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Soon to join the
swelling ranks of Nollywood movies at cinemas is ‘Clap of Thunder’, an
epic film directed by Emeka Jonathan. Jonathan is no rookie to the
profession, as he has directed over 40 films in the last eight years.
He unveils himself and the new movie in this interview.

Tell us about ‘Clap of Thunder’?

I don’t want to
give too much away. However, it was produced by Peace Egwu and is her
first. It features Enebeli Elebuwa, Ebube Nwagbo, and a host of others.
The innovation is you premiere your movie first and then release it at
the cinemas. We hope to do that with this movie. It will premiere in
March in Calabar. We are also going to release it in cinemas
afterwards.

We are looking at
bringing new talents, good storylines into the filmmaking business.
That’s the best way. We have a lot of talent, let’s discover them. We
can use maybe one or two stars but let’s also give room for fresh
talent. I am a part of that change. You’ll see new faces in this movie.

Is this another Nollywood movie or should we expect more?

You cannot take a
low quality film to the cinema because it will be scrutinised for
picture quality, sound, and storyline before they put it on. So, this
movie has a lot to offer. It’s an epic film in English but set in the
Igbo cultural background. The storyline is different and it’s got
suspense. The settings and the costume are also different. If you shoot
a movie in Asaba or Enugu or any of the usual locations, people can
easily tell. We don’t create time to scout for choice locations for our
movies.

However, ‘Clap of
Thunder’ was shot in a very different location. It was shot in a serene
location called Akpabio which is about 30 minutes drive to Calabar. I
think government’s intervention is also necessary in this area. The
industry needs a film village.

What about Tinapa?

We shot a few
scenes in Tinapa. It is not a film village in the actual sense of the
word. Though you can get some production equipment there, it’s more of
a fun place, a rendezvous for people to go and relax.

When did the interest in directing begin?

I’ve always had
the zeal. However, my first interest in filmmaking began between 1991
and 1992. This was the period I featured in the popular soap,
‘Ripples’. I was in my first year in the university at the time. My
godfather, Alex Usifo, who was also in the soap, contributed to my
getting the role. It was a minor role. The first project I directed was
a soap opera, ‘Sweet Angel’. It aired between 2004 and 2007. I actually
produced and directed the soap and it used to also run on Africa Magic
alongside other soaps like ‘Treasures’. Then I moved into movies. The
first movie I directed was ‘Godmother’ which was released in 2006. So
far, I have done ‘Take Me Home’, ‘Wise Choice’, ‘Desperate Housewives’,
‘Dancing Hall’ and many others. ‘Desperate Housewives’ won Best Picture
and Best Directing awards at the Nigerian Movie Awards last year.

What is your take on the Nigerian movie industry?

The industry is
moving forward. President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed loan to support
the entertainment industry is also a good thing. We’ve been praying for
this kind of support from the government for a long time.

However, the
industry needs to be restructured. Before, we used to produce movies
indiscriminately but now the tempo is coming down because we keep
recycling stories. You don’t rush your movies. Now, people are looking
at the cinema so we need to produce quality films so that people can
get value for their money. You cannot spend N1, 500 to go see a
worthless movie. I don’t mind shooting two or three quality films in a
year than 20 which are of low quality.

What do you make of the newly released movies making waves at the big screens?

It’s a good thing.
I think it helps professionalism. Like the movie ‘Ije’, the lady who
produced it did a good job. There is a lot involved in making a good
movie. Sometimes, investors are scared of investing in a movie because
there are miscreants who take all of the money and then use a small
part of it for the actual production while they spend the rest on
themselves.

However, God is
reshuffling the industry and is bringing out the greats, those who have
prospects. Video clubs are not helping issues. Internationally when you
shoot a movie, you premiere first then you take it to the cinema before
you release into the market, which is the last resort. So, a movie can
be put on CD four years after its release date. For instance, ‘Ije’ is
not in the market, it’s in the cinemas. You just don’t shoot a film,
release it into the market and next people are renting them from video
clubs. People should be encouraged to buy movies.

The guys at Mount
Zion Films ensure that their films are bought as they have a licensed
distribution structure and they do not allow their movies get into the
hands of video club owners.

Aside from some of what you have stated, what other changes would you like to see in the Nigerian movie industry?

A stronger
relationship between the media, the audience and the industry. In terms
of publicity and awareness, marketers should set aside funds for
advertisements in every arm of the media so that people can be informed
about the latest movies, know what movies are making hits and which are
not.

Also, I think
movie directors should get first-rate remuneration for their work. But
in Nollywood, the actors get paid more money than the directors. The
director does a lot of work and stays on till post-production, ensuring
that everything is in place before the film is released.

Any upcoming projects?

Yes. There is a
soap opera in the works, which I will be directing. It is an Igbo soap
opera, done in Igbo language. It will feature the likes of Ernest Obi,
Ngozi Ezeonu, and Peter Bunor. Africa Magic and Infinity will be on set
with us while we shoot.

We’ll be going on
location by the end of the month to shoot another movie that will
feature Onyeka Onwenu, Tonto Dike, and Yemi Blaq.