By David Ajiboye
 
Popular veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie has been kidnapped by unknown kidnappers in Onitsha, Eastern part of Nigeria. The famous actor was kidnapped on Sunday, Aug 16, 2009 around 3.
 
Three people were confirmed dead on the spot and about 20 injured people were taken to the hospital. Details of the kidnap was still foggy at press time, although the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka confirmed the development, he, however, said that the state police command was still trying to get a clearer picture of the situation.
 
It was gathered that shortly after the kidnap, somebody called his sister in-law, Mrs. Rita Edochie, who is also an actress, asking her to call her Edochie’s number, adding that the number rang several times, but was not answered. It was then that the family got the information that three people were allegedly shot during the scuffle to kidnap him before the kidnappers were able to take him away.
 

Pete Edochie

State Police Commissioner, Mr. Uzor Amankulor said in a telephone interview that he immediately relocated to the area with a view to rescuing the popular actor, adding that he and his men have started combing the bushes in the area to rescue him.
 
Edochie, a devout Catholic, is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors, by both Movie Awards and Movie Magic’s Africa Magic Cable network. Although, a seasoned administrator and broadcaster, he came into prominence in the 1980s when he played the lead role of Okonkwo in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s all time best selling novel, Things Fall Apart .
 
Edochie descends from the Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria. He has two sons that take to his acting traits; Linc and Yul Edochie.He got into radio broadcasting in 1967 as a junior programmes assistant after which he was elevated to the level of a Director. He was director of programmes, but doubling sometimes as Deputy Managing Director and occasionally acting as Managing Director. He quit ABS because the government decided to politicise the affairs of their FM station, thereby resulting in the entire management being asked to move out, including him. He was to be the immediate successor to the MD but had to leave and enrol into the movie industry.
 
Prior to that, he had featured in Things Fall Apart and had won an International Award. The BBC flew into Nigeria to interview him for his role in Things Fall Apart . He lived with his wife and two sons in Enugu, Enugu State in south-eastern Nigeria. In 2005 the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria placed Pete Edochie and several other actors, including Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Nkem Owoh, Ramsey Noah, Stella Damasus Nzeribe.TO BE CONTINUED…

By David Ajiboye

The 2009 Lagos International Film Festival (LIFF) with ‘Promoting Policy Instruments for Cinema Development in Africa’ as its theme held from August 11 to 16, 2009 at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Established by Madu Chikwendu in 1996 as the National Conference on Entertainment, LIFF transformed into the African Video Expo in 2005 and was finally rebranded as the Lagos International Film Festival in 2006.

Apart from some recently released Nollywood movies that were screened during the festival, a forum was also held where factors responsible for the recession in the Nigerian movie industry were discussed.

The chief executive of the festival, Chikwendu, Fidelis Duker, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Teco Benson, Chico Ejiro and Tony Ameh were some prominent Nollywood actors present at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, August 11. Moderator, Harris Chima added a touch of drama as he dramatically cried ‘Standby… Action’ as cue for guests to sing the National Anthem.

Nollywood will survive without the government

In his opening speech, Femi Jarret, veteran TV soaps producer and a protégé of the late music impresario, Steve Rhodes said the Nigerian movie industry rose to the second position in the world after America’s Hollywood without assistance from the government.

Apart from Nollywood, Jarret also accused the government of neglecting many relevant areas which would have improved the lives of Nigerians,

“We don’t need government. We can do it and when we do it, government will come to beg us,” the man who had minor roles in ‘The Village Headmaster’ said. He prayed that there would be better attendance at the next edition of the festival and urged the crowd to shout seven halleluiahs. The festival was declared open thereafter.

In God we trust

Kanayo O. Kanayo, whom others hailed as the interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), said that the festival is a plus for not just the creative community in Nigeria but in West Africa because whatever is set as precedence in Nigeria becomes the norm for other West African countries.

Chikendu, Teco Benson, Bond Emeruwa and Chico Ejiro spoke about the recent meltdown in Nollywood. Benson said that although things are tough, he does not expect it to affect the annual festival. All the actors however prayed that God will see the industry through its trying period.

In continuation of the dramatic precedent set by the moderator, Tony Ameh, president, Script Writers Guild of Nigeria said he was not happy that writers were not acknowledged first before other groups. He argued that script writers are the foundation of motion pictures and should always be duly acknowledged.

The tough-talking head of the script writers also asked the representatives of the Nigerian Film Corporation in the audience to take a message to the government in Abuja that it is obliged to support the Lagos International Film Festival.

Honoured to be here

One of the judges of the Golden Camel Awards held as part of the festival, Jenny Miller from the US who had been in Nigeria six weeks before the festival said she felt honoured to be part of the event.

Although a forum for filmmakers, the occasion didn’t lack musical presentations. The crowd loudly applauded Standfill when he sang his hit song ‘Ja mi ni Gbedu’.

Another musician, Hero who had guests gyrating to his number ‘Na who laugh last dey laugh best’ was also appreciated with a sustained applause.

By Ali Baylay

A Venus Film productions. Starring: Jackie Appiah, Majid Michael, Kalsoume Sinare, Psalm Adjetefio, Naana Hayford; Editor: Dapo Ola-Daniels: Music Score: Austin Erowele; Producer: Abdul Salam Mumuni; Executive Producer: Abdul Salam Mumuni; Director: Frank Raja Arase; Screenplay: Phil Efe Bernard. 145 mins.

William Shakespeare died in 1616, then Caroline period, then Commonwealth, the Restoration, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Victorian, Modern, Post Modern and Contemporary period have all come and gone; well contemporary is still here. And Ghana became independent from the British in 1957 but by watching Tears of Womanhood, it seems this former Brirtish colony is  stuck in the throes of Britain and its colloquial performing art form.

Don’t get me wrong, Tears of Womanhood is an outstanding narrative. It tells a story,  except for its preachy dialogues that sometimes hit the ear like recital of a  Shakespearean tragedy.

Tears of Womanhood, is a story of a rich christian boy, David (Eddie Nartey) who falls in love with a muslim daughter, Samira (Jackie Appiah) of the maid in his household, against the will of his father, Mr. Daniel Boateng (Psalm Adjetefo) who thought he could bethroth a wife for his son. David sticks by his muslim girl and he’s thrown out of the family, leaving both his father and mother, Tessy (Nana Hayford)  heart broken.

By a corny plot device, the younger brother of David, Dennis (Majid Michael) while now at university, happens to run into a hot campus brunet, Khadija, ( Yvonne Nelson/Playboy/Princess Tyra ) a spoil brat, who happens to be the younger sister of Samira, David’s wife. Khadija and Dennis get beat up and end in a hospital, and this unfortunate incident brings the prodigal son, David and his parents together after ten years, in a tear-jerking and hair-raising scene, at a private clinic .  In passing, I’d like to give Yvonne Nelson (AMAA nominee for Best Up and Coming Actress Award) a thumbs up for a remarkable performance in this movie.  

It is not clear if the theme of this story is religion or “in defence of principles and institution”, (Heaven knows what principles)  as the fountainhead  character of Dainel Boateng could say so in one of his theatrics. Or the writer himself  subliminally attaches christian religious tone to the story by christening all major male actors: David, Daniel and Dennis.

There’s also the presence of rampart religious motif in this story: the solemn face of the statue (Mary)  in both Boateng’s family and David’s prayer room, that stand out as a shrine, and also the use of Tasbir by their muslim counterparts. We however, can’t claim the story to be a domestic crusade (muslims versus christians). 

Or better yet, with a slap in Tessy’s ear, she asks Daniel Boateng, “Is that what you call principle and culture?”. One thing I do observe about this film is that the head of Boateng family is trying hard to hold on to his personal belief-not christian, even though he couldn’t allow the call of salat in his household- but whatever belief, still slips through his fingers the same way the characters in Orson Welles 1942 production of Magnificent Amberson, struggle to hold on to the values while time changes around them.

Ones again, I’ll emphasize here that Tears of Womanhood, is a better narrative than most stories I’ve watched. Phil Bernard put whole lot of effort in this compostion, the weak point however, (can we blame it on the editor?) is by letting us lose sight of prinipal players for a good while in part two, and carry on and on a long campus rigmarole of college girls fighting one another. Commercial films use economy of scale in telling their stories. A remarkable point of observation though, this 140 mins flick has almost 158 hugs. It means there’s a hugging for every minute of this film!