations but without a best director nomination. It baffles me to think that a movie that got these nominations can fail to get best director nomination. To be honest I was highly disappointed. However, awards are just a way of appreciating what someone does and I am happy I have won a lot of them.
WM: Do you believe that recycling of actors or actresses has been one of the industry’s major setbacks?
Giggs: It is. But in a situation like ours when upcoming artists are not usually committed to being promoted, what would one do? The problem is, most of the upcoming artists are not ready to be what we really want them to be. It is easier grooming a female upcoming actress than grooming a male and that is why you find that the industry has more females than males. It is up to the young ones to take up the challenge through commitment and patience, with time the arena will soon be theirs to control and manipulate.
WM: What does it mean to you, being a part of the first made in Kannywood English movie?
Giggs: It means innovation and scope widening. It is a chance to prove to the entire world that Kannywood has come of age. I admire the courage of the producer of the movie, Jammaje, for taking the first step to make it happen. I was so impressed by the cast’s commitment and their ability to exhibit a very good sense of professionalism during the shooting of that movie.
WM: What were the lowest and highest movie budgets you have directed?
Giggs: The highest was N20 million and the lowest was N3 million.
WM: Do you have any regrets being in Kannywood?
Giggs: Not any, Kannywood has been my family and will always be. Should anything happen to me, Kannywood will be there for me even before my family. Therefore, it is all a family affair to all of us in Kannywood.
WM: Where do you foresee Kannywood will be in the next 20 years?
Giggs: The movie industry will no doubt be the best in Nigeria and one of the best in the world. As you can see from recent developments, we are on our way to becoming big in the screen business.