Every day, the Nollywood industry thrives with young filmmakers from directors, to producers and screenwriters and one thing unites them—the power of storytelling.
For John Chizoba, the journey to finding film in Nigeria is a long walk that has shaped his passion and growth as a filmmaker.
In this interview with TheRadar, Chizoba who is also adept at cinematography, screenwriting and film directing talks about his very beginnings and the inspiration that pushes him to tell his stories.
The Lagos-based founder and creative director of The Philm Republic Production, a media Production company located in the same city, also shed light on the kind of films he wants to make, his challenges and his creative process.
How did you first become interested in filmmaking?
While growing up, I have always been fascinated by the way films are made. I grew up in Aba during the days of Compact Disc (CD) and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). I could remember I used to go to Park road then while Hawking to watch all the Posters of Films that were recently released.
I would stand there, admiring the pictures of these artists. Sometimes, I would stand in the street to watch the film. Then, we had no television at home but one of our neighbours. So, we assembled in his place to watch films.
I could remember I rented a lot of films from the rentals around my area then just because I wanted to watch a particular film. There was a day I rented a film, I think, It should be Ijele and I gave it to the woman.
I told her that she should hold on until I come back from the market before she will put it but when I came back, she had already watched it with others and she said she would not play it again for me. I was angry that night but I had to go and rent another film, Igodo, so that I could watch it with them.
From my childhood, I have had this craving to know where and how films are made. How they are coupled together to become a film and how they are marketed and distributed to the Audience.
I wanted to know all of them at once when I was younger because it fascinated me when I see the actors deliver their dialogues, wear expensive clothes and drive expensive cars and then live in luxury.
What inspires you creatively when making a film?
Humanity. So I want to inspire someone out there, I want to pass a message across to them through the films I do. I want to correct societal ills through the films.
In doing so, I might be changing someone's perspective about a particular culture that he or she has been lied to or I'll be teaching him or her a tradition that is not common to him or her.
It is also always beautiful to see someone talk about a film you have done, how the film has shaped him or her. And there is no better joy than that. It is more like when someone sends you an email to appreciate a book you have just written and published. The joy thereof is graceful.
Film as a form of art and culture, what significance does it have in society?
Film helps to correct societal ills. It impacts and educates the people at the same time. It also helps to export the culture and traditions of the society to the outside world. So, a man in China could understand how the Nigerians welcome a stranger in their society through their films.
An Indian man gets to watch the way Kenyans eat and some of their delicacies through their movies. A Japanese person can understand a Ghanaian better when he watches more Ghanaian movies without even visiting Ghana. This is what Film when channelled properly does to society.
What other role do you play aside from directing and how has it shaped your expertise as a filmmaker?
Aside from directing, I also handle the camera. I started off as a cinematographer before becoming a director. I have actually worked in all aspects of a Production. From directing to script writing, editing, sound, production manager, cinematographer, set design and personal assistant.
The only thing I have not really done in film making is Continuity but I have handled others in one way or the other. Right now, I'm focusing on Producing, Writing, Cinematography and Directing.
Have you ever faced criticism for the content of your film and why?
As a creator, criticism comes everyday to you. The only thing you should master is the art of handling them as they come. There was a film I shot in early January. I auditioned for actors. There was a lady who came for the audition and I never knew she was married.
The audition stated that it was single ladies that were needed. Fortunately, she got the role to play a lover to a guy in the movie. When the movie came out, the husband happened to see it and he called me to take it down from YouTube.
He told me he doesn't want to see it the next hour, else he would chase the woman away, whom I later found out was his wife. I told him I wasn't going to take the movie down.
The wife called and was crying over the phone. She said he had thrown all her bags outside. I had to take down the film and call him before he allowed his wife into the house. They settled anyway.
Aside from this, there has been a lot of criticism from fans and family alike on how you should have done it better than the way you did it. In all, this actually makes you get better as a creative person.
Is Nollywood doing enough in terms of storytelling and how are you contributing to changing the narratives?
We are a growing industry anyway. Different eras serve different purposes. The era of Rattlesnake is past and we are in an era where everything is a story to be told.
From the bad government to the Brutal police man in the street and the landlady who has told her tenants that none of them should store water in their house. And what happened in 1985 is quite different from what is happening now and how it happens right now.
So, we tell stories based on the era we are in and try as much as possible to make sure that the people we are selling this story to will resonate with the story. For Me, I think Nollywood is at this stage where our stories are sagging because our society sags on its own.
We have to tell this story in such a way that it will resonate with people within the society because they will understand it better as it unfolds. Our national grid has collapsed more than six times this year and if we must tell a story about the collapsed Grid, we must follow it up the way it comes and how discomforting it has been to the masses.
What kind of films do you want to create in the next 5 years?
In the next few years, I want to go back to Ohafia, Abiriba, Nkporo, Arochukwu and Uzuakoli historical culture and traditions and tell stories about them. I want to do a film that tells the communal or brotherhood between the people of Ohafia and Abiriba and Nkporo.
I want to do historical films of Ndi Igbo: The Masquerade story, the Igwa mmanwu story, the age grade Story, the Agbala Story, The Caste System, The Osu system, The ogbanje story, The story of the Ikoro, the Aba women riot, the Igbo landing, the Nkporo tradition and a whole lots of others. I want to go back to my roots.
One piece of advice for filmmakers like you
Be consistent. Never give up on your dreams. Go out there, make those mistakes, learn from them and don't remain there. My watchword for 2024 is ‘WE ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS, WE DON'T TOTALLY ARRIVE.’
Even those who you think have made it have their flaws. So, you have to do what you have to do and at the time you have to do it. There is no right time!
Your thoughts on Netflix scaling down investment in Nigeria, good or bad?
It will be a very big blow to the industry if they leave. We need a market as big as Netflix to thrive. Yeah. It will be bad news if they leave.
TheRadar Box Office: Ranking 10 highest-grossing Nollywood films of all time
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier asked what truly made a box office hit film? Some might say it is popularity or story or money.
Regardless, some films have cracked the code. Blending relatable storytelling, unexpected plot twists, and captivating visuals, some filmmakers have been to keep their films on the lips of viewers.
From A Tribe Called Judah, Sugar Rush, The Wedding Party, and Mailaka, TheRadar curated a full list of all the Nollywood films that have risen as the Top 10 highest-grossing films of all time in descending order.
