5 MINUTES WITH CHIKA IKE PG 9

Chika Ike is an actress and a scriptwriter and Director. Her movie Small Chops. was launched recently and widely acclaimed because it touched on sensitive areas not usually embraced by societal dictates. It was a movie of pain, anger and eventually, love. The abused becoming the overcomer. It touched on a subject society has awakened to and are fighting against. And even though steps are being taken to curb this menace, there is still a long way to go. As for the lead character, played by Chika herself, her role proved ‘never to judge a book by its cover’.

What inspired you to write this script?

I didn’t write the script, l drafted the story and with the help of awesome scriptwriters which are females (Uyai and Beth), they birthed the script.

In terms of wrong perception of bar dancing as opposed to prostitution, isn’t it like asking ‘Why stay close to the water if you don’t want to get wet?’

I guess it’s all about for misperceptions, bar dancing is an art which can bring about wrong perception and unconscious bias, even beyond bar dancing. There are other career paths which have the same or almost similar perceptions. That’s why I felt a need to address labeling and perception in the movie. I think because it’s a sexy dance and most of the audience are male dominated, it’s an easy target for misperceptions. A bar dancer is far from being a prostitute. All form of dancing is an art or expression of emotion and whatever emotion it incites in an individual is solely their responsibility and not the dancer’s.

Your lead character was raped as a child. What is your take on child molesters and the way they are handled here for their crimes? Do you feel the victims get enough justice?

I think child molestation is the worst as it practically ruins the victims lives and sometimes determines how the victims see the world which this can be mostly in a nagative way. I think more should be done in terms of law to punish the offenders. Our society which is a cultural one, makes it sometimes difficult for this victims to even talk about it because of the fear of stigmatization by everyone including their close family members. I think we should have more of this conversations and encourage people to speak more to help drive the change of this narrative.

In most bars here in Nigeria, men usually grope dancers. There is a fine line between watching and touching. Why would any woman embrace such work and expect men to keep their distance. Isn’t that a tall order?

Yes it might seem so but not exactly so. I think earning a living through their passion for dance my drive women to do such work. That’s why it’s important we keep have conversations about the consent rule. No one should be touched if there isn’t consent and this rule should also apply in marriages. We all have a right to our bodies and how we want it to be handled.

It is about changing the narrative about perception, unconscious bias and prejudice in the mordern society. And most importantly, it addresses the post-traumatic effect child abuse has on the victims which can torment them

When you wrote your script how much research did you do?

I’ve had the story drafted for four years. I spoke to friends, watched movies about dancers and consulted before drafting the story and during preparation for the principal photography, I had a dance instructor teach me how to dance for eight weeks.

One can say it’s only in fairytales such work has a happy ending where a bar dancer meets her Prince Charming. Have you ever heard of scenarios where women meet their chosen ones in such environment?

Oh yes I have, not exactly the same type of jobs, but similar odd perceived jobs. There are a lot of Prince Charming stories on different levels. Love can find you anywhere and anytime.

Is there a reason for picking a white man to play the lead role as the partner of the dancer?

Yes it was thought through. We also felt it will be more impactful to a global audience and the message might have a broader conversation in terms of our different race and how we perceive and understand things. Small Chops have won and gotten over 16 international Film Festivals and awards.

What is the core message in your movie?

The core message is interwoven. It is about changing the narrative about perception, unconscious bias and prejudice in the mordern society. And most importantly, it addresses the post-traumatic effect child abuse has on the victims which can torment them. It is also about continuing the ongoing conversations about such abuse.

Do you intend to do more movies that focus on the inner strength of women?

Yes I won’t stop here. I’ll do more movies that have subject matters. I believe we are tools to drive and change the narrative. For me, entertainment is one of the fastest tools to do so.

What scene was most touched a chord for you in this movie?

I had a lot of scenes but while watching it, it was seeing Nikita (the lead character) giving love a second chance towards the end. This act gives everyone hope that no matter what you’ve been through or are going through, it won’t last forever. Eventually, you will find peace, love and a purpose someday. It’s never too late.

What parting shot do you want to give to women who were molested as children?

If you can speak to someone about it, someone who cares or someone trained to help you overcome your pain, you don’t need to bottle it all up because these people genuinely care about your welfare. You’re never alone, stay strong. I believe the more people that speak your truth make it faster to create the change .