Working with Kanayo O. Kanayo Will Be Great
MMy father wanted me to be a lawyer
y father wanted me to be a Lawyer because I can always defend myself. But then, I understood that sitting in the lawyers’ cabinet for hours defending cases you don’t know when it started wasn’t really something I wanted to do. I decided to write.
All I know is that it was something I wanted to do
Personally, I don’t really love to work for people. As a young woman in my twenties, I have worked for different companies. You know they will just call you at 7.30 in the morning to change your shift and come at a particular time. I was really sick and tired of all that, I don’t like that. So I decided to find something that will allow me to work on my own time. I thought maybe writing is what I needed, because writing does not demand that I should be in a particular office at a certain time. That was how I started. If it is a calling, Thank God, I believe I have the talent.
There is a big difference between Hollywood and Nollywood
The reason I’m here in Africa to work with Africans is because it is easier for me. It is not easier because Hollywood is difficult to get in, but it is because I’m African. I’m from here and not forgetting that I am a mother. Going to Hollywood means I have to leave my family and go to the United States of America, which I have tried to do. Sometimes, it is quite difficult because you have to follow these producers to different type of meetings and, without lying to you, the budget can be exaggerated. I don’t have the capacity at the moment to get in. I thought I should start from here because I am from here. I am interested in this place not Hollywood. If I am interested in Hollywood, by now, I would have moved there.
Why I Chose Nollywood
I’m not in India. I don’t see myself in India, otherwise, I would have gone to India. I don’t have anybody in particular that I could say I must work with but I believe we have the best. There is one actor that I really admire - his name is Kanayo O. Kanayo. That man is the only one I enjoy watching because he is one of the best actors. If I have to work with that man, I’m just going to have to be privileged to do so. I don’t know if he is just an actor or also a producer, but if there is anyone that I would love to work with, it should be that guy.
I would like more of producing and storytelling in Nollywood
Talk about acting, I’m not too sure about that. I have never acted before and I don’t see myself coming out just for the pleasure of acting to become an actor. I don’t see that interest in me. Unless somebody wants me to act, that means I have to probably practice for a couple of days, weeks or months, then, I can come into acting but I’m not someone who rushes after or look for fame even though I don’t know how to do the job. So it’s producing and storytelling for me.
What I Know about Congo Movie Industry
We do not really have a movie industry, so to speak. I love my people, they are hardworking, but they are into home videos and I was hoping that with time, we can go there and work more on filmmaking like back in the days. I don’t know if you have seen this movie with the late Papa Wemba that is titled, ‘La Vie Est Belle.’ It was a good movie. We wanted to get into the movie industry but out of lack of knowing what to do, people just started doing film like home videos. They shoot today, within few days it is already on the internet. That is not something that I want to do. After Nigeria, I will definitely go to my country to propose what I have.
I have written a few scripts
So far, I have written, Strength Within, Rules of Darkness, Beyond the Rising, among others. Some of them have been produced. We have made the conception of some others. The ones that have been produced have been produced mostly in Canada. Most times, I sell my scripts. The movie producers are at liberty to alter anything. They can change the title or do whatever they want to do because I always give a chance to my investors and buyers. Whatever you want to do to it is up to you. Even if somebody wants to invest in my project, I always leave an open door. I write scripts on thriller and horror I’m not good at writing romance movies and all that. That is what Darlington Abuda (producer of ‘The Accidental Spy’) told me that here, people want to watch a movie mixed with some comedy and all that. I told him that that is not a problem, if I bring my stuff and you want to add comedy, add it.
My experience in Nigeria
It could be tasking when you have family members that are worried that you would be kidnapped and all that and at the same time, you have your spirit telling you nothing would happen to you. I have met some good friends who have been there for me even though I met them for a few time. It’s quite an experience.
I feel sad sometimes when I see Nigerians themselves destroy the image of the country by saying all sorts of things. I believe there are bad and good things in every country but to my own experience without seeing the worst so far so good, I am not complaining. As of my own experience, what should be removed from Nigeria is corruption. As I was coming here two days ago, I was with a taxi driver and we got lost. There was this police officer that stopped us and was asking for money. I ended giving him a bottle of perfume so that the poor driver would continue his way, because he was saying that his drivers’ license had expired. It is either we pay N5,000 or he gives us a ticket and seize the car . I don’t even know what it is that they do and I couldn’t allow that to happen because I am sitting in the car. I’m not from here and I don’t want to get down and look for another cab, so I had to negotiate and give him something that belonged to someone else so that he would leave that poor driver to go on his way. Corruption is what we don’t want in Africa. Sadly, it is in all African countries.
No movie market in Canada
We do have one but as far as I am concerned, I don’t want to get into that movie market. I know we have a lot of good actors like Rachael McAdams, Ryan Reynolds, Jim Carrey, among many others, these are Hollywood actors from Canada. Why are they in Hollywood as I speak? We don’t have good movie industry. For me, either I’m in Africa or Hollywood, I choose Nollywood.
I’m African
It doesn’t matter if I’m a Canadian citizen but I’m still African. My kids were born in Canada too but I teach them how to be African. Whenever my daughter goes to school, she tells her friend, ‘I am from Africa.’ We went to school there, moved there, gave birth to kids there but we are not really from there.