Worried by the perceived failure of films coming out of Nollywood to exploit value of cinemas as a way of shutting off pirates, film director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen decided to dig deep to find answers. His findings point to a lack of what he called cinematic element in Nigerian filmsWHEN his colleagues started embracing the idea of taking their films to the cinemas as a way of creating additional avenues for film exhibition outside Idumota and Alaba, Imasuen felt thrilled. He, too, has taken the same step in order to beat the ubiquitous pirates. But whatever euphoria greeted core practitioners venture into the cinema soon fizzled out with low audience attendance.But restless filmmaker like Imasuen didnt feel content with bemoaning the lot of the industry. He felt he needed to chase the fortune that a virile film industry should also give him. So, he set out finding answers to why Nollywood films have failed to seize on the popular imagination the way the industry did way back in the 1990s when Living in Bondage was produced to set off a spiral that became world famous.That now takes us to the economy. What improves on what youre doing today is what youre doing today brings to the table! But the case of Nollywood has not been the same.Lets also not forget this point: As a businessman whose only aim and intention is to make money, who is not schooled in the art of filmmaking; who has not even gone close to studying Theatre Arts; a lot of them are Accountants or whatever other than any prior knowledge about film, who are in it just to make money, saw an avenue in Nollywood to make money. So, when youre now talking about film festivals, films seminars, film workshops; its like Greek to them; it doesnt make sense. So, you see a particular style like my latest work, Adesuwa that I have painstakingly been investing time and money filming for the past three years. When it comes out, they want to replicate it in seven days, and hope to make a success of it. Thats how it has been, the Nollywood story of failure, why it has achieved fame without fortune!The idea will be there, but the quality wont be there; its the classic case of Nollywod productionblind imitation that does not follow the norms of art. All these defects have been at play not to the advantage of the average filmmaker that I represent but a negation of the principle of filmmaking. I have over 150 film titles to my name as a director. I want to see anywhere else in the world where that has been done. But to come to this seminar, I have to travel economy class; I cant afford a first class ticket. Meanwhile, and in other societies where things have been structured, I have the popularity in Africa that a Steven Spielberg has in America. Yet Ive not been able to make a quarter of what Spielberg has made.Now, why has Nollywood not made it big in cinemas with recent efforts that piracy has induced He answers: What has happened to Nollywood films as a result of the entrance of so many unschooled persons venturing into filmmaking just because of the money is a stigmatisation. So many of our films are not just good enough; they overwhelm the few ones that are good. Its been restricted to home video. My recent film, Home in Exile has been successful as a good film with quality pictures; it has won several awards. But has it been a cinema success No! Reason being that the culture of cinema worldwide is that people want to see moving pictures. They want to see spectacle; they want to see cinema elements. So, I paused and went about looking for those elements. I saw and infused them in Adesuwa my new film in the works.The number of persons and companies that have shown interest after seeing only the trailer is amazing, he said with satisfaction. They are convinced that the film cannot be wasted only on video; that it must be blown into 35mm for the films true greatness to emerge. Its not just about the trailer although that one is there. I can now say that I have a film with cinematic infusions. People dont leave the cinema to talk about the story; they leave to talk about the spectacle. That is what has been lacking in Nollywood films so far. Nollywood is good at telling stories but that is not cinematic enough to make people come.Imasuen added: Then, dont also forget the general apathy Nigerians always have towards their own thing; we have the tendency to under value our own thing. Each time I go to London to show my film, its sold out but not so in my own country. Also, Nollywood has not done well in promoting its art. Adesuwas trailer has been on several websites including YouTube. Ive had many responses from different countries asking me to get the film shown there.His take on Nollywood from tele-drama to art: From where were coming from, you get a mandate of three or four months of shoot for the film to come out. So, it has to do with investors. I wasnt ready to compromise concerning the timing. Its been on for three years. There is a nine minutes monster effect in the film that has to be extracted and sent to Bulgaria for rendering. What we lack are infrastructural, monetary and policy and legislative support. Ive spent over N20 million already; I still need N7 million to get it transferred into 35mm. To make a good movie takes time and money. How many investors in Nigeria are ready to put that kind of money into a movie Thats our dilemma!
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