ACE filmmaker Lancelot Imasuen has been around for as long as one can remember in Nollywood. He has churned out blockbuster movies like Invasion1897, Adesuwa and the monster hit, Issakaba with the remake 24 years hitting screens later this year.
With over 500 films and counting, Imasuen who wears many caps in this chat with SAM ANOKAM is celebrating 30 years of consistency. The Edo-born movie maker talks about how he started as a 9 – year-old as well as his projection of what he would do in the next 30 years. He speaks on a whole lot of issues including his foray behind the camera, lessons, regrets and how he was among 10 filmmakers to start Arica Magic with their contents, among other things.
Can you tell us why you are celebrating 30 years of behind-the-camera filmmaker?
This has become very important because they say if you do not give your product a name, most times enemies will take it and give it whatever name they like which has been the cry, the pain that has bedeviled those behind the camera, that has robbed assiduously in this institution called Nollywood. Today, a lot of them have been zeroed, cocooned to the dustbin of history. Where are the founding fathers? To the glory of God, Ambassador, Chief, Dr. Imasuen, a young little boy who did a programme at the university of Port Harcourt, came into Lagos in search of green pasture. It is very instructive to know that when I say my journey started 30 years ago, I want to mean commercial filmmaking. My journey into motion pictures actually started in 1987 but as a functionality personnel behind the camera. It started in 1998 when I was assistant director on a project called The Besotted and since then I have not looked back.
In the early 90s, I was the director of one of the most popular television programmes in the then Bendel State, a programme called Evangel Theatre, it was a tele-evangelical drama programme fashioned after Brother Mike Bamigboye’s mount Zion. A group in Benin said they wanted to do something in that light and we started. It was a very popular programme then. I was a toddler directing men, fathers – all which were brought about before I went to school. Officially, I recorded in 1995, where I made my first commercial film titled, Adaku. It was an Igbo language film. I am Benin. I was contracted in Lagos by a student of mine where I used to teach acting, directing, choreography at the then Jovis Profession Press. A student of mine came to me to tell me he has a friend that wanted to make a film. He asked if I would be able to direct it. I said of course, then, I was with NTA as a contract staff having worked with veterans like Chris Obi Rapu, famed for directing what now became the Nigerian film industry where the explosion started from. He directed Living in Bondage. I worked under him as a production assistant on a national programme called, Memorial Hospital.
We were shooting in Badagry. He handed over that programme to Last Eguavoen who was a huge heroe for us then because he was in the rested Hotel De Jordan. I was fortunate to be with great minds like Danladi Bako who was the programme’s manager in NTA Headquarters, Drama directorate and I also was fortunate to have worked with late Sadiq Daba, late and the late Enebeli Elebuwa. This is my background. These men breathed into me what we called production. Elebuwa was the director of a programme called Twist Away. It was a national progrramme where native tongue twisters were featured. It was written and produced by Cordelia Eke. With these experiences, I was able to go into the research of Adaku. And by the grace of God when people thought language would have been a barrier because I am Edo and have no romance with the Igbo language but I directed it. Not just that, I have directed Ibibio and Yoruba films. That is the way it has been.
This has become important because of the way the system has sidetracked, pushed aside, and relegated the brains, minds that birthed Nollywood. As of 30 years ago, there were no stars. Everybody evolved. Those that chose to be behind the camera like me as well as those who chose to be in front of the camera. Nobody looked down on anybody. Everybody respected what we were all called to do – our talent. But over time, we have seen Nollywood that has birthed great names, even the institution being bastadised, abandoned, ignored even by those that were nobody. That is the crux of this parley. Where are the people that Nollywood birthed? Some of them now became bigger than the institution that birthed them.
I am calling out the Omotolas, Genevieves, Emeka Ikes, Orji Mikes – I am calling out all of them that Nollywood have birthed that they must come give back to Nollywood. We cannot continue to allow the house that gave us a name to be abandoned. Who were these characters before Nollywood? Were they born stars? No. Nollywood threw those people up as it threw us up. To God be the glory, Nollywood gave us our fortune, wealth, popularity, everything, how come some of my colleagues are so comfortable just abandoning the house? I want to be the lone voice crying for Nollywood in the wilderness. Where are the children that Nollywood birthed? They are nowhere. Let all of them come and challenge me that they were stars. It is only now that social media has thrown some people, Big Brother has thrown some people, then, you say let us come and bring them. Where are those organic people that Nollywood birthed?
That brings me to the project I just rounded off called, Area Command where deliberately a lot of Nollywood veterans were featured. I was surprised at the euphoria that has followed it. So, people want to see these guys again. They are not gone and buried as being touted by the system. You see Area Command with Afeez Oyetoro, Victor Osuagwu, Charles Awurum, Francis Odega etc. People still want to see them. This is the only industry I have seen where some people say they are new Nollywood, those ones are old Nollywood.
I have never heard of such a thing because this business has carried me to over 45 countries all over the world, over 500 cities around the world. I have been to countless festivals. I have been fortunate to direct a movie in the heart of Hollywood. My post production of Invasion 1897 was done in Burbank Hollywood. I shot a film entirely in Hollywood with Zack Orji and Kate Hensahw, Close Enemies. I delivered a talk to let us attempt a Hollywood Nollywood collaboration with a Nollywood director and I was picked. Globally, there was a programme called The ABCs of Death where directors were called from 44 countries. I was the only African but you see we have been too subsumed by the arts. I have been at a pan African festival as a special guest with Denzel Washington. We have gone to places talking Nollyood, African pictures all over the world. What we labored sweat and blood for, some people brought in money to buy it and now want to lord over us. I said before I die I must say this and there is no better time than this.
I am marking 30 years of consistency, 30 years of blockbusters, 30 years of bringing something out of nothing, 30 years of assiduous labour. In 30 years, no one passed without a movie from me even this year, I have also shot several others. I want to die doing this. This is an industry I got into when I was nine years old. I have never looked left or right. This is the real thing. I remember when our contents were gotten to start off Africa Magic, 10 of us whose contents met that requirement started off Africa Magic, today they are doing an event they don’t invite us. Yours sincerely was one of them. They don’t even remember that there was the beginning before the beginning began. I am calling them all out.
They celebrated us to our fifth year before we were jettisoned. Is it because we have lost relevance? Is it because we are not moving with time? I disagree. That is why I am touted as one of Nollywood’s most consistent filmmakers. Marking 24 years I have made my ever green buster, which I challenge anybody to show me the work that matched that work in terms of popularity, acceptance, sales, the project, Issakaba which 24 years after in marking 30 years, I decided to remake this film that helped in consolidating my name asa frontline director. By October or November this year, Issakaba returns with the Guvnor still at the helm of affairs producing and directing. I directed the first part of it but this one, I produced and directed with help from four of my friends – Lao Music Global, Liam Studios, The nice and Lancelot Imasuen Media Network – four of us came together to remake Issakaba. All of my projects are hinged on something. I am not against evolution. If you come to my studio, you will find only young people. I relate more with younger people because we want to remain relevant but the system must be such that we must pay tributes to men like Uzo Amayo Phillip who created the work; Aki na Pawpaw. Today his trademark is everywhere. But nobody has ever talked about the man that created that peace.
What should we expect from you in the next 30 years?
By the grace of God, I am in the business of mentoring. I own a school, the Benin Film Academy affiliated with Igbinedion University, Okada, I am also the founder, president of the International Student Film Festival. All of my stuff is geared towards the next generation. God giving us life, I may just still do some great work. I am just 54. I still have light years ahead of me God helping me. I still want to be on the field and do great work. Nobody is going to brush me aside. I do my own, you do your own. The next 30 years is going to be eventful. I want to sustain my relevance in the next 30 years. This stuff I have said is documented in a book, A Trip in Motion which will be released in November this year. We want to remain resource persons.
Some guy walked up to me and said that he is doing his Masters at my work. I was a topic for a whole session at Alex Ekwueme University, Ebonyi State, final year students. I get calls all over the world from different universities discussing my works. I have several Ph.D thesis that are being done on my work on my style of filmmaking. We want to consolidate more, create institutions. In the next 30 years, we are hoping like it was in America when Marlon Brando in 1968 was in Haiti filming, the American government could call to find out how he is doing because they understand the power of the film diplomacy and international relations. We want our state governors to know that and we want to push for that. I am not just a filmmaker, I am a culture activist. They should understand that these have gone beyond. Film is a language that transcends time. It can raise a culture. We can be more imperialistic with it taking over other African countries with our culture. I am the CEO of Afro Film Alliance which is a conglomeration of filmmakers in different parts of Africa under the African Celebrity Banner. We want to be involved with diplomatic works, formulating policies, involved in raising great minds and telling them that there is no dichotomy, Nollywood is Nollywood, anytime you come in, do your part.
What are the lessons learnt in 30 years of filmmaking?
I have learnt to be consistent. I see a lot of young people come to me to say they want to act. Consistency is one thing I learnt overtime. When it is bad, I am a filmmaker, when it is good, I am a filmmaker.
What do you think the old Nolllywood are not doing and where is the meeting ground?
First and foremost, I tell the young ones, you must value what you meet, which is the problem. We were at a parley at the Toronto film festival sometime in 2008 when there was the influx of Diasporian African filmmakers coming from Holland, America, coming with a mindset to show us how to make films. We waited. They came, did their razzmatazz. 99.9 per cent failed and woefully too because they came with a wrong mindset. I told them in that parley that everybody should come to add to the building. I was based here doing my stuff. Then somebody could make a film and sell the Master tape for N100,000 to a distributor. This thing was everywhere. In 1999 when I went to shoot my first Edo language movie, leaving after a film like Yesterday which was like a national anthem that shot me up internationally, I went for super VHS, it was to cost me N350,000 then. I took the risk and bought it. We organically grew the industry. So, when you are coming in, give regard to the labour of our heroes past, it should not be in vain.
Was there anything like old or new Nollywood?
I have never heard that. I visited the directors Guild of America. I am one of the founders of the Directors Guild of Nigeria. This project (Issakaba) is over N350m. Some people just wanted to be part of it because of the name this film made that time. People were cutting down their fee because they wanted to be part of this project. How do you come with one brush and say they are doing nonsense? I vehemently condemn that phrase, old or new Nollywood. When you come in your own story starts. Make your mark. Would you abrogate the impact Ayo Makun (AY) has made with his own kind of films? No. Does that mean that Osuofia did not do something? No. Which action do you want to shoot that can match Issakaba? There was no computer then. All the effects you saw were hand made. Busy Brain molded a foam to a man. C’mon cut me some slack! There is no old or new Nollywood. Nollywood emanated from the labours of our forefathers, the Hubert Ogundes, Afolayans, Ola Baloguns, Bourdillon Bogios, then the likes of our father, Chris Obi Rapu, Christian Onu, came and put in their own, then the Guvnor which is myself came. Ejike Asiegbu gave me the name, The Guvnor on the set of the movie titled, The Alternative. He was there as an actor, Liz Benson, Emeka Ike, all of them. That was the film Maureen Solomon started to act in. Food didn’t come on time on set and I shut down. He said you just acted like a governor. That was how the name, The Guvnor came to be in the year 2000.
You have seen the golden age of Nollywood, the transition and evolution. What are your thoughts on the new trend in Nollywood where youtube and streaming platforms have become the new destination for the industry?
I call it the total democratization of distribution. We have seen it all. When we started, we made a film and we are looking for whom to sell it to in the era of cassettes. We shot with VHS to Pneumatics then to Betacam to DSLS to where we are now.
And also the distribution has also evolved from our brothers who I also want to take time to pay tribute to very profoundly, they call them the Idumota Boys, the Upper Iweka guys, the Pound Road guys then the Alaba guys. These guys did quite a lot in financing Nollywood to the level it got to before corporate financing started coming in. Between you and I, I am excited though I don’t know where it will lead us because of our attitude. All these things that are new here are things that have been everywhere else in the world. I can still tell you that as we speak in America and some other developed worlds, distribution in cassettes, DVDs, are still on. You don’t say because one has come the other one has to die which is a terrible thing with us. I hope we survive this. I hope we are able to manage it well so that we don’t suddenly lose everything. When the cinema came, we rushed. I opened my Youtube page in 2014. The question should be , what happened to the other one? I am saying that all chains of distribution should be allowed to stay. We should not kill one for another, that is what we do here. The cinemas should be running, it is not all films that are meant for the cinema. The streaming platforms are there, they should be allowed to run, it is not all films that are meant for Youtube. All these different platforms serve different purposes. The Nigerian approach should be discouraged.
