By David Ajiboye

“I made Blood Diamond in Sierra Leone.”

Teco Benson, Nollywood’s film director of repute, is just one of the few Nigerian film directors who have had the opportunity of working outside the shores of Nigeria, a rare opportunity his hard work and experience in churning out first class movies provided. Noted for his knack for action movies, Taco, an avid critic of the failings of Nollywood, maintains that one of the biggest problems in Nollywood is that it parades mediocre in the mold of professionals. He spoke with AfricanMovieStar. com on this and other issues. Excerpts.

On Nollywood, celluloid format and international film standard.

In Nigeria, we make our film on video because the films are only watched in the homes. It doesn’t make sense making a film on celluloid and at the end of the day you still transfer it to DVD.  When the cinema culture died, what was known as the first film industry, which solely fed the cinema sector died too.

The attitude of the typical Nigerian man apparently protecting his family for fear of getting corrupt  or being attacked by armed robbers also contributed immensely in killing the cinema culture. Thus, Nigerians saw the advantage of television and decided to start making movies on video with the coming of VCR. They realized that they can actually shoot these films and sell them on video compact discs and cassettes.

All the cinema houses in Nigeria died and got converted  to churches and some of them to warehouses. You see people are having false impression about Hollywood. My last movie was done in 35mm and that’s the highest. Next to that is HD which is aiming to take over in the next five years. George Lucas shot on HD and  a lot of people are doing HD. Steven Spielberg is contemplating making his film on High Definition.

HD is virtually the future of film in the world. I’ve made a future film on celluloid and I am planning another one on 35mm which is the film I said I was making for the international market.

Any plan to relocate to Hollywood?

I am not desperate about going to Hollywood to shoot. Though I would have enjoyed working in their well  equipped studios because it will in no small way enhance the input in the kind of movies I am noted for, that is action films. Everything I would need to come up with a blockbuster action movie are on ground there. Here we struggle because of the technology gap. We use the little we have to achieve what we have been able to achieve.

In the movie King Kong, the machine that was installed inside the animal had a remote control which controls the mouth and all parts of the body. If they wants him to open his mouth, they use remote control. I tell you the truth, I believe in this country, I don’t believe I have to run away or travel out of this country for my film to make meaning. Can you see the machines that we use here, we can’t even create ordinary razor blade. That’s the only thing I enjoy when I get there. I can stay here and make a movie if I get the support. I can get all the experts that will help me achieve the technical support.

My own vision is not to go to America to make movies because they are jealous, they are so protective of their industry, that is why it was difficult in the past for any film from other countries to win the Oscars Award.

By David Ajiboye

“I intend to be in Nollywood for a long time,” says actress Tonto Dike.

“I’m so sorry for the delay and recourse I have made you go through, sir,”  Tonto Dike, the fast rising Nigerian actress, who was one of the first housemates of the Next Movie Star, pleaded as she settled down in her Murano SUV and pleads with the director of the film on which location she was to have this chat with African Movie Star.

That the screen siren has done pretty well for herself in the movie industry is more like understatement as she has also been able to get some of the best of things in life for herself – a car and a good apartment.

Quite enthusiastic and passionate about what she does, Tonto seems ready to stay the course in Nollywood.

“My only reason for being in Nollywood is my increasing passion for acting that comes with every passing day. I wake up every morning yearning to do more in the industry. My interest developed many years back and it has been increasing daily.”

“To be serious with you, I intend to be in Nollywood for a long time,” she said.

The Port Harcourt-born vixen took the movie industry by storm just three years after her participation in a TV reality show, Next Movie Star. As a contestant in the reality show, she impressed quite a number of people with her skills and after emerging as the first runner-up, she took her chances in the industry and today she’s one of the most sought after.

” I think it was just God’s timing. God has everybody in mind and he has a particular time He wants you to hit it big. God and my talent have been responsible for the rise in my career within a short time. These things have been working for me like magic and it has been my strength. It has nothing to do with my beauty; in fact, beauty is the last thing that helped me in Nollywood because I believe if  I had no talent, after one or two movies, I would have been kicked out. The beauty is just a complement,”  Tonto said candidly.

The petrochemical engineering graduate of the River State University of Technology was quick to speak up when the issue of the opposite sex was brought up.

In her words: “I don’t think I’ve had any contact or brush with obsessed male fans or admirers, in fact,  all I know I have fans who love and appreciate me just the way I love and appreciate them.”

On marriage, she said:  “I won’t get married because I want to please anybody, I would only do it when I feel and know that the time is right. I would be waiting for God’s time to tie that knot when it comes but for now, I’m not rushing into anything that I might later regret. I only pray that my parents are alive to witness it all when it eventually comes.”

So, is she saying there isn’t any man in her life at the moment even with her wealth, fame and beauty?

“See, there are many boyfriend materials, but what about the husband materials? It’s just the same way with guys. I don’t want something I would do and in the next few months, it’s over or I’m out, so I want to be very careful before going into it, so that I can do it well.”

“At present, I’m not even thinking about any man because I don’t even have any! All I’m concerned about at the moment is my career and that for now is my priority!”

Why would she study petrochemical  engineering despite her love for the arts?

“I’ve always loved the oil sector and petrochemical engineering came as the only course I could read despite my love for acting. It remained with me all through my years in school because my father wanted a job that could pay my bills, something that is serious.”

“But I know that acting is far more serious than people take it to be and, in my third year I decided to start off the burning desire and here I am today.”

What would the light-skinned actress be doing when she eventually retires, pick up a white- collar job?

“There is no possibility of me working as a petrochemical engineer, but maybe doing contract or something. I doubt I want to leave Nollywood anytime soon.”

With the number of movies that she has taken part in since in 2006, Tonto must no doubt be smiling all the way to the bank.

“We thank God. I’m not doing bad and I give God the glory,”  was her tarse reply.

By David Ajiboye

“PLAYING WICKED ROLES IN MOVIES DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE WICKED”, PATIENCE OZOKWOR

Long before she starred in the movie, Old School, a movie that gave her the alias, Mama G and catapulted her to prominence in the movie industry, Patience Ozokwor was already an established name in Nollywood. Nobody forgets easily any of her famous roles either as a wicked mother in-law or step mother. And she is quick to tell you she accepts such roles to expose the wicked. She recently won the prestigious Face of Nollywood Award, a first of its  kind. But is Mama G only good at playing wicked roles? She gives the answer and a lot more in this exclusive chat with David Ajiboye.

You’re all smiles this morning, what’s up?

As you can see I’m feeling great.

How do you feel being the first ever Face of Nollywood Award Winner?

I feel honored and happy. I give God all the praise  because I would not have been able to achieve a thing like that on my own. Knowing also that this award was given to me by my fans makes me very happy and loved.

When your name was mentioned that day, the crowd gave an ovation in your honor, how exactly did you feel at that point?

At the very point my name was mentioned as the winner, I felt goose pimples all over me and I just went on my knees to praise God. When the voting was going on, I wasn’t aware so I didn’t vote for myself and I didn’t tell my people to vote for me. In fact when my name was mentioned among the last three, I told myself that at worst  I’d go home with the last prize. I’m very grateful to my fans out there knowing that they love me so much not minding who I am  or where I come from.

In your opinion what attributes can you say earned you this award?

I don’t know, may be my fans will answer that question better. Sometimes people call me and say that I act so well and real, but I don’t get carried away by those comments. It only makes me know that people are watching my movies; which means that a lot is expected of me.

Do you think this award should continue?

I think it’s an honorable venture and I thank God for inspiring the organizers of this event.  I think it’s a way of telling us to put more effort into what we’re doing and those of us who’ve not been doing so well will also be challenged to wake up.  This year I’m the winner, next year it could be someone else so I think it should continue.

From journalism to acting, how did you do it?

I was an announcer with Radio Nigeria but I left because Iwas retrenched. Before then, I had always acted in school and in church. And being an announcer on its own is acting because they both involve expression. The difference is just that you are not seen on radio.

How challenging was it when you took up acting as a career?

It wasn’t an easy task because acting in a movie is different from any other form of acting. Acting in a movie is differnent from stage acting and even soap operas. Some people act very well on stage and soaps, but when they come over to movies, they have to start learning all over again. When I took up acting as a career, I improved from one movie to another until I got used to movie acting. I will say that acting in movies is the most challenging of all other forms of acting.

Most times you play wicked and bad roles in movies, how do you feel taking on such roles?

It’s challenging playing the role of a bad person, for me it is much work. I don’t feel bad taking up such roles because I know that the character is not me. And it is very tasking to play such roles for people to understand the message you are passing across.

So how do you feel when you watch yourself play all those wicked roles?

Honestly I feel terrible. There was  a movie I did where I have to snatch a baby’s food and throw it away. Each time I watch that movie, I feel like crying, because I love babies so much. There’s another one where I had to put some poison in a baby’s mouth and the baby died afterwards. Whether we like it or not, these are things people do; so I take up such roles not just for the money but for the sake of exposing evil doers. It’s like creating awareness so that people can be conscious of their environment; that’s why I keep portraying such characters.

When people call you stage names,how do you feel?

I hail them. People know me by various names that I bear in movies and when they call me any of them, I remember the movie immediately. I feel very happy because it tells me people are really watching my movies.

Which of your movies do you think put you in the limelight?

I think it was Authority. Before then I had two other prominent roles in Amina and Odum. It was the roles I played in those movies that earned me a role in Authority and since then, I’ve not rested outside playing wicked roles.

Can you also take up romantic roles?

I’ve played so many romantic roles too. I acted in Love After Love and many others whose titles I cannot really remember.

Of all your movies, which is the best?

I don’t know how to assign importance to any of my movies but I pay equal attention to any script I get; no matter how small it is. It’s the smaller scripts that can even floor you if you’re not careful. The movie Old School had a small script, but by the time we finished, it came out wonderfully well, and earned me the name Mama G. I’ve never disrespected any script, but all the same, ther are some very challanging ones. I can’t pick out any as the best but I love Old School.

As an actress, have you ever had an embarrassing moment?

So many times and these happened at special gatherings or at the airport. People just walk up to me and say you are a wicked woman; you are a witch and things like that. Somebody even walked up to me one day and said, “Now I know why your husband died, you killed him.”Some people send me  text calling me witch after watching my movies  and I laugh at such people.

How do your in-laws perceive your career?

They are so happy with me. They love what I do. I can remember one family gathering we had where one of my in-laws told me that he was so happy when he went to the internet and saw the family name, ‘Ozokwor’, including my son the footballer. He encouraged the rest of our family to go and check it out. They’re very proud of me.

As a widow what challenges did you face bringing up your children?

My husband died in 2002, so we brought up our children together. My last child was already at the university then, which meant, I didn’t train him all alone.

Do you see any of your children going into acting?

My second son loves acting a lot; he’s shown a lot of interest in it. He invested some money in a movie this year and is interested in featuring in movies. My only daughter used to have interest in the industry too but she became a born-again and changed her mind. Right now, she’s working with Cadbury London, so there’s no time for her to act.

What do you have to tell your fans?

I’m very grateful to them for making me come this far and I’ll never dissappoint them. By God’s grace I’ll make you happy all the time. Keep watching my movies and keep listening to my music. Also try to learn whatever lessons I teach in my music like in the song,National Moi Moi, which tells you that those in government should allow the people to a taste of the national cake and the governed should work hard to earn a living for themselves  and be goog citizens of Nigeria. Above all, they should remember Jesus Christ in all they do because he and died to redeem us. Don’t forget that on the last day, you’ll give him an account of your stewardship.