Popular Nollywood filmmaker, Lancelot Imasuen, is celebrating 30 years in the Nigerian movie industry. The “Issakaba” producer recently revealed that his celebration also celebrates everyone behind the camera in Nollywood.
Speaking recently during an interview, Lancelot revealed that a lot of people behind the scenes have been zeroed and thrown into the dustbin of history, hence his decision to do his bit to put the spotlight on them.
According to him, celebrating the Nollywood brains that are not in front of the camera is key because they deserve to be appreciated, not pushed aside and relegated to the bench.
He blasted the way Nollywood stars have treated the Nigerian movie industry in recent years, accusing them of bastardising, ignoring and abandoning the country’s movie sector when it needs them the most.
“This has become very important because they say if you do not give your product a name, most times enemies will take it and give it whatever name they like which has been the cry, the pain that has bedeviled those behind the camera, that has robbed assiduously in this institution called Nollywood. Today, a lot of them have been zeroed, cocooned to the dustbin of history.
Where are the founding fathers? To the glory of God, Ambassador, Chief, Dr. Imasuen, a young little boy who did a programme at the university of Port Harcourt, came into Lagos in search of green pasture. It is very instructive to know that when I say my journey started 30 years ago, I want to mean commercial filmmaking. My journey into motion pictures actually started in 1987 but as a functionality personnel behind the camera. It started in 1998 when I was assistant director on a project called The Besotted and since then I have not looked back.
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This has become important because of the way the system has sidetracked, pushed aside, and relegated the brains, minds that birthed Nollywood. As of 30 years ago, there were no stars. Everybody evolved. Those that chose to be behind the camera like me as well as those who chose to be in front of the camera. Nobody looked down on anybody. Everybody respected what we were all called to do – our talent. But over time, we have seen Nollywood that has birthed great names, even the institution being bastadised, abandoned, ignored even by those that were nobody. That is the crux of this parley. Where are the people that Nollywood birthed? Some of them now became bigger than the institution that birthed them.
I am calling out the Omotolas, Genevieves, Emeka Ikes, Orji Mikes – I am calling out all of them that Nollywood have birthed that they must come give back to Nollywood. We cannot continue to allow the house that gave us a name to be abandoned. Who were these characters before Nollywood? Were they born stars? No. Nollywood threw those people up as it threw us up. To God be the glory, Nollywood gave us our fortune, wealth, popularity, everything, how come some of my colleagues are so comfortable just abandoning the house? I want to be the lone voice crying for Nollywood in the wilderness. Where are the children that Nollywood birthed? They are nowhere. Let all of them come and challenge me that they were stars. It is only now that social media has thrown some people, Big Brother has thrown some people, then, you say let us come and bring them. Where are those organic people that Nollywood birthed?” he said.
He further stated that people should scrap the idea of Old and Nollywood, stressing that there is no segregation, and it is all about making your impact as soon as you get in.
“I vehemently condemn that phrase, old or new Nollywood. When you come in your own story starts. Make your mark. Would you abrogate the impact Ayo Makun (AY) has made with his own kind of films? No. Does that mean that Osuofia did not do something? No. Which action do you want to shoot that can match Issakaba? There was no computer then,” he added.
