Bola Akande, daughter of legendary Yoruba film maker, Ishola Ogunsola aka Dr Isho Pepper, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on issues within the gospel film industry and others. Excerpts:
How did you come about the idea of an all-female cast for Behind the mask?
I honestly can’t remember the exact day I conceived the idea but it’s very much like the way God drops concepts in my mind. But I think it will be rooted in my interest in the female gender, which my father probably inculcated in me.
I grew up being encouraged and valued by my father as a female child. He loved all his girls. Even though my dad had male children, he wasn’t one of those who appreciate and celebrate male children more than the females. So, that gave me a good sense of value.
However, growing up, I saw that there were many challenges facing the female gender. Where men are the heads of corporations and doing great at many levels, the women are hardly mentioned in those areas.
Also as a young graduate, I saw some female friends trying to get a job and how they complained about either being asked to pay somebody a bribe or they were asked to sleep with them and I just wondered how would a woman be somebody if these challenges are there?
I went into filmmaking with not many female film directors in Nigeria. I felt the need to encourage women that no profession is beyond the limit and I became more interested in addressing the challenges stopping women from attaining higher posts.
Another reason for this concept is because my father died early and I watched my mother struggle to keep the family together. The pains she went through even when all her intentions were pure, she was misjudged and called different names. I knew that the female gender needs and challenges can’t be overemphasised.
So, we should talk more about some areas hardly touched and that affects us. Women should not only be mentioned when it comes to fashion and sexiness but to look into other serious life issues affecting the female gender more directly, hence the film.
Just what are you trying to achieve with it? Boost feminism or discuss the pains of womanhood?
I think feminism is increasingly being boosted thanks to the information age that we are in. Women are beginning to find their voices and I don’t think we can overdo this because we still hear of cases where women are still considered inferior to their male counterparts and this isn’t only in developing countries but all over the world.
Data from America Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in year 2019, women still earn less than men at 79 cents to 1 dollar earned by their male counterparts, not to talk of in developing countries where there is need to educate and inform the society on these issues. So, if this film boosts feminism, I will be quite happy with that.
However, my main reason I believe is to look into some unnoticeable pains that women go through daily. Being a woman, especially in this time and age, has very many challenges different from the common ones two to three decades ago.
You go to work just like your husband, you look after your family, you are the home keeper and extended family has expectations from you.
So, many women are suffering in silence whilst you are grateful that you have a family, you can’t complain otherwise those who do not have one will see you as being ungrateful. Women are developing depression and all manners of mental health problems and that again is stigmatized.
Women cover up to avoid the stigma and many of these challenges they face, which informed the title ‘Behind Her Mask’. This is not to say that the male gender doesn’t have similar issues but the movie is made with only women so that men, husbands, children can further appreciate the women in their lives and maybe understand why some things are the way they are and also to alleviate or avoid some challenges that are faced by women and to pinpoint some available support and solutions to some of these problems.
How profitable is gospel film making based on your experience so far?
I think it depends on what form of profit we are talking about. If it’s in relation to financial gain, in my own experience, I am yet to make money from it even though I strive for quality in my movies thereby spending more money than I would have if I just wanted to share the gospel in a basic film. But I am very keen on the quality of my movies, probably because I was raised in a family where I saw what quality production really should look like and I have been to film school in England.
I wouldn’t want to do something of low or below the standard quality. However, my main aim of making movies is not money. When I am planning, my first priority is how the message will bless lives. I always write in a way that the message can bless everyone, whether Christians or not.
I want everyone to be able to engage with my movie so I plan it in a way that the quality will attract people with high taste in film as well as those who don’t really care about the quality of a film but just want content that will bless them. It is after I have satisfied that then I will start thinking of distribution and how to make money, especially so that I can reinvest into the ministry and make another high-quality movie.
And with regards to distribution, I am working with some other people on an online platform, a video- on- demand website where quality gospel movies and other morally sound movies will be available on demand. We hope to re-launch around this Christmas.
But if the profit is that are lives been blessed, I will say yes by God’s grace. We have a lot of positive feedback and testimonies from our movies coming from Christians and even atheists and that for me is highly rewarding while we await the financial blessing, God willing.
Would you say gospel films are at par with secular films in terms of production, technical inputs and aesthetics?
I believe Gospel movies in Nigeria are doing well and steadily coming up despite the fact that we don’t have a lot of money to spend on our projects like the secular sector because investors and sponsors support the secular productions.
So, I am appealing to everyone that likes good work of art that will do more than entertain, movies that will touch your soul and change your moral reasoning and also help you to change for the better leading to fruitful family lives and better societies to please invest in our projects.
Christian movies can be entertaining but must never lose the main aim of preaching the good news and changing people. A genuine Christian writer doesn’t just research and write but he or she will prayerfully write the mind of God and trust God to use the message to touch those whom it is meant for.
However, we are coming up. Since 2016 by God’s grace, I have made movies that are cinema quality, 4K resolution and technically and aesthetically sound. I have received feedback from cinema film distributors who have commended them.
However, we are yet to receive a theatrical release because we have not featured popular faces since cinemas companies are concerned about the box office returns for their business. But, I am determined to move on and trust God for the needed breakthrough.
Why do you prefer cinemas to VCD distribution channel?
I grew up seeing my parents put their movies in the cinema so I never wanted anything less. Also, I really loved going to see movies in cinemas when we were growing up. I love seeing the larger than life pictures, so deciding to go in that direction becomes easy when I became a filmmaker.
I also want my movies to be available on all platforms and I know that once i have a good story inspired by God and I ensure that it is well written all I need to do is to invest more time and money and God has been so gracious to me. I believe that I have not even started. I have a dream, I have a vision and I am trusting God to bring it alive so that my movies will be seen in great and uncommon places.
Are gospel film makers supported enough to do more?
Financially I don’t think so yet and that maybe because we are not reaching out to sponsors yet. They don’t see us as a business venture yet and I don’t see why not. I understand that making a film for profit has been very challenging in Nigeria, especially with the issues of piracy.
Nobody wants to borrow money to make a film only for it be pirated and lose investors’ money but i think things are changing, there are more platforms where you can realise the money back. Like any business, investors only need to weigh the risks and see the viability and I think it is viable. There is a huge gap for gospel movies to fill worldwide, which is why Hollywood studios were making Bible-themed movies.
I think gospel filmmakers need to create awareness and seek financial support to increase our visibility on all platforms. The Kendrick brothers were supported by their church when they first started now their budget is huge and comparable to secular independent or even some Hollywood studio movies.
Mel Gibson didn’t get funding from the studios because they were scared of his contents being ‘Christian, anti-semitism’. But I’m sure that those studios would have regretted not funding Passion of the Christ because up till date it’s still the highest-grossing R rated movie ever made.
Do you feel this path is good enough to sustain and keep you going for the rest of your life?
Absolutely! It is good enough for me. I believe that this is exactly the reason why I am made. I have absolute fulfillment in doing it. Also, I am not in it for money. I don’t think money is everything. I am not in it for fame. I don’t need to be famous to live a good life.
I love the life that God has given me. I don’t have money stashed in my bank account but I am not in lack of anything good. If all these come, fine, I will appreciate it but they are not my main purpose.
If I have more money it means more high-quality movies and I will also be able to bless others and give back to society more and of course better life.
