Strength of Faith…
Strength of Faith: Producer: Sunshine Movies Limited, Director: Ikechukwa Onyeka. Cast: Van Vicker, Uche Jombo, Tonto Dikeh.
Strength to Strength: Producer: Solomon Apete, Director: Ugezu J. Ugezu, Prod. MGM: Ifeanyi Udoku, Exec. Prod: Ezenwa Collins Chinedu. Cast: Patience Ozorkwo, Mike Ezuruonye, Mercy Johnson, Tonto Dike.
I do not know how these two identical titles of movies ended up on my desk but for some reason, they were there, and I kept looking away because the titles in themselves are not eye-catching or meaningful. However, I got curious at one point, and my critical mind forced me to watch them, simultaneously.
One thing about Strength of Faith and Strength to Strength production processes don’t sit well with me. I don’t know about you, but for me, the titles are too close for comfort. I can’t imagine two separate productions would have so close a title and so close a theme. It seems Nollywood is running short of story ideas and titles.
If I could work up some similar traits between the two movies, both are produced in 2008 and marketed in America. Strength of Faith, by Black Star Entertainment, 3832 White Plains Road, Bronx, New York 10467; Strength to Strength, by Executive Image African Movies, 2811 White Plains Road, Bronx, New York 10467. Both these companies live next door to each other.
The casts are either compromised or borrowed from one set to another. The notorious mother-in-law of Nick ( Mike Ezuruonye) in Strength to Strength, commonly known in the film as Nick’s mom (Camilla Mgbrekpe), is also Mama(Camela Mberekpe) who plays the evil mother of Van Vicker in Strength of Faith. Then enters Tonto Dike, (Chekwube) in Strength of Faith, and (Angela) in Strength to Strength, and in both films, she plays the tragic character who ends dead before the end credits roll. Oh, one more thing about these two flicks that stand out as similar is, they both explore marriage themes in reference to in-laws: The aggrandizing mother (Patience Ozokwor) of Jane (Mercy Johnson) in (Strength to Strength) who would like to sell Jane to the highest bidder, versus Nick’s Mom (Camilla Mgbereka) who could stop at nothing but to get her son a woman who would give her a grandchild. In Strength of Faith, the mother-in-law bewitches Chekwube for the mere heck of the fact that she hates her.
The only difference found between the two movies is that while one explores (Strength to Strength), the biblical plot of Jacob marrying Rachel and her sister Leah, but deviates and takes on a plot curve from there, ending the story with the death of the younger sister, Angela (Tonto Dike) in labor; In the use of in the title of Strength of Faith, I find a difference, and poetic justice in the story: Devil worshipping works, as equally as belief in the holy ghost’s fire depending on the strength of faith like we find in both factions responsible for the death of Chekwube (Tonto Dike) and Mama (Camela Mberekpe), respectively.
The reason why Hollywood uses working titles during a production of a movie is, by the time of premier their movie must have been christened a title unique to it and to it alone. In today’s age of Google keywording, your movie with a similar title to the production next door, in the same market, can easily get lost in the labyrinth. Are we getting short of titles in Nollywood?
I read your interesting write up. I am delighted that somebody is sitting down somewhere, spending his/her time, not only to objectively watch our films, but to give an objective critique. I appreciate your effort as I am persuaded that we cannot grow without objective criticism.
The point you raised however on similarity of titles cannot be blamed on anybody because titles of films in Nigeria are held as top secrets in this country until you have censored your films. I have seen where a particular producer heard of a title another producer was planning to give his film and rushed and registered it for himself. When this original owner of the tiltle went finally to censor his film, he was told to his greatest shock that the tilte he already printed posters with, had already been taken.
One goes to the censors board to verify if a particular title is still free. The censored board will not give you available similar titles but available titles. I am happy that you explored the two films and you would see that the creators of the films didn’t know what the other person was planning.
On the issue of using the same cast, I will still say that you have to blame the viewers; I am sorry but you may be included in this rank. If a Nigerian Filmmaker decides to use new faces, many people will not buy the film; the implication is that the said filmmaker has lost the money invested. Now tell me, would you buy a film that has faces you don’t know? This is the scenario in my country and people should not blame the filmmakers that are not getting even one assistance from government.
Visit my website and see what we are planning.
I want to thank you one more time for your highly objective comment as I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Ugezu Jideofor Ugezu
Writer/Director of Strength To Strength
Tel: 234 803 3229022