“THE INSIDER” A TALE OF TWO NOLLYWOODS.

 

reginald ebere

The Insider, is one of the movies I wrote in the earlier stages of my career. It tells the story of a man who is a member of a church committee and was aware of all the inside happenings of that committee but was at the same time busy organising armed robbers to rob members of the church who were in charge of the finances of the church. The role was played by Ejike Asiegbu,(The GodFather) as he is fondly addressed  in Nollywood. I still wonder though how he got that name but that is a story for another day, maybe his school mates at the University of Port Harcourt will find time to tell us someday. The movie was a big hit in those heady days of Nollywood’s infancy and fetched the producer quite a tidy sum. It was directed by my very good friend and colleague Launcelot Odua Imasuen, the Benin Boy who enchanted Ibo Marketers and Executive producers those days. A man I still duff my cap for.

 

I mentioned the Insider because I have always been a "Nollywood Insider", albeit a quiet one, not in the mould of the Ejike Asiegbu in the movie. I was part of the earliest stages of growth and have stayed true to the dream as much as is within my power to do. Somewhere along the line however, I pushed out to explore other options. I ended up in Television as Head of Production and a Channel Manager for the nascent Infinity Television. It was a gamble that really did not work too well but one I have no regrets about. The only down part of that adventure was that it took me away from mainstream Nollywood for all of four years.

Launcelot Odua Imasuen

 So now it is April 2013, I decided in March to step back into the fray that is Nigeria’s movie Industry. But I find that there is no longer one Nollywood but two. No I am not talking about the Hausa or Yoruba arms of the Industry or even the Ghanain part which is now referred to as Ghollywood but the high class, low intensity, pretentious and professional(by Hollywood standards) cinema Industry, based In Lagos. Then the low class high intensity, high volume, “down to the brass tacks” bare knuckles industry based In Asaba. And there lies my dilemma; which part of the Industry to rejoin. All through my career I have always been one for excellence. I was known to make arty movies that adhered strictly to the traditional values of movie making. I have realised however that art for art’s sake will never make money for anybody. So, I have made great films even if I have to say so myself but my bank account has remained relatively empty. But like the Ibo boy I am, I have come to my senses. Now I want to make all the money I can before my strength fails.

Honestly I’d wanted to make one grand cinema film, with a grand premiere and national release to mark my full return into Nollywood. And I’d set to work to do that. Bearing in mind that the last movie I shot, “THE KING AND THE PRIEST” was shot in October 2011, I was like a footballer who had sat on the bench for a whole season in a second division team and had suddenly been called to the national team for the World Cup. I set about doing the perfect script. But while I was writing, I got to ruminating. All my friends who had gone the cinema route in the past few years of the rebirth of the cinema culture in Nigeria had only tears of woe to cry. Apart from block busters like IJE and the phenomenal JENIFA and its sequel plus a few others, the rest have failed to even break even in the cinemas. It looked as if we were just making movies for the owners of the cinemas to make money off us. The percentage sharing is skewed to favour the cinema franchises. Not contributing anything to the production of the movie nor to the publicity of the product they have been walking away with the bulk of the profits. It has been like the legendary Aneke who washed her hands only to break the kernel for the squirrel to carry away.

Somewhere along the line I stopped writing that perfect Cinema script and decided to do ten “Asaba” scripts. Now you don't have to think to hard to write one of those and I know that I can quickly sell off those scripts to some quick thinking Ibo boy like me who is looking for how to  make the fast buck and take one Infinity or Murano jeep home for next Christmas. I mean what is the point of having over a hundred and fifty movie credits to ones name and not having up to one hundred and fifty thousand Naira in your account.

So for all those who have been asking when will a new Reginald Ebere movie drop into the market hang in there, you don’t have too long to wait. I am on my way to Asaba. The first Nollywood has finally won. Yes I like the perfect movie but I am also a fan of the perfect bank account. Who doesn’t want to die a rich man! And for all the producers who are looking for scripts, I have well over twenty scripts in the different genre you like. Genre’s like Royal, Action, Ibu, Nkem Owoh lol. Yeah those are no longer actors but movie genres. We even have genres like Mercy Johnson paired with Yul Edochie, Mike Ezuruonye paired with Tontoh Dike or Chika Ike. Don’t worry we are very reasonably priced. Only a hundred thousand for part one to four. Asaba here I come.

REACTIONS ARE WELCOME.

NOLLYWOOD: WHO DO WE HAVE LEFT?

JUSTUS ESIRI

SAM LOCO EFE

The first time I went to Enugu to work was in the year 2000. I'd been directing and writing in Nollywood since 1996 when wrote and assisted Ifeaniyi Anyafulu in directing HINTS Magazine's blockbuster WHEN THE SUN SETS, a movie that launched Kate Henshaw's glittering career and established the careers of several other actors. From 1996 to the year 2000. I waited patiently for somebody to call me to come work in Enugu. I looked on enviously as other directors went down to our new Hollywood then to shoot some of the movies I'd written, movies like FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, PEACEMAKER, ISSAKABA, LAST BURIAL, THE POPE MUST HEAR THIS and so many others and became instant superstars while i hung back in Lagos waiting for my time. That time finally came when Pete Edochie called me to come down to Enugu to write called me to come down to Enugu to write the Catholic Classic FATHER TANSI. After that trip Enugu discovered me and i went on to shoot a series of movies some which also went on to establish my reputation as not just a writer but a director of note in Nollywood. I fell in love once again with the quaint little town not just because of its scenic beauty and pleasant weather which reminds me of the Azores one of my favorite holiday and vacation spots in the world but primarily because of all the people I met along the way and worked with. People who enriched my life no end. I dare anybody in Nigeria to replicate the carnival atmosphere we created in Macdavous and Naiko Hotels in Agbani Enugu, where you could find ten productions on set at the same time and all the artistes and crews lodged in the same hotels. I dare anybody to replicate the camarederie that grew between rival directors and actors as we all drank from the same bottles and ate from the same plates, shared our victories and cried at our tragedies. Can any one of us forget the day that rising actress Cynthia was run over and killed by Theodore Anyanji's car within the hotel premises.


I look back at the long evenings spent with Uncle Sam Loco in front of his chalet as he drank copious amounts of Gulder and told me stories of his growing years in Abakiliki. Can ever forget me trying to play my guitar and Uncle Justus Esiri fresh from intimidating and unfortunate neophyte director trying to recall his music playing days in Germany. It was in this sleepy town that i met Uncle Pete Eneh for the first time. It was in this town that I lost Nnamdi Eze. Here I met a girl that became my muse Vanessa Nzediegwu. Here I discovered the undying love and Kindness of a good man like Cajetan Obi. I can't call all the names and give a list of all the beautiful and sad things that happened to me in Enugu.
This morning, i woke up and found out that Uncle Sam is gone, same with Uncle Justus, same with Pete Eneh, same with Pat Edeh, same with Nnamdi Eze, Kenneth Egbuna, and myraid other artistes who invested the world with their exceptional talents. I look around me and i ask myself who is left.

PETE ENEH

What we have left is the rivalry, jealousy and bitterness.What we have left is the back biting, the hedonism and the practice of juju to get roles. What we have left is the politics of divide and rule, the actors who do not know how to carry wine glasses, ride a horse or even speak English language. What we have left are directors who do not know the difference between a long shot and a close up, camera men who do not know that cameras have settings, producers who are only interested in the volume of movies they produce in a year instead of the quality. What we have is an industry that is torn with strife and competition. A new Nollywood in Asaba where massive rubbish is being produced and unleashed to insult the sensibilities of a populace we used to feed with excellent movies. What we have left is a group of artistes who think that the more scandals they accumulate for themselves the bigger their stardom.
I am not able to go on for their is too much to say but i tell you my colleague, lets wake up and build back this beautiful thing we gave birth to before it becomes a monster and destroys us all.
REGINALD EBERE