From Storytelling Roots to Global Screens: Film maker Tony Abulu’s Vision for Nigeria’s Creative Economy - ep 12

[00:00:22] Hi everyone, welcome to Talking Tech With Creatives podcast. I'm Stella Oni. I know you've met me before, but some of you might be meeting me just for the first time. And Talking Tech With Creatives podcast is all about talking about creativity and technology and looking at the intersection. It's quite exciting. We've had a few episodes, some exciting guests have been. And yeah, if you haven't listened to me before, I'll say go and listen to the back

[00:00:52] episodes that quite a few people and you'll see some, you get to take some nuggets away. We covered finance, we've covered law, we've covered, I think we've covered finance, law, publishing, different aspects. And there's so many more that we're going to be doing. So as some of you who have listened to me would know, I'm an author and the crime fiction actually write crime fiction.

[00:01:22] And I also write about food, most especially Nigerian food. So, and I'm real, I love technology. And I just thought there was this connection between creativity and technology and that it's worth exploring. And that's how Talking Tech With Creatives podcast came into being. Now, wherever you're listening, I will say please like, follow, review, and I'll be sure to share my screen.

[00:01:52] So, this is going to go on YouTube. If you're on YouTube, subscribe to it, a very, very new channel. So your subscription will be, subscribing to it would really help me to continue this exciting podcast.

[00:02:07] Also, a little plug. One of my short stories appear in this anthology called Festive Mayhem 4. So I've got a short story there set in Nigeria. And it's about a food seller, but it's mystery. And a mystery, when you have crime mystery, there's always a death in there somewhere. So this is out on any platform, anywhere. If you have retailers, you can get a copy.

[00:02:33] Now, I want to talk about who we have today. I've got a guest today from the film world who has quite a story to tell. In fact, we had actually started talking before recording.

[00:02:48] And I just thought to myself, we don't want you to lose out on anything he has to say. So that's why we started recording. His name is Tony Abulu. And he's the president. I'm going to just introduce him quickly.

[00:03:03] And then he's going to tell us more about himself. So Tony is the president and CEO of Black Ivory Communications, a media firm. I'm going to be looking this way because I've got my screen on there as well.

[00:03:14] So with 30 years plus experience in film production, entertainment, publishing, international marketing, and African tourism development.

[00:03:25] He's the president of Filmmakers Association of Nigeria, USA. He's actually based in the USA.

[00:03:30] And he's got that exciting mix of filming, Nigerian films, filming in the USA, and all sorts of things there.

[00:03:41] And so he's the director, producer. He spent many years in the USA establishing a market for African-themed entertainment products, which is...

[00:03:52] So we're going to hear a lot more about that.

[00:03:55] And some of the films is made all the way from 1997.

[00:03:59] We made a film called Back to Africa, American Dream, Crazy Like a Fox, Superstar in 2015, Nigeria, Dr. Belou in 2012, Spellbound in 2018.

[00:04:13] And just recently, he just released a film called American Jackpot in 2024.

[00:04:17] Now, some of you that have listened to previous episodes, actually, I think we were able to say what Jackpot was in some of the episodes because I spoke to a few Nigerians.

[00:04:27] And Jackpot means it's a rough translation.

[00:04:32] They're just, you're leaving.

[00:04:34] So a lot of, we had a lot of Nigerians that have actually relocated from Nigeria to different parts of the world.

[00:04:41] And we call it Jackpot.

[00:04:44] So American Jackpot, Tony is going to tell us more about that film.

[00:04:48] So Tony, welcome to the podcast.

[00:04:51] Tell us a bit more about yourself because you have some exciting story to tell.

[00:04:57] Well, Stella, thank you very much for having me.

[00:05:02] My life is a little weird.

[00:05:06] I'm going to start by the influences in my, in the creative side of my life.

[00:05:13] I grew up, my parents were in England from 1961 to 67.

[00:05:24] My mother and my father.

[00:05:26] So we grew up with my grandmother and my uncle.

[00:05:28] Now, my grandmother became the influence on the creative side.

[00:05:35] My uncle became the influence on the business side because my uncle was very, very successful.

[00:05:41] In 1970, he owned quite a lot of planes, airplanes.

[00:05:47] He was the first Nigerian to own quite a few planes, about four of them.

[00:05:53] I remember when we would go to the airport, which was the Kirikiri Arodrome then,

[00:05:59] we were the only black people that would be there.

[00:06:02] You know, very interested.

[00:06:03] But, yes.

[00:06:06] But my grandmother, my grandmother was a, well, passed now.

[00:06:12] She was a princess of, from the Isha Stock in Edo State.

[00:06:20] And I think she grew up in the palace where she had the opportunity to be impressed with a lot of storytelling,

[00:06:33] a lot of deep storytelling.

[00:06:34] It's not like the kind of stories we tell now.

[00:06:36] My grandmother was an expert storyteller.

[00:06:42] She was the storyteller.

[00:06:44] She was the actor.

[00:06:47] She was the musician.

[00:06:49] So when she tells you a story, you are totally engrossed.

[00:06:53] 3D.

[00:06:53] She can do 3D versions of it.

[00:06:55] Yes.

[00:06:56] She would sing, you know, and then she would captivate you with a face, an expression.

[00:07:04] You know, when she says, for instance, that the king of the gorillas in the forest

[00:07:11] all of a sudden shows...

[00:07:15] So she would act it out.

[00:07:18] She would act out the way he walked, you know, the sound he made, and all this kind of stuff.

[00:07:22] And then she would give it a soundtrack to the whole thing.

[00:07:25] So that's the beginning of my creativity.

[00:07:28] Five years old.

[00:07:29] As a matter of fact, there's a story which was told by my parents that at the age of 3,

[00:07:34] because we were staying in Zaria, coming to Lagos.

[00:07:38] And by the third day on that trip, I hadn't spoken for like three days.

[00:07:47] And my grandmother was worried, my uncle was worried.

[00:07:49] But eventually, by the third day, yes, by the third day, I just started singing a song.

[00:07:55] And the entire train took after my song.

[00:08:00] And the whole length of the train was singing this song.

[00:08:05] Oh, my home.

[00:08:06] Oh, my home.

[00:08:07] When shall I see my home?

[00:08:09] Exactly.

[00:08:10] When shall I see my native land?

[00:08:11] I will never forget my home.

[00:08:14] Right.

[00:08:15] That was the song I was singing at five years old.

[00:08:18] Wow.

[00:08:20] Four years old.

[00:08:21] And the whole train picked it up.

[00:08:23] So that will give you an idea of where some of my personality, you know, came from.

[00:08:31] Eventually, of course, I went to Catholic schools in Lagos Elementary.

[00:08:35] And then I went to secondary school, St. Phimbers College.

[00:08:38] And then I went to Ibadan in Yoruba land.

[00:08:44] Well, what did I say?

[00:08:46] Ibadan.

[00:08:47] And in Ibadan, I went.

[00:08:49] My plan was to be an architect because my mom came back as an architect.

[00:08:53] My father came back as an electrical engineer.

[00:08:56] So all my other brothers, siblings became engineers.

[00:09:01] So I was the odd man out.

[00:09:04] I became an artist.

[00:09:05] You were the creative one.

[00:09:06] Yeah.

[00:09:06] Yeah.

[00:09:07] I became an artist.

[00:09:08] And then, but I didn't take it seriously.

[00:09:12] Okay.

[00:09:14] In secondary school in St. Phimbers, you have two sections.

[00:09:18] You have the, what we call the technical section, those who are going to become,

[00:09:22] eventually become engineers, physics, chemistry, math, blah, blah, blah.

[00:09:26] And then you have what we call the grammar section.

[00:09:29] Those who are going to take biology and eventually become medical doctors and so on and so forth.

[00:09:36] So it was a very difficult time for me because we had a principal who was Father Slattery, who was from Ireland.

[00:09:49] And a very famous man.

[00:09:51] He was in Nigeria until he was 90 something.

[00:09:54] Really?

[00:09:55] What was his name?

[00:09:56] What was his name?

[00:09:58] Reverend Father John Slattery.

[00:10:01] Okay.

[00:10:02] Okay.

[00:10:02] So Reverend Father John Slattery from Ireland.

[00:10:06] From Ireland.

[00:10:08] And he became so famous because he was very strict.

[00:10:11] And at the same time, he became a football coach.

[00:10:15] Oh.

[00:10:16] And a national referee in Nigeria.

[00:10:19] Wow.

[00:10:21] Yeah.

[00:10:22] So, and my school therefore became the best soccer team in Nigeria.

[00:10:30] So we were known for soccer.

[00:10:33] Right.

[00:10:34] So now, there's a very interesting story.

[00:10:37] I hope I'm not very enough too far.

[00:10:39] No, no, no.

[00:10:40] We like these things, the stories.

[00:10:43] Okay.

[00:10:43] But it's very important.

[00:10:46] It's very important.

[00:10:47] So in St.

[00:10:48] Phimbas, when you come in, everybody's in the assembly hall.

[00:10:51] And Father Slattery will stand in front and say, all those who want to go to the technical side, go to the left.

[00:10:58] All those who want to go to the grammar side, go to the right.

[00:11:03] We're 12 years old.

[00:11:04] Yeah.

[00:11:04] And that's at the age you made a decision, life-changing decision of what you are going to become in the future.

[00:11:14] Oh, wow.

[00:11:15] 12 years old.

[00:11:16] Yeah.

[00:11:16] Never discuss it with nobody.

[00:11:18] Nobody gave you an idea of anything.

[00:11:19] So guess what?

[00:11:21] When he said, all those in the technical section to become engineers and stuff like that, go to the left.

[00:11:27] All those who want to be in the grammar section to study biology and study medicine and literature and all that, go to the right.

[00:11:40] So you knew.

[00:11:41] Then I thought about it for a second.

[00:11:43] I ran to the left.

[00:11:45] Mm-hmm.

[00:11:47] He was watching me.

[00:11:48] Everybody had settled.

[00:11:50] So when I ran to the left, which was the engineering section, after going to the grammar section and running to the left to the engineering section, I decided to run back.

[00:12:00] Oh.

[00:12:01] Because I actually wanted to be a medical doctor.

[00:12:05] Really?

[00:12:05] And he spotted me going back and forth and shouted.

[00:12:09] You were going back.

[00:12:10] You were.

[00:12:12] I was going back and forth.

[00:12:14] That's why I said it's an interesting story.

[00:12:16] In Nigeria, because we didn't have any mentorship, really.

[00:12:22] No, we didn't.

[00:12:23] Yeah.

[00:12:24] So you had to make up your mind at 12.

[00:12:30] Fast.

[00:12:31] You know?

[00:12:32] And so when I was trying to run back to the grammar section, he just shouted, you, boy, remain where you are.

[00:12:40] Yeah.

[00:12:41] In the technical section to study engineering.

[00:12:47] Wow.

[00:12:48] And guess what?

[00:12:49] Went on to the fourth year, which was the year before the final exam, what we call WIAC, West African School Certificate Exam.

[00:12:58] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:59] They told us that we had the option.

[00:13:02] We had the opportunity to pick nine subjects.

[00:13:06] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:07] WIAC, West African School Certificate, was eight subjects.

[00:13:10] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:11] They said you can pick nine subjects.

[00:13:13] Yeah.

[00:13:13] So what is the extra subject?

[00:13:15] Oh.

[00:13:16] Quite a few people picked additional mathematics.

[00:13:19] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:20] And I wasn't too happy.

[00:13:21] I was okay mad, but it wasn't my best subject.

[00:13:24] Yeah.

[00:13:24] So when everybody picked, when most people picked additional mathematics, the others just took eight subjects.

[00:13:31] But I wanted to take nine.

[00:13:33] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:33] So I went to the arts department, the fine arts department.

[00:13:39] When I got to the fine arts department, remember this is my fourth year.

[00:13:43] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:44] Our school was five years.

[00:13:46] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:46] I'd done first, second, third, fourth.

[00:13:49] So when I went to the art department, I told them I wanted to draw.

[00:13:54] And they started laughing.

[00:13:55] The teachers were laughing.

[00:13:56] I knew why you hadn't started arts.

[00:13:57] You didn't do anything.

[00:13:58] So you were picking arts, but you hadn't, yeah.

[00:14:02] Yeah.

[00:14:02] Yeah, I had.

[00:14:03] I'd never done anything in art.

[00:14:04] So I kept insisting.

[00:14:06] And the lecturer drove me away.

[00:14:09] I came back again the next day.

[00:14:10] It drove me away again.

[00:14:12] Because you can imagine, all the people in the art department had started art in the first year.

[00:14:17] Mm-hmm.

[00:14:17] So I was trying to join them in the fifth year.

[00:14:20] Yeah.

[00:14:21] Yeah, my final year.

[00:14:22] I'd never done any drawing before in my life.

[00:14:24] Mm-hmm.

[00:14:25] So the lecturer thought I wasn't serious.

[00:14:30] But eventually, when he saw me show up about 10 times,

[00:14:33] Mm-hmm.

[00:14:33] And I said, okay, this is what we're going to do.

[00:14:35] I'm going to take you to the first year of students.

[00:14:38] I was in my fifth year.

[00:14:40] I'm going to take you to the first year of students.

[00:14:42] You can imagine me at 17, 18, going to draw with a super beautiful.

[00:14:47] Oh, my God.

[00:14:47] That was, yeah.

[00:14:51] So, but when I did my first drawing, he screamed.

[00:14:56] And automatically, it took me to the fifth year.

[00:15:00] Wow.

[00:15:00] So your drawing was brilliant.

[00:15:01] So when I, right.

[00:15:04] So when I did the exam, I came first.

[00:15:08] Wow.

[00:15:09] I came in school certificate.

[00:15:10] I got, what is called, A1.

[00:15:13] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:15:13] Distinction, A1.

[00:15:15] Yeah, yeah.

[00:15:15] In form art.

[00:15:17] Now, let me tell you why that story is important.

[00:15:20] I never planned to study art.

[00:15:22] Okay.

[00:15:23] So when I want, I remember I said I wanted to.

[00:15:26] That's it.

[00:15:27] And architecture, you had to go, you couldn't go into the university directly.

[00:15:31] You had to go and do what was called A-levels.

[00:15:38] Two years of A-levels and then we'll make it work.

[00:15:44] Okay.

[00:15:44] So now check this out.

[00:15:45] I went to A-levels in Ibadan to study physics, chemistry, math.

[00:15:52] Wow.

[00:15:54] I had relegated art.

[00:15:58] I didn't want to have nothing to do with it.

[00:15:59] You didn't want to do.

[00:16:00] Yeah, because, no, it's because of the way people feel about art in those days.

[00:16:04] Remember?

[00:16:05] You know?

[00:16:05] There you go.

[00:16:06] Yeah.

[00:16:06] People, people look down on art.

[00:16:08] People look down on art.

[00:16:09] Anything to do.

[00:16:10] Yeah.

[00:16:10] They think you're lazy.

[00:16:12] They think you're the lazy guy.

[00:16:13] Meanwhile, the art exams were 10 hours and 20 hours each.

[00:16:21] You have to sit on a spot for 20 hours.

[00:16:25] Wow.

[00:16:27] A lot of people cannot pass art class because it takes so much patience.

[00:16:37] Yeah.

[00:16:40] And I didn't have patience because I'm Aries.

[00:16:44] So check this out.

[00:16:47] Physics, chemistry, math.

[00:16:49] The first year, it was two years.

[00:16:52] Someone, my roommate, saw my drawing and screamed.

[00:16:57] He got A2 in fine art in school service.

[00:17:01] And he took my drawings to the art teachers.

[00:17:03] And the art teacher said, I would be doing Nigeria a major disservice if I didn't study art.

[00:17:10] So you were naturally talented.

[00:17:13] Yes.

[00:17:14] Because for you to get an A1, trust me.

[00:17:17] Yeah.

[00:17:17] Because, I mean, you didn't even like all the techniques and everything you'd have thought that, you know, you didn't do all that.

[00:17:22] You were just natural.

[00:17:23] Exactly.

[00:17:25] But my mother was an artist as well.

[00:17:27] So I saw my mother's drawings.

[00:17:28] So I had some little experience.

[00:17:31] And my mother introduced me to someone who was an illustrator who brushed me up a little bit.

[00:17:37] Long story short, I switched reluctantly to the arts department.

[00:17:44] And why I'm telling you all this is because all the young people that are listening to us now, they may be going through the same thing.

[00:17:52] Their parents will never let them study art.

[00:17:55] Their parents will not like them to study acting or go into the creative industry.

[00:18:00] That's why I'm telling you this story.

[00:18:02] So that at the end of the day, when I finish my story, they will realize that what you learn is not important.

[00:18:11] What you like and what you have a talent is...

[00:18:14] It has what it's called.

[00:18:15] It will push you.

[00:18:16] That's the fuel.

[00:18:17] It will push you through life.

[00:18:19] Because you need a fuel.

[00:18:21] As you get older, you need a fuel to keep you going.

[00:18:24] If you don't have that fuel, forget it.

[00:18:27] Exactly.

[00:18:28] So I eventually switched to the art department and, of course, got the best results in the art school.

[00:18:34] And then I used to say something in art school in Ibada.

[00:18:38] I said, if I don't work at the biggest advertising agency in Africa, which was Lintas Limited at that time.

[00:18:48] Yeah.

[00:18:51] I remember them.

[00:18:53] Yeah.

[00:18:55] I said, if I didn't work there, I will leave Nigeria.

[00:19:00] Wow.

[00:19:00] Well, my classmates used to laugh at me.

[00:19:02] And guess what?

[00:19:04] When we graduated, all my classmates got jobs.

[00:19:08] I was the only one who didn't have a job.

[00:19:10] Wow.

[00:19:11] Wow.

[00:19:12] And then eventually I went for an interview with Lintas.

[00:19:15] And they were blown away.

[00:19:17] I was the youngest kid there because Lintas didn't take anybody directly.

[00:19:21] They would work for 20 years in an art agency and then they would invite you to interview.

[00:19:25] But I came directly from college.

[00:19:27] So that's how I got into Lintas.

[00:19:30] Yeah.

[00:19:30] That's how I started in the art agency.

[00:19:35] But guess what?

[00:19:36] Our own art agency was different.

[00:19:41] Because as illustrators, we used to dress in suits and tie.

[00:19:47] And Lintas.

[00:19:49] And Lintas was...

[00:19:50] They were top of the cream de la creme.

[00:19:55] There you go.

[00:19:56] The advertising world.

[00:19:57] Yes.

[00:19:58] We thought we were fly.

[00:20:00] So then I went to England.

[00:20:03] At first, I went to England in 1980 that I mentioned to you before.

[00:20:08] Courtsy of Nigerian birthday award.

[00:20:10] 600 naira.

[00:20:11] A federal state was the highest.

[00:20:13] And I spent that money in 1980 to go to England.

[00:20:15] So...

[00:20:17] Now...

[00:20:20] So...

[00:20:23] 1982, I started working at Lintas.

[00:20:28] I worked at Lintas for two years.

[00:20:31] And I realized that my artistic palette was not being utilized to the fullest.

[00:20:42] And I felt I would be stagnated.

[00:20:44] In Lintas in 1984, I started my magazine.

[00:20:48] Black ivory.

[00:20:50] Yes.

[00:20:50] I saw that.

[00:20:51] Black ivory.

[00:20:51] So it started out from...

[00:20:54] 84.

[00:20:55] 84.

[00:20:56] Wow.

[00:20:56] That was exactly 40 years ago.

[00:20:59] No.

[00:20:59] I started in 1982.

[00:21:02] Registered the company.

[00:21:03] So by 1984, two years later, I...

[00:21:07] You know, because I would get home.

[00:21:08] I don't sleep.

[00:21:09] I would get home.

[00:21:10] I would do my illustrations.

[00:21:12] It was called Ancient Africa Illustrated.

[00:21:15] Wow.

[00:21:15] Wow.

[00:21:16] You see where my storytelling comes from?

[00:21:19] Because I was creating the stories of ancient Africa.

[00:21:23] It was totally unheard of in Nigeria.

[00:21:28] Do you still have those magazines?

[00:21:31] I have the magazines.

[00:21:33] Oh, those are your IP...

[00:21:34] Anyway, I'm sure you've got a lot of...

[00:21:36] Yes, I have those magazines.

[00:21:37] I'll check this out.

[00:21:39] But I started getting some of my seniors in Lintas to contribute to my magazine.

[00:21:45] Wow.

[00:21:47] But I would pay.

[00:21:50] I would pay them.

[00:21:52] I didn't have much money, but I would pay.

[00:21:54] Because if they didn't want to do it, I'll say, I'll pay you and they will do it.

[00:21:57] Right?

[00:21:57] I'll give them a page.

[00:21:59] We'll do...

[00:22:00] Tell a story like you're a storyteller.

[00:22:01] Tell a story and do an illustration with it.

[00:22:03] Right?

[00:22:04] So, guess what?

[00:22:06] By 1984, I felt that I was wasting my time at Lintas.

[00:22:12] Okay.

[00:22:13] Because you were...

[00:22:15] This was your passion.

[00:22:16] This was your passion.

[00:22:17] This was your passion.

[00:22:18] Exactly.

[00:22:19] Yes.

[00:22:21] Wow.

[00:22:22] I had...

[00:22:23] That is incredible.

[00:22:24] So...

[00:22:24] Let's go.

[00:22:25] I had a magazine.

[00:22:28] That's fantastic.

[00:22:29] So, guess what?

[00:22:30] Guess what?

[00:22:31] I launched the magazine with the Yob of Lagos and the whole lot of dignitaries.

[00:22:36] I was a kid.

[00:22:36] You know, people...

[00:22:37] Yob of Yikon.

[00:22:38] Yob of Yikon.

[00:22:39] He loved me to death.

[00:22:40] I used to go visit him.

[00:22:43] So...

[00:22:44] And then I launched it.

[00:22:44] But then I left Nigeria finally.

[00:22:47] Oh.

[00:22:49] December...

[00:22:50] December 19th.

[00:22:51] 1984 40 years ago.

[00:22:53] And left for the US.

[00:22:54] So, you jackpired?

[00:22:55] Without a dime.

[00:22:56] Yes.

[00:22:57] Without a dime in my pocket.

[00:23:00] You were one of those Andrew...

[00:23:02] Was it Andrew that was at that time?

[00:23:04] You know?

[00:23:05] Yes.

[00:23:05] You remember?

[00:23:06] You, this woman, you are not...

[00:23:07] You are not...

[00:23:08] You are younger than you look.

[00:23:11] You are...

[00:23:12] Your look is so young.

[00:23:13] Your mom would think you are like 30 years old.

[00:23:15] Anyway.

[00:23:17] So...

[00:23:17] We were the first Andrew to leave.

[00:23:20] We were the first Andrew to leave.

[00:23:22] So, I left, but I didn't have a dime.

[00:23:24] Now, the story gets interesting.

[00:23:27] I get to the US.

[00:23:29] I didn't have...

[00:23:30] My friend that I had that I used to talk to,

[00:23:31] my roommate in Nigeria in school,

[00:23:34] he took off.

[00:23:35] Wow.

[00:23:36] So, I was at the airport for 11 hours.

[00:23:38] I didn't have anywhere to go.

[00:23:40] Really?

[00:23:41] And I didn't have a dime.

[00:23:42] In America?

[00:23:42] In the States?

[00:23:43] In New York.

[00:23:44] A lot of people have those kind of stories.

[00:23:46] A lot of...

[00:23:47] And it was dead winter.

[00:23:48] It was dead winter.

[00:23:50] So, you were there?

[00:23:51] No money in your pockets?

[00:23:53] Eventually, I was like homeless for the first couple of days.

[00:23:56] What?

[00:23:58] Yeah.

[00:23:59] And then,

[00:24:00] when I finally got a job as a security guard

[00:24:05] with two dogs.

[00:24:06] I still remember their name.

[00:24:07] Murphy and Princess.

[00:24:13] Huge Alsatian dog and Doberman Pinscher.

[00:24:17] And I was only able to do the job

[00:24:19] because of my belief in God.

[00:24:25] Trust me.

[00:24:26] Because when I went for the job,

[00:24:31] the Nigerian guy that was supposed to put me through,

[00:24:33] there were not many Nigerians in New York there.

[00:24:35] This Nigerian guy that was...

[00:24:36] He didn't show up.

[00:24:38] What?

[00:24:39] So, the owner of the place,

[00:24:41] this white dude,

[00:24:43] he says to me,

[00:24:45] he says to me,

[00:24:45] if you have any problems,

[00:24:48] then call the cops.

[00:24:51] Call the cops?

[00:24:54] Of course.

[00:24:55] I didn't have my papers.

[00:24:56] So, I couldn't call the cops.

[00:24:58] Yes.

[00:25:00] And he got in.

[00:25:01] Before he got into his car,

[00:25:02] he didn't even say,

[00:25:03] let me introduce me.

[00:25:03] I'm Princess.

[00:25:06] And I was happy.

[00:25:07] I thought some beautiful chicks

[00:25:08] were going to be walking with me.

[00:25:11] Meanwhile,

[00:25:11] you were meeting the dogs for the first time.

[00:25:14] For the first time in my life.

[00:25:15] he went to the back

[00:25:17] and released the dogs.

[00:25:21] And it was a huge warehouse.

[00:25:23] Why did he do that?

[00:25:24] Why did he do that?

[00:25:25] Why did he do that?

[00:25:26] My sister,

[00:25:27] who cares about any stupid African?

[00:25:30] He just released the dogs,

[00:25:31] knowing that these dogs could be killers.

[00:25:34] He released the dogs.

[00:25:35] Yes,

[00:25:36] he released the dogs

[00:25:37] and told me

[00:25:38] that I have to feed the dogs.

[00:25:40] You remember I told you

[00:25:41] I went to Catholic schools.

[00:25:42] That's why sometimes

[00:25:44] it's good to tell the whole story

[00:25:46] because that's what

[00:25:48] informs you.

[00:25:49] Informs the personality of the person.

[00:25:51] Yes.

[00:25:52] So now check this out.

[00:25:53] When the dogs came

[00:25:55] charging,

[00:25:56] these are huge dogs.

[00:25:58] My God.

[00:25:59] All I could remember

[00:26:01] was Daniel

[00:26:02] in the lion's den.

[00:26:04] Wow.

[00:26:10] And I said to myself

[00:26:12] that if Daniel

[00:26:13] could survive the lion,

[00:26:15] he would survive.

[00:26:16] He would survive the dogs.

[00:26:18] Yes,

[00:26:18] limousine.

[00:26:19] And

[00:26:21] he told me

[00:26:22] to hold the dogs.

[00:26:24] I held the dogs

[00:26:25] by their chain.

[00:26:27] He drove out.

[00:26:28] I closed

[00:26:30] the gates.

[00:26:31] And then the dogs

[00:26:33] started looking at me

[00:26:35] thinking,

[00:26:36] well,

[00:26:36] it's not Christmas yet.

[00:26:41] Yes.

[00:26:42] And then they started

[00:26:43] growling like,

[00:26:44] you know,

[00:26:44] like they were about

[00:26:45] to pounce on me

[00:26:46] or something.

[00:26:47] Luckily for me,

[00:26:48] there was a little room

[00:26:50] like,

[00:26:50] like four feet

[00:26:51] by six feet.

[00:26:53] I was making my way

[00:26:55] into the

[00:26:55] as I got close

[00:26:56] to the door.

[00:26:57] I jumped into the room

[00:26:58] and closed the door,

[00:26:59] but the window was closed.

[00:27:01] So

[00:27:01] the doberman

[00:27:02] put his hands

[00:27:03] on the window

[00:27:04] and was stretching

[00:27:05] his head

[00:27:06] to my face

[00:27:07] like this.

[00:27:10] Look at my mouth.

[00:27:11] Joe dropped

[00:27:12] now.

[00:27:13] Now you want

[00:27:13] to hear a story now.

[00:27:17] So guess what?

[00:27:20] I survived the day,

[00:27:21] but they started fighting

[00:27:21] and I had to feed them.

[00:27:23] So eventually

[00:27:23] I had to

[00:27:24] go out,

[00:27:25] get their food

[00:27:26] and feed them.

[00:27:26] To do that,

[00:27:27] I had to

[00:27:28] act like

[00:27:29] like I was

[00:27:29] bold

[00:27:30] and started

[00:27:31] talking to them.

[00:27:31] What's wrong

[00:27:32] with you?

[00:27:32] Come here,

[00:27:33] you sit over here.

[00:27:34] You go over there.

[00:27:35] And they were looking

[00:27:36] at me.

[00:27:36] They were stunned.

[00:27:38] Yeah,

[00:27:38] they were bold.

[00:27:39] Yeah,

[00:27:39] because if you were

[00:27:40] to show fear,

[00:27:41] they would feel...

[00:27:42] Who's this guy?

[00:27:45] Now,

[00:27:46] check this out.

[00:27:46] In the US,

[00:27:48] Nigerians don't know

[00:27:49] that sometimes

[00:27:50] they train their dogs

[00:27:52] with black people.

[00:27:53] They make the black people

[00:27:54] punish the dogs.

[00:27:56] So anytime

[00:27:56] they see any black,

[00:27:57] they will attack.

[00:27:59] Oh, wow.

[00:28:00] Now,

[00:28:02] eventually,

[00:28:03] you start

[00:28:03] understanding

[00:28:04] this world.

[00:28:06] These stories are wrong,

[00:28:07] but they're very important.

[00:28:11] best words.

[00:28:12] My friend

[00:28:13] who was supposed

[00:28:13] to put me through

[00:28:14] was killed

[00:28:15] within the first witch.

[00:28:17] The Nigerian guy.

[00:28:19] He got killed.

[00:28:20] He got killed.

[00:28:21] Now,

[00:28:22] so,

[00:28:23] just me.

[00:28:24] And I knew

[00:28:24] I couldn't stay

[00:28:26] too long there.

[00:28:27] So,

[00:28:28] I started,

[00:28:29] you know,

[00:28:30] it was from

[00:28:30] five o'clock in the evening

[00:28:31] to five o'clock

[00:28:32] in the morning.

[00:28:33] So,

[00:28:33] after five o'clock

[00:28:34] in the morning,

[00:28:35] right,

[00:28:36] after five o'clock

[00:28:37] in the morning,

[00:28:37] I would start

[00:28:38] walking around

[00:28:38] the whole place.

[00:28:39] So,

[00:28:39] guess what?

[00:28:41] I went

[00:28:42] and I decided

[00:28:43] I was going to look for,

[00:28:44] I was going to go look

[00:28:45] for a job

[00:28:46] at Marvel Comics.

[00:28:49] Wow.

[00:28:50] Because,

[00:28:50] you know something,

[00:28:51] I was going to say

[00:28:52] that if we keep going,

[00:28:53] we would never get

[00:28:54] to some of my questions,

[00:28:55] but this is interesting.

[00:28:56] Go on then.

[00:28:57] Keep going.

[00:28:58] Keep going.

[00:28:59] We'll get to film

[00:29:00] soon and technology.

[00:29:02] Well,

[00:29:02] I went to Manhattan

[00:29:03] and I went to see

[00:29:04] Marvel Comics.

[00:29:05] Luckily for me,

[00:29:06] the person

[00:29:07] that was there

[00:29:07] was,

[00:29:08] was,

[00:29:10] the founder

[00:29:11] of Marvel Comics.

[00:29:13] He was the only one

[00:29:14] in the room

[00:29:14] and the place

[00:29:15] was dying out.

[00:29:17] I showed him

[00:29:18] my joints.

[00:29:20] He couldn't believe it.

[00:29:22] join him.

[00:29:23] He said they had,

[00:29:24] they were

[00:29:25] stopping

[00:29:26] Marvel Comics

[00:29:27] and that,

[00:29:29] yeah,

[00:29:29] that's it.

[00:29:30] They were trying

[00:29:30] to get into film.

[00:29:31] This is 1984.

[00:29:33] Oh my God.

[00:29:34] History.

[00:29:36] Yeah.

[00:29:37] So you were there

[00:29:38] when the,

[00:29:38] when they were

[00:29:39] the very beginning

[00:29:40] of them

[00:29:41] getting into film.

[00:29:42] What year,

[00:29:43] what year was this?

[00:29:44] What year?

[00:29:45] 1984.

[00:29:45] 1984.

[00:29:46] So Marvel

[00:29:47] got into film

[00:29:48] in the 80s,

[00:29:49] in the mid 80s.

[00:29:52] Exactly.

[00:29:54] Wow.

[00:29:54] They went to strike

[00:29:55] a deal with Disney.

[00:29:56] Yes.

[00:29:56] And that's how,

[00:29:57] so,

[00:29:57] but he,

[00:29:58] he gave me an advice.

[00:30:00] He said,

[00:30:00] when he saw my drawings,

[00:30:02] he was blown away.

[00:30:03] He now said,

[00:30:05] I said,

[00:30:05] I would like to join him.

[00:30:06] He said,

[00:30:06] would you like to listen

[00:30:07] to an advice?

[00:30:08] I said,

[00:30:09] yes.

[00:30:10] And you know,

[00:30:11] Nigerians,

[00:30:11] there's no racism.

[00:30:12] We don't,

[00:30:12] my,

[00:30:13] my high school principal

[00:30:14] was,

[00:30:14] was Caucasian.

[00:30:16] So,

[00:30:16] talking to a Caucasian

[00:30:17] was normal.

[00:30:18] So like talking

[00:30:18] to just anybody.

[00:30:20] Yeah,

[00:30:20] it's not,

[00:30:20] it's not.

[00:30:21] He now advised me.

[00:30:23] He said,

[00:30:24] your people need you.

[00:30:26] Really?

[00:30:27] He said,

[00:30:28] somebody with this talent

[00:30:29] should not come here.

[00:30:32] You should go

[00:30:33] to your people.

[00:30:34] I was,

[00:30:34] I was wondering,

[00:30:35] who are my people?

[00:30:36] They were the African-Americans

[00:30:38] in Harlem.

[00:30:42] I'd never been,

[00:30:43] I'd never been to Harlem

[00:30:45] before in my life.

[00:30:48] I was so disappointed

[00:30:49] that day when I took

[00:30:50] my portfolio.

[00:30:54] But that's how

[00:30:55] I eventually started

[00:30:58] my,

[00:30:59] a new version

[00:31:00] of my magazine

[00:31:01] in the U.

[00:31:02] Wow.

[00:31:04] And then I hadn't

[00:31:05] started film then.

[00:31:06] But I,

[00:31:07] my first film,

[00:31:07] if you check,

[00:31:08] my first film

[00:31:09] was in 1997

[00:31:12] in Nigeria.

[00:31:13] Back to Africa.

[00:31:14] Yes.

[00:31:16] And so,

[00:31:18] but

[00:31:20] I had,

[00:31:21] I'd been

[00:31:21] studying,

[00:31:22] I'd been going around,

[00:31:23] I'd never officially

[00:31:25] studied film.

[00:31:26] I didn't go to school

[00:31:27] to study film.

[00:31:28] I went to do a master's

[00:31:29] in,

[00:31:29] in fine arts.

[00:31:30] And then I met

[00:31:31] some guys

[00:31:32] making film

[00:31:32] and I started

[00:31:33] following them around.

[00:31:34] And that's how

[00:31:34] I got my first experience.

[00:31:36] My brother-in-law

[00:31:37] who majored

[00:31:38] as a director

[00:31:39] in film

[00:31:39] gave me all his books

[00:31:40] and I read all his books.

[00:31:42] Mm-hmm.

[00:31:43] That's how

[00:31:44] I started making films.

[00:31:48] Incredible.

[00:31:49] Next question.

[00:31:51] Next question is,

[00:31:53] so,

[00:31:54] now,

[00:31:55] I know that

[00:31:57] in Hollywood,

[00:31:58] the inception of Hollywood

[00:32:00] was around somewhere,

[00:32:01] like I might be wrong

[00:32:02] or not,

[00:32:03] but I remember,

[00:32:04] I think it was somewhere

[00:32:04] in the 90s.

[00:32:06] Yeah,

[00:32:06] it was late 90s.

[00:32:07] Late 90s.

[00:32:09] Yes.

[00:32:09] So,

[00:32:10] when Hollywood started,

[00:32:12] you were in the States.

[00:32:14] That was in the States.

[00:32:15] So you started,

[00:32:16] yeah,

[00:32:16] so you were kind of like

[00:32:18] following these film people

[00:32:20] and learning to make film.

[00:32:22] How did you

[00:32:23] get into making film

[00:32:25] for,

[00:32:26] you know,

[00:32:27] start making film

[00:32:27] because your first film

[00:32:28] was in 1997

[00:32:30] back to Africa.

[00:32:32] Exactly.

[00:32:33] So how did you start,

[00:32:34] decide to make a film?

[00:32:36] And then how did you fund it?

[00:32:37] Because,

[00:32:38] you know,

[00:32:38] filmmaking is not

[00:32:39] a joke.

[00:32:41] Exactly.

[00:32:41] Serious money.

[00:32:43] Serious money.

[00:32:43] So check this out.

[00:32:44] Remember,

[00:32:45] I didn't have no

[00:32:46] sustenance.

[00:32:47] I didn't have anybody.

[00:32:48] I quit my job.

[00:32:49] I didn't have nothing.

[00:32:50] So,

[00:32:55] before I left Nigeria,

[00:32:59] in 1976,

[00:33:02] I wrote my first script.

[00:33:05] Okay.

[00:33:06] When I was in college,

[00:33:08] called The Scroll.

[00:33:09] And I used to go hang out

[00:33:10] with Baba Ogunde,

[00:33:12] Chief Hubato Ogunde.

[00:33:13] Oh,

[00:33:14] really?

[00:33:15] Yes,

[00:33:15] I used to go hang out

[00:33:16] with my wife.

[00:33:17] Where was Ogunde?

[00:33:18] Was it?

[00:33:18] It was in Lagos.

[00:33:19] It was in Lagos.

[00:33:20] In,

[00:33:22] near Sabu,

[00:33:23] behind Sabu.

[00:33:24] I remember the name.

[00:33:25] I used to go.

[00:33:26] Let me just pause you,

[00:33:27] because I always try to

[00:33:28] explain to my listeners,

[00:33:29] because they come from

[00:33:30] everywhere in the world.

[00:33:32] So,

[00:33:32] Ogunde was one of,

[00:33:34] was the foremost

[00:33:35] filmmaker.

[00:33:36] It was the first,

[00:33:37] wasn't it?

[00:33:37] Formal.

[00:33:39] Formal.

[00:33:39] Yeah,

[00:33:39] it was the foremost.

[00:33:40] Formal filmmaker in Nigeria.

[00:33:42] He made

[00:33:44] incredible films

[00:33:46] with technology

[00:33:47] that,

[00:33:48] you know,

[00:33:48] of the day,

[00:33:49] in those days,

[00:33:49] you know,

[00:33:50] even special effects

[00:33:51] that we didn't know

[00:33:52] in the days.

[00:33:54] And it was a Yoruba,

[00:33:55] it was a Yoruba filmmaker.

[00:33:57] So,

[00:33:58] if you don't know Yoruba,

[00:33:59] Google it.

[00:34:00] I'm not going to...

[00:34:00] Right.

[00:34:01] So,

[00:34:02] yeah,

[00:34:02] it was a filmmaker

[00:34:03] and a Yoruba filmmaker

[00:34:05] in Nigeria.

[00:34:06] So,

[00:34:07] Tony,

[00:34:09] he was my mentor.

[00:34:11] Imagine that.

[00:34:12] That is,

[00:34:13] that is history.

[00:34:14] That is incredible.

[00:34:15] He used to,

[00:34:16] he used to laugh at me

[00:34:17] because I was a kid.

[00:34:19] You know,

[00:34:19] so,

[00:34:20] he was,

[00:34:20] I think I was 18 or 19.

[00:34:22] He used,

[00:34:23] he said,

[00:34:23] if one wants to make films,

[00:34:24] I used to go and hang out

[00:34:25] with his wives.

[00:34:26] He had many wives.

[00:34:27] And I hang out with him.

[00:34:29] I kept insisting

[00:34:30] I wanted to make films.

[00:34:31] So,

[00:34:32] the way he stopped me

[00:34:33] was he said,

[00:34:34] to make a movie,

[00:34:36] you need nine months

[00:34:37] out of college,

[00:34:38] out of school.

[00:34:42] And that's how it happened.

[00:34:43] You were in school.

[00:34:44] I was in school

[00:34:45] in the university.

[00:34:46] So,

[00:34:47] that's,

[00:34:47] and I used to come from

[00:34:48] Ibadan to Lagos

[00:34:49] to see him.

[00:34:50] That was a good one.

[00:34:52] I was very serious.

[00:34:54] And so,

[00:34:55] when I got discouraged,

[00:34:58] I said,

[00:34:58] okay,

[00:34:59] I'll still make films.

[00:35:01] So now,

[00:35:02] fast forward

[00:35:03] to 1984.

[00:35:08] Before 1984,

[00:35:10] there's a Nigerian guy,

[00:35:11] I'll mention his name.

[00:35:12] His name is

[00:35:13] Obafemila Sodhi.

[00:35:15] Okay.

[00:35:16] His father was very rich.

[00:35:19] His father owned

[00:35:20] the whole of Morocco.

[00:35:22] And Femi

[00:35:24] was studying

[00:35:25] in the US.

[00:35:28] So,

[00:35:29] I went for an interview

[00:35:30] just like,

[00:35:31] you know,

[00:35:31] people always wanted

[00:35:32] to interview me

[00:35:33] in those days.

[00:35:34] Because that was my drawing.

[00:35:35] Yeah,

[00:35:35] you were,

[00:35:35] you were a public.

[00:35:37] So I went for an interview.

[00:35:38] Yeah.

[00:35:39] And,

[00:35:40] I met Femi last day.

[00:35:42] So,

[00:35:42] Femi

[00:35:42] took a liking to me

[00:35:44] and came to see me.

[00:35:45] He said he was moving

[00:35:46] back to Nigeria

[00:35:48] and his father

[00:35:49] was going to buy

[00:35:50] all the equipment.

[00:35:51] Okay.

[00:35:53] For?

[00:35:53] So,

[00:35:54] Femi left.

[00:35:55] All the equipment?

[00:35:56] To be making movies.

[00:35:58] Wow.

[00:36:00] So,

[00:36:01] Femi left the US

[00:36:02] practice load

[00:36:03] and went to,

[00:36:04] came to Nigeria.

[00:36:06] And when he got to Nigeria,

[00:36:08] he would come

[00:36:09] and visit me

[00:36:10] in the US

[00:36:10] because he built

[00:36:11] a music studio

[00:36:12] and everybody,

[00:36:13] even AIT

[00:36:14] used to edit

[00:36:16] in the studio.

[00:36:17] Okay.

[00:36:18] In those days.

[00:36:19] So,

[00:36:20] he would come

[00:36:20] with the music

[00:36:21] he has done.

[00:36:23] He would come

[00:36:23] to see me in the US

[00:36:24] and he would be

[00:36:25] showing me the music.

[00:36:26] And I used to criticize.

[00:36:27] I said,

[00:36:27] Femi,

[00:36:28] this music videos

[00:36:29] you people are doing,

[00:36:29] it's fake.

[00:36:31] You know,

[00:36:32] the quality is low.

[00:36:34] Yeah.

[00:36:34] And he got angry

[00:36:35] and challenged me.

[00:36:38] He challenged me.

[00:36:40] He said,

[00:36:40] and he was the number one guy

[00:36:41] in Nigeria then.

[00:36:43] Yes.

[00:36:43] He challenged me

[00:36:45] that if you are,

[00:36:46] this is your mouth

[00:36:46] that you're making.

[00:36:47] If you're this good,

[00:36:48] you should come to Nigeria

[00:36:49] and make a movie.

[00:36:50] So,

[00:36:51] what year was this?

[00:36:53] 1997.

[00:36:54] Wow.

[00:36:56] So,

[00:36:56] when he challenged me,

[00:36:58] I told him,

[00:36:59] Femi,

[00:36:59] I can't come,

[00:37:00] it's no big deal.

[00:37:01] I'll come.

[00:37:02] You know,

[00:37:03] I was married then.

[00:37:04] Still married

[00:37:05] to the same person.

[00:37:06] So,

[00:37:07] guess what?

[00:37:07] I said,

[00:37:08] I said to

[00:37:10] my wife,

[00:37:10] I said,

[00:37:11] Femi is challenging me.

[00:37:12] My wife is African American.

[00:37:14] So,

[00:37:16] we were managing ourselves,

[00:37:17] you know,

[00:37:17] no money,

[00:37:18] but we struggled.

[00:37:19] My wife was a school teacher

[00:37:20] at the time.

[00:37:22] So,

[00:37:22] Femi said,

[00:37:23] I said,

[00:37:23] okay,

[00:37:23] Femi,

[00:37:23] if you can introduce me

[00:37:25] to an investor,

[00:37:26] I will come.

[00:37:28] Okay.

[00:37:29] And Femi

[00:37:30] picked up his phone

[00:37:31] and called somebody

[00:37:32] by the name of

[00:37:32] Larry Talbot.

[00:37:35] Unfortunately,

[00:37:36] Larry has died now.

[00:37:37] He lived

[00:37:38] in the UK.

[00:37:40] So,

[00:37:41] Talbot

[00:37:41] spoke to me

[00:37:44] and said,

[00:37:48] why don't you come

[00:37:49] and see me there?

[00:37:51] Okay.

[00:37:52] Yeah.

[00:37:52] Okay.

[00:37:53] I got some

[00:37:54] credit card

[00:37:54] to come to,

[00:37:57] to,

[00:37:58] what's the name

[00:37:59] of that town?

[00:37:59] I remember.

[00:38:00] Come to the UK

[00:38:01] and come and see him.

[00:38:04] He wanted to speak to me

[00:38:05] so I took the gamble,

[00:38:07] got credit card

[00:38:08] and I went up.

[00:38:10] So,

[00:38:11] he now says to me,

[00:38:13] he said,

[00:38:13] this movie you want to make?

[00:38:14] I have a son

[00:38:16] who's studying sound

[00:38:17] in the university.

[00:38:18] If you can guarantee me

[00:38:19] that you can take my son

[00:38:21] to Nigeria,

[00:38:22] make sure it's safe,

[00:38:23] I will give you

[00:38:24] 24,000,

[00:38:25] yeah,

[00:38:26] 24,000

[00:38:27] Canadian

[00:38:29] Dutch marks,

[00:38:30] Canadian dollars.

[00:38:31] Yeah.

[00:38:33] His son had never

[00:38:33] been to Nigeria before.

[00:38:35] He's a Nigerian.

[00:38:38] But,

[00:38:38] you know,

[00:38:38] he loved entertainment.

[00:38:41] That's how

[00:38:43] he gave me,

[00:38:44] he went to the bank,

[00:38:45] he went and got

[00:38:45] 24,000

[00:38:47] Canadian dollars

[00:38:48] and gave me cash.

[00:38:50] He said,

[00:38:51] when the time is right,

[00:38:52] you're going to take my son

[00:38:53] to Nigeria

[00:38:54] to shoot your film.

[00:38:55] I got to the US

[00:38:57] and said,

[00:38:58] now,

[00:38:58] I have the money,

[00:38:59] I got to go make a film.

[00:39:00] And here's the challenge

[00:39:01] of family.

[00:39:02] That's how I came to Nigeria

[00:39:03] and I shot

[00:39:04] back to Africa.

[00:39:06] Came with an American

[00:39:08] GP

[00:39:10] and we ran out of money.

[00:39:12] Everybody wanted to kill me.

[00:39:13] You know,

[00:39:14] I was running around

[00:39:14] your place.

[00:39:15] I will be at the studio

[00:39:16] in my partner's place

[00:39:18] and we'll be coming back

[00:39:19] from looking for money.

[00:39:21] I will see

[00:39:21] a hundred people

[00:39:22] in front of the house

[00:39:23] and we'll run away

[00:39:24] and we'll go and pass back.

[00:39:26] Oh no,

[00:39:27] all wanting their money.

[00:39:29] Yes.

[00:39:29] Yes.

[00:39:29] Wally Amele,

[00:39:30] all the top Nigerian stars

[00:39:32] will be waiting for me

[00:39:33] in the living room.

[00:39:34] Oh no.

[00:39:36] Wally Amele was known

[00:39:37] as Council of Alubi

[00:39:38] because I cast

[00:39:40] all the top Nigerian actors

[00:39:42] including Jab,

[00:39:43] Ado and everybody.

[00:39:44] Wow.

[00:39:46] I had to find a way

[00:39:47] to pay everyone

[00:39:50] which I eventually did.

[00:39:52] So my first film

[00:39:53] was very,

[00:39:54] very tough.

[00:39:55] Wow.

[00:39:55] But that's how

[00:39:57] I released my first film.

[00:39:59] So then you had

[00:40:00] American Dream.

[00:40:02] Then in 2000,

[00:40:03] I was released.

[00:40:04] 10 years after that.

[00:40:05] I can see

[00:40:05] there's a 10 year gap.

[00:40:07] Aha.

[00:40:08] The reason why

[00:40:09] there was a 10 year gap

[00:40:11] was my experience

[00:40:14] with Back to Africa.

[00:40:16] Yeah.

[00:40:17] No distribution.

[00:40:20] So you shot it.

[00:40:22] I shot it.

[00:40:23] Without sorting out

[00:40:24] distribution.

[00:40:25] You didn't think about

[00:40:25] what was going on

[00:40:26] distribution?

[00:40:27] There were only

[00:40:28] about three Nigerian cinemas.

[00:40:31] Wow.

[00:40:32] And there was

[00:40:33] the CDs.

[00:40:35] Yeah.

[00:40:36] There was not

[00:40:37] CD with it.

[00:40:37] It was VHS.

[00:40:39] So guess what?

[00:40:40] There was no

[00:40:43] cinema culture.

[00:40:45] They used to go

[00:40:45] from university

[00:40:46] to university,

[00:40:48] rent their cooking,

[00:40:49] do all that

[00:40:50] and show to students.

[00:40:52] There was another

[00:40:53] person there,

[00:40:56] Zebe Jiru,

[00:40:57] who had

[00:40:58] Dr. Domitila.

[00:40:59] It was the two of us.

[00:41:01] Oh, I remember

[00:41:01] Domitila.

[00:41:03] Yes.

[00:41:03] It was Zebe Jiru.

[00:41:04] He came out one year

[00:41:05] before me.

[00:41:05] I came out.

[00:41:06] So that's when

[00:41:06] Nollywood was started.

[00:41:08] Yes.

[00:41:09] Yes.

[00:41:11] So after that,

[00:41:13] it was a disappointment

[00:41:14] but at least I made

[00:41:15] my movie.

[00:41:15] People who watched it

[00:41:16] loved it.

[00:41:17] You know,

[00:41:17] and then I took my master

[00:41:19] and I went back

[00:41:20] to the US.

[00:41:21] And decided

[00:41:22] to earn some money.

[00:41:24] And then check this out.

[00:41:27] I was the first

[00:41:28] Nigerian to make

[00:41:30] a movie in the US.

[00:41:32] Really?

[00:41:33] Seriously?

[00:41:34] Yes.

[00:41:35] The first.

[00:41:37] There were two other

[00:41:38] filmmakers that came

[00:41:39] right after me.

[00:41:41] Imlenchuku Prospect

[00:41:42] in California

[00:41:44] made a movie

[00:41:45] called Tokubo.

[00:41:47] And then

[00:41:47] Don Okolo

[00:41:48] made a movie

[00:41:49] called 419.

[00:41:51] Hmm.

[00:41:56] In New York,

[00:41:56] there was a young guy

[00:41:58] called Berthes Agumon

[00:41:59] who made a movie

[00:42:01] but it was

[00:42:03] poorly charted.

[00:42:04] Didn't spend money at all.

[00:42:05] But they didn't see

[00:42:06] as a movie.

[00:42:08] Now,

[00:42:09] check this

[00:42:09] to charge my phone.

[00:42:12] Now,

[00:42:14] there was no

[00:42:15] distribution.

[00:42:18] Hmm.

[00:42:19] Everything was dead.

[00:42:21] Hmm.

[00:42:23] So check this out.

[00:42:24] I decided

[00:42:26] to start

[00:42:27] distribution.

[00:42:29] Hmm.

[00:42:31] Interesting.

[00:42:32] So I

[00:42:33] put my movie,

[00:42:35] I convinced

[00:42:37] a theater

[00:42:38] in the US.

[00:42:39] Hmm.

[00:42:40] And they gave me

[00:42:41] one cinema.

[00:42:43] Hmm.

[00:42:43] And

[00:42:44] I

[00:42:45] I

[00:42:47] I put my movie

[00:42:49] in the cinema.

[00:42:51] Hmm.

[00:42:51] The first day

[00:42:52] we did the premiere

[00:42:54] everywhere

[00:42:54] it was packed.

[00:42:55] The first day of showing

[00:42:57] there were only two people

[00:42:58] that were there.

[00:42:59] Hmm.

[00:43:00] Only two people

[00:43:01] were there.

[00:43:02] Really?

[00:43:03] Yeah.

[00:43:05] Only two people?

[00:43:06] For the week

[00:43:06] only two people.

[00:43:08] For the week

[00:43:09] total number

[00:43:11] and I was paying

[00:43:12] a thousand dollars

[00:43:15] I was paying

[00:43:15] a thousand dollars

[00:43:16] a day.

[00:43:17] Wow.

[00:43:18] To rent the equipment.

[00:43:20] Hmm.

[00:43:22] Only two people

[00:43:23] showed up.

[00:43:24] Filmmaking is not a joke.

[00:43:26] It's for bold people.

[00:43:27] Hmm.

[00:43:29] You

[00:43:29] you

[00:43:30] you

[00:43:30] trust me

[00:43:32] you

[00:43:32] you

[00:43:33] is not

[00:43:34] talking with mouth.

[00:43:35] Yeah, it's action.

[00:43:37] Yeah.

[00:43:38] It's action.

[00:43:39] So

[00:43:39] yes, it's action.

[00:43:41] So guess what?

[00:43:45] I

[00:43:46] by the end of the week

[00:43:48] I couldn't afford

[00:43:49] the cinema again.

[00:43:51] I was owing

[00:43:52] about 10,000 dollars.

[00:43:53] Wow.

[00:43:54] And in the US

[00:43:55] you can't just

[00:43:56] project the

[00:43:57] project the movie

[00:43:57] by yourself

[00:43:58] in a cinema.

[00:43:59] You got to go

[00:44:00] the

[00:44:01] they are

[00:44:01] they are union laws.

[00:44:03] So you have to pay

[00:44:04] you have to go get

[00:44:04] a union

[00:44:05] project

[00:44:07] projectionist.

[00:44:08] And that's what

[00:44:09] I was paying

[00:44:09] equipment was a thousand

[00:44:10] I was paying

[00:44:11] the projectionist

[00:44:12] 250 dollars

[00:44:13] a day.

[00:44:14] Wow.

[00:44:16] I ran a bill

[00:44:18] and

[00:44:19] by the end

[00:44:19] of the week

[00:44:20] I was there

[00:44:21] for like

[00:44:22] four weeks

[00:44:22] by the end

[00:44:23] of the

[00:44:23] four weeks

[00:44:24] only about

[00:44:26] 12 people

[00:44:27] have seen

[00:44:27] my film.

[00:44:28] So this was

[00:44:29] this was

[00:44:29] is it a film

[00:44:30] American Dream?

[00:44:32] No, the film

[00:44:35] Back to Africa.

[00:44:37] Oh, the back

[00:44:37] this is

[00:44:38] 1997.

[00:44:39] 1997.

[00:44:41] Yes, I was

[00:44:42] telling you

[00:44:42] you said

[00:44:43] there was a

[00:44:44] hiatus for

[00:44:46] 10 years.

[00:44:47] Okay.

[00:44:47] So why was

[00:44:48] that?

[00:44:50] So in the

[00:44:50] 10 years

[00:44:51] I'm telling

[00:44:51] you now

[00:44:52] is what

[00:44:53] all the things

[00:44:54] that happened

[00:44:54] from my first

[00:44:55] film in

[00:44:55] 1997

[00:44:58] to my next

[00:44:59] movie in

[00:45:00] 2006

[00:45:01] was like

[00:45:02] 10 years.

[00:45:02] So guess

[00:45:03] what I was

[00:45:04] doing?

[00:45:05] I told you

[00:45:05] I was creating

[00:45:06] distribution.

[00:45:07] So on

[00:45:08] the last

[00:45:09] day when

[00:45:11] I had lost

[00:45:11] hope and

[00:45:13] I was owing

[00:45:14] about $10,000

[00:45:15] which I didn't

[00:45:15] have a dime

[00:45:17] a friend of

[00:45:18] mine came

[00:45:20] from an

[00:45:21] organization

[00:45:22] called

[00:45:22] AUSA

[00:45:23] Society.

[00:45:24] The African

[00:45:25] American.

[00:45:26] How do you

[00:45:26] call it?

[00:45:29] AUSA

[00:45:29] AUSA

[00:45:30] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:32] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:33] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:34] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:35] Yeah.

[00:45:35] Yeah.

[00:45:37] A-S-A-R

[00:45:37] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:40] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:43] A-U-S-A-R

[00:45:46] Yes.

[00:45:47] Society.

[00:45:48] There was a

[00:45:49] man who来

[00:45:50] whenag comprehensivega

[00:45:51] seven

[00:45:51] five

[00:45:53] Some

[00:45:53] Of

[00:45:54] the

[00:45:55] from the Caribbean

[00:45:57] yes he came from the Caribbean

[00:45:59] but he had

[00:46:01] 70 wives in the US

[00:46:04] they observed

[00:46:06] seven

[00:46:07] they observed Egyptian

[00:46:10] philosophy

[00:46:11] okay

[00:46:12] so the US

[00:46:14] in the US

[00:46:18] the Nigerians

[00:46:19] make me laugh

[00:46:20] guess what

[00:46:21] my girlfriend before I met my wife

[00:46:25] he told me it's gonna shock me

[00:46:28] he came with

[00:46:30] four women

[00:46:31] to watch my film

[00:46:33] they were the only ones in the hall

[00:46:34] on the last day when I was gonna shot him

[00:46:37] they saw the movie

[00:46:38] $10,000

[00:46:41] yeah

[00:46:41] they saw the movie

[00:46:44] and when they saw the movie

[00:46:46] they were blown away

[00:46:48] they said they'll contact me

[00:46:50] by the weekend

[00:46:52] by the weekend they called me and said

[00:46:54] how would you like to come and show this film

[00:46:58] at the South Sex Society in Brooklyn

[00:47:03] New York

[00:47:06] so your distribution

[00:47:08] I don't have money for equipment

[00:47:12] the distribution didn't start then

[00:47:14] with my sister

[00:47:15] yeah but it's a kind of distribution

[00:47:17] isn't it

[00:47:17] because I mean

[00:47:18] exactly

[00:47:18] it didn't start then

[00:47:21] at all

[00:47:21] okay okay

[00:47:23] but the hearing story of distribution

[00:47:26] so when I went there

[00:47:29] I had two shows

[00:47:30] with a thousand people

[00:47:34] per show

[00:47:37] oh

[00:47:38] a thousand people

[00:47:40] came to watch

[00:47:41] wow

[00:47:42] the society was that big

[00:47:44] yeah actually not per show

[00:47:46] it was like

[00:47:47] 300 people

[00:47:48] and I showed the movie

[00:47:49] three times in the first day

[00:47:51] three times in the second day

[00:47:52] so

[00:47:52] they were able to rally

[00:47:54] so this is the power of community

[00:47:56] power of community

[00:47:57] there you go

[00:47:58] when you talk about Afrocenters

[00:47:59] in which Nigerians have no clue

[00:48:03] Nigerians have no clue

[00:48:05] Nigerians just know

[00:48:06] to go to university

[00:48:07] get a degree

[00:48:08] and start shining

[00:48:09] and driving fast a car

[00:48:10] guess what

[00:48:11] the Astau set

[00:48:13] came to my aid

[00:48:16] at the end of the day

[00:48:17] we said we would share

[00:48:18] the gate takings

[00:48:20] 50-50

[00:48:21] it was

[00:48:21] they called the place

[00:48:23] their temple

[00:48:23] it was a major hall

[00:48:25] and

[00:48:26] after that

[00:48:27] they shared

[00:48:29] we made about

[00:48:30] I think we made about

[00:48:31] a thousand something

[00:48:33] they gave me 600

[00:48:34] they took $600

[00:48:35] wow

[00:48:36] I

[00:48:37] I took my $600

[00:48:39] and I went to

[00:48:41] print

[00:48:42] PhDs tape

[00:48:43] all of the

[00:48:48] how I printed

[00:48:49] the VHS tapes

[00:48:51] and then for

[00:48:52] 10 years

[00:48:53] for 10 years

[00:48:55] I was going

[00:48:57] from store

[00:48:59] to store

[00:49:00] to store

[00:49:01] to store

[00:49:02] in the whole

[00:49:03] of New York

[00:49:04] New Jersey

[00:49:06] Washington DC

[00:49:08] I'll be driving

[00:49:08] in my small car

[00:49:09] at 2am in the morning

[00:49:10] coming from

[00:49:11] Washington DC

[00:49:12] I was alone

[00:49:15] and that's how

[00:49:16] Back to Africa

[00:49:18] became famous

[00:49:25] I would walk

[00:49:26] into a store

[00:49:27] with my board

[00:49:28] my poster board

[00:49:30] with pictures

[00:49:30] and I noticed

[00:49:32] that some African Americans

[00:49:33] would ask me

[00:49:35] this is very interesting

[00:49:36] I was going to

[00:49:38] the African shop

[00:49:40] Air Brady

[00:49:40] in Harlem

[00:49:41] they couldn't afford

[00:49:43] the rent

[00:49:44] so they would share

[00:49:44] the room

[00:49:45] they had that

[00:49:47] in England

[00:49:47] still

[00:49:48] about 6 or so

[00:49:50] we would just

[00:49:50] take some

[00:49:51] little spot

[00:49:51] and then I would

[00:49:55] come in

[00:49:55] and I would show

[00:49:56] them my poster board

[00:49:57] huge board

[00:49:59] and then

[00:49:59] the African Americans

[00:50:01] are the ones

[00:50:01] that were having

[00:50:02] their hair braided

[00:50:03] and the Africans

[00:50:05] mostly from

[00:50:06] Francophone Africa

[00:50:08] were bringing

[00:50:09] then I would tell

[00:50:10] them

[00:50:10] this is my movie

[00:50:11] can you buy

[00:50:13] I was selling

[00:50:14] each VHS tape

[00:50:16] for $20

[00:50:19] and they would be

[00:50:20] hungry for

[00:50:20] home film

[00:50:21] and I was

[00:50:22] the only one

[00:50:24] there's no

[00:50:25] Nigerian

[00:50:25] on the planet

[00:50:26] there's no

[00:50:27] African

[00:50:27] on the planet

[00:50:28] that was

[00:50:29] doing it

[00:50:30] so guess what

[00:50:33] I did it

[00:50:34] for 10 years

[00:50:35] the African Americans

[00:50:36] will ask me

[00:50:36] is this a good

[00:50:38] film

[00:50:39] I say well

[00:50:40] yes I think

[00:50:41] so

[00:50:42] they'll say

[00:50:43] well if it's

[00:50:43] a good film

[00:50:43] we're going to

[00:50:44] watch it on

[00:50:44] TV for free

[00:50:46] oh

[00:50:46] that is

[00:50:49] strange

[00:50:51] but the

[00:50:51] the

[00:50:53] continental

[00:50:53] Africans

[00:50:57] will tell

[00:50:58] me we don't

[00:50:58] have

[00:50:59] can you

[00:51:01] leave the

[00:51:01] tapes

[00:51:02] and come

[00:51:03] back next

[00:51:03] to me

[00:51:05] I didn't

[00:51:06] have more

[00:51:06] many tapes

[00:51:07] but I

[00:51:07] dropped the

[00:51:09] tapes

[00:51:09] come back

[00:51:10] a week

[00:51:10] later

[00:51:10] my money

[00:51:11] was waiting

[00:51:12] for me on

[00:51:13] the tape

[00:51:16] that's how

[00:51:17] I started

[00:51:18] then

[00:51:18] all of a

[00:51:21] sudden

[00:51:21] I started

[00:51:22] going around

[00:51:23] then I

[00:51:24] noticed one

[00:51:25] young man

[00:51:25] his name

[00:51:26] was Rabi

[00:51:27] Mohammed

[00:51:28] in the

[00:51:29] Bronx

[00:51:30] he was

[00:51:31] good like

[00:51:31] in all the

[00:51:31] movies

[00:51:33] yes

[00:51:34] there was

[00:51:34] a lot of

[00:51:35] piracy

[00:51:36] wasn't there

[00:51:36] piracy

[00:51:37] started

[00:51:37] yeah

[00:51:38] he was

[00:51:38] the only

[00:51:38] he was

[00:51:40] the only

[00:51:40] one

[00:51:41] there were

[00:51:42] no other

[00:51:43] people there

[00:51:43] he was

[00:51:44] just the

[00:51:44] only one

[00:51:44] he had

[00:51:44] a little

[00:51:45] small

[00:51:45] store

[00:51:47] so when

[00:51:47] I went

[00:51:48] to him

[00:51:48] we discussed

[00:51:48] that

[00:51:49] a while

[00:51:49] and I

[00:51:49] decided

[00:51:50] you know

[00:51:50] what

[00:51:52] there's

[00:51:53] opportunity

[00:51:53] here

[00:51:54] so I

[00:51:55] told Rabi

[00:51:56] and I

[00:51:57] called

[00:51:58] Bertel

[00:51:59] the guy

[00:51:59] that I

[00:51:59] said did

[00:52:00] the movie

[00:52:01] that wasn't

[00:52:01] all that

[00:52:02] great

[00:52:02] he was

[00:52:03] in Brooklyn

[00:52:03] I said

[00:52:04] let us

[00:52:04] form an

[00:52:05] association

[00:52:09] so

[00:52:11] Bethel

[00:52:11] is now

[00:52:11] called

[00:52:12] a young

[00:52:13] lady

[00:52:13] by the

[00:52:13] name

[00:52:13] of

[00:52:13] Caroline

[00:52:14] who

[00:52:14] liked

[00:52:15] watching

[00:52:15] her

[00:52:15] movies

[00:52:16] and her

[00:52:17] background

[00:52:18] was

[00:52:19] McDonald's

[00:52:21] of America

[00:52:22] she was

[00:52:22] the top

[00:52:22] secretary

[00:52:23] there

[00:52:23] she came

[00:52:24] all the way

[00:52:25] from

[00:52:25] Washington

[00:52:25] D.C.

[00:52:26] we all

[00:52:27] sat in

[00:52:28] my apartment

[00:52:28] and we

[00:52:29] formed

[00:52:30] Filmmakers

[00:52:31] Association

[00:52:31] of Nigeria

[00:52:33] USA

[00:52:36] and then

[00:52:37] the first

[00:52:38] call

[00:52:38] was to

[00:52:39] come to

[00:52:39] Nigeria

[00:52:40] to announce

[00:52:41] what we were

[00:52:42] going to do

[00:52:42] and create

[00:52:43] distribution

[00:52:46] the guy

[00:52:47] who did

[00:52:48] the movie

[00:52:49] who said

[00:52:49] all of us

[00:52:49] should donate

[00:52:50] some money

[00:52:50] so that we

[00:52:51] can go to

[00:52:52] Nigeria

[00:52:52] Caroline

[00:52:53] and

[00:52:53] the

[00:52:55] Rabi

[00:52:55] put up

[00:52:56] some money

[00:52:56] I put up

[00:52:57] money

[00:52:58] Caroline

[00:52:58] put up

[00:52:58] money

[00:52:59] the other

[00:52:59] guy

[00:52:59] said

[00:52:59] he's not

[00:53:00] going to

[00:53:00] put up

[00:53:00] any

[00:53:00] money

[00:53:01] so

[00:53:01] it was

[00:53:02] just

[00:53:02] three

[00:53:02] of us

[00:53:03] so

[00:53:03] Caroline

[00:53:03] and I

[00:53:04] came

[00:53:04] to

[00:53:04] Nigeria

[00:53:05] and we

[00:53:06] made

[00:53:06] the

[00:53:06] whole

[00:53:06] of

[00:53:06] Nollywood

[00:53:09] and then

[00:53:10] they said

[00:53:11] we should

[00:53:11] pay some

[00:53:12] money

[00:53:15] Nollywood

[00:53:15] was just

[00:53:15] starting

[00:53:16] then

[00:53:18] so I

[00:53:18] said

[00:53:18] I'm not

[00:53:19] paying

[00:53:19] any

[00:53:19] money

[00:53:20] if you

[00:53:21] people

[00:53:21] want your

[00:53:21] movies

[00:53:22] to be

[00:53:22] sold

[00:53:22] in

[00:53:34] we

[00:53:35] we

[00:53:35] brought

[00:53:35] 50

[00:53:36] of

[00:53:37] the

[00:53:37] Nollywood

[00:53:37] people

[00:53:38] to

[00:53:39] the

[00:53:39] US

[00:53:39] in

[00:53:40] 2000

[00:53:41] and

[00:53:42] 50

[00:53:43] I

[00:53:45] hosted

[00:53:45] 50

[00:53:46] of

[00:53:46] them

[00:53:51] 2005

[00:53:52] we

[00:53:54] held the

[00:53:54] first

[00:53:54] copyright

[00:53:55] conference

[00:53:57] ever

[00:53:58] US

[00:54:00] Department

[00:54:00] of Justice

[00:54:01] Motion Picture

[00:54:02] Association

[00:54:02] of America

[00:54:03] Nigerian

[00:54:04] Copyright

[00:54:04] Commission

[00:54:04] Nigerian

[00:54:05] Department

[00:54:06] of Justice

[00:54:07] on and

[00:54:08] on and

[00:54:09] on a

[00:54:10] two-day

[00:54:10] conference

[00:54:10] which was

[00:54:12] headed by

[00:54:17] wait a

[00:54:19] minute

[00:54:19] some

[00:54:19] rubbish

[00:54:20] is

[00:54:20] going

[00:54:24] now

[00:54:25] check this

[00:54:26] out

[00:54:27] when we

[00:54:28] had the

[00:54:28] copyright

[00:54:29] conference

[00:54:30] everybody

[00:54:30] was there

[00:54:31] the entire

[00:54:32] US

[00:54:32] was there

[00:54:33] when we

[00:54:34] finished the

[00:54:34] copyright

[00:54:35] conference

[00:54:35] in two

[00:54:36] days

[00:54:36] they

[00:54:39] agreed to

[00:54:39] support

[00:54:39] us

[00:54:40] to fight

[00:54:42] piracy of

[00:54:42] Nigerian

[00:54:43] creative

[00:54:43] arts

[00:54:44] in the

[00:54:44] US

[00:54:47] but guess

[00:54:48] what

[00:54:48] that's a

[00:54:49] tough

[00:54:49] fight

[00:54:51] my

[00:54:58] movie

[00:54:59] Crazy

[00:54:59] Like a

[00:55:00] Fox

[00:55:00] which was

[00:55:01] nominated

[00:55:01] for best

[00:55:02] film in

[00:55:02] the

[00:55:03] Hollywood

[00:55:03] Film

[00:55:03] Festival

[00:55:05] was

[00:55:05] bootlegged

[00:55:06] not

[00:55:09] bootlegged

[00:55:09] that they

[00:55:09] started selling

[00:55:10] my movie

[00:55:10] then we

[00:55:11] turned to

[00:55:12] DVD

[00:55:12] and convinced

[00:55:13] the Nigerians

[00:55:13] that we

[00:55:14] were going

[00:55:14] to DVD

[00:55:15] for

[00:55:17] it took

[00:55:18] me a

[00:55:18] long fight

[00:55:19] to get

[00:55:19] them to

[00:55:19] switch to

[00:55:20] DVD

[00:55:20] they were

[00:55:20] doing

[00:55:21] video

[00:55:21] CDs

[00:55:21] and DVD

[00:55:22] and DVD

[00:55:22] became

[00:55:23] every street

[00:55:24] hawker

[00:55:25] in Nigeria

[00:55:27] were able

[00:55:27] to copy

[00:55:28] the DVDs

[00:55:29] over and

[00:55:30] over again

[00:55:30] we started

[00:55:32] that

[00:55:32] with the

[00:55:34] distribution

[00:55:34] through DVD

[00:55:35] that gave

[00:55:36] Nigeria

[00:55:36] all the

[00:55:37] power

[00:55:37] because now

[00:55:38] we control

[00:55:39] the production

[00:55:39] control the

[00:55:41] distribution

[00:55:41] control everything

[00:55:44] now guess

[00:55:45] what

[00:55:46] I'm giving

[00:55:47] you all

[00:55:48] this

[00:55:48] so when

[00:55:49] you say

[00:55:49] you get

[00:55:52] the understanding

[00:55:52] of that

[00:55:53] the history

[00:55:56] how it

[00:55:57] became

[00:55:57] international

[00:55:58] and so on

[00:55:59] guess what

[00:56:01] now all

[00:56:02] of a sudden

[00:56:04] the whole

[00:56:05] people were

[00:56:06] bootlegging

[00:56:06] movies all

[00:56:07] over the

[00:56:07] place

[00:56:07] in the

[00:56:08] US

[00:56:08] so I

[00:56:09] went to

[00:56:10] the Brooklyn

[00:56:11] district

[00:56:11] attorney

[00:56:12] and I

[00:56:15] told them

[00:56:16] I needed

[00:56:17] support

[00:56:17] they were

[00:56:19] laughing at

[00:56:19] me

[00:56:19] they said

[00:56:20] there's no

[00:56:21] Nigerian on

[00:56:22] the planet

[00:56:22] that will

[00:56:23] come into

[00:56:24] this our

[00:56:24] giant

[00:56:24] building

[00:56:26] voluntarily

[00:56:27] really

[00:56:29] they said

[00:56:30] no Nigerian

[00:56:31] on the

[00:56:31] planet

[00:56:32] will

[00:56:33] voluntarily

[00:56:33] enter

[00:56:34] our

[00:56:34] building

[00:56:35] that's the

[00:56:35] number one

[00:56:36] criminal

[00:56:36] something

[00:56:37] now they

[00:56:40] I met

[00:56:43] with five

[00:56:44] of their

[00:56:44] district

[00:56:45] attorneys

[00:56:45] we had

[00:56:47] several

[00:56:47] meetings

[00:56:47] and on

[00:56:48] my behest

[00:56:49] they

[00:56:50] they spent

[00:56:51] two million

[00:56:51] dollars

[00:56:51] and conducted

[00:56:53] a raid

[00:56:53] all over

[00:56:55] New York

[00:56:56] City

[00:56:57] on

[00:56:58] Nollywood

[00:56:58] films

[00:56:59] they made

[00:57:00] a big

[00:57:00] press

[00:57:01] conference

[00:57:01] all the

[00:57:02] TV

[00:57:02] stations

[00:57:03] everybody

[00:57:03] was there

[00:57:04] that's how

[00:57:04] Nollywood

[00:57:05] became

[00:57:05] famous

[00:57:07] when we

[00:57:08] brought

[00:57:08] 50 of

[00:57:09] them in

[00:57:09] 2004

[00:57:11] the

[00:57:12] Nollywood

[00:57:12] people

[00:57:13] were just

[00:57:13] talking

[00:57:14] Genevieve

[00:57:15] or

[00:57:16] when they

[00:57:17] saw the

[00:57:18] reception

[00:57:18] and how

[00:57:20] the crowd

[00:57:20] wanted to

[00:57:21] mob

[00:57:21] them

[00:57:23] they

[00:57:24] couldn't

[00:57:24] believe it

[00:57:25] that was

[00:57:25] where they

[00:57:26] developed

[00:57:26] the confidence

[00:57:27] to know

[00:57:28] that

[00:57:30] Nollywood

[00:57:30] was huge

[00:57:33] I took

[00:57:34] them to

[00:57:34] the New

[00:57:35] York Times

[00:57:35] office

[00:57:36] we took

[00:57:37] them to

[00:57:37] the

[00:57:38] Washington

[00:57:39] Times

[00:57:39] office

[00:57:39] we had

[00:57:40] a major

[00:57:41] ball

[00:57:41] and the

[00:57:41] tickets

[00:57:42] were

[00:57:42] $100

[00:57:42] each

[00:57:45] and that's

[00:57:46] how

[00:57:48] Nollywood

[00:57:49] started

[00:57:50] wow

[00:57:51] so

[00:57:53] go on

[00:57:56] go on

[00:57:57] you were

[00:57:58] going to

[00:57:58] say something

[00:57:59] I've got

[00:58:00] the next

[00:58:00] question

[00:58:00] oh

[00:58:01] okay

[00:58:01] so I'm

[00:58:02] not going

[00:58:03] to try

[00:58:03] and come

[00:58:03] to the

[00:58:04] present

[00:58:04] now

[00:58:04] because

[00:58:05] we have

[00:58:05] spent

[00:58:06] quite a bit

[00:58:07] of time

[00:58:07] in the

[00:58:07] past

[00:58:08] and it's

[00:58:08] been

[00:58:09] fascinating

[00:58:09] I'm sure

[00:58:11] the audience

[00:58:11] have been

[00:58:12] keenly

[00:58:13] listening

[00:58:14] to

[00:58:14] you know

[00:58:15] it's nice

[00:58:16] to because

[00:58:17] I don't

[00:58:18] think history

[00:58:18] sometimes

[00:58:19] some

[00:58:19] aspects of

[00:58:20] history

[00:58:21] are not

[00:58:22] yet written

[00:58:23] and this

[00:58:23] part of

[00:58:24] history

[00:58:24] I don't

[00:58:25] think has

[00:58:25] been written

[00:58:25] I don't

[00:58:26] know if

[00:58:26] there's

[00:58:26] been any

[00:58:26] history

[00:58:27] of

[00:58:27] Nollywood

[00:58:28] yet

[00:58:28] but

[00:58:29] Nollywood

[00:58:29] is roughly

[00:58:31] getting close

[00:58:32] to 30

[00:58:33] years

[00:58:34] Yes

[00:58:35] about

[00:58:35] 25

[00:58:36] 26

[00:58:36] years

[00:58:37] Yes

[00:58:38] So

[00:58:39] 25

[00:58:40] 26

[00:58:40] years

[00:58:41] so

[00:58:41] history

[00:58:42] has not

[00:58:42] been

[00:58:42] written

[00:58:42] even

[00:58:43] the

[00:58:43] old

[00:58:43] the

[00:58:44] new

[00:58:44] directors

[00:58:45] the

[00:58:46] up and

[00:58:46] coming

[00:58:46] filmmakers

[00:58:47] might not

[00:58:48] know this

[00:58:49] history

[00:58:49] and now

[00:58:50] they're

[00:58:51] hearing it

[00:58:51] from here

[00:58:52] so

[00:58:53] of course

[00:58:54] now we

[00:58:55] know

[00:58:55] there's

[00:58:55] a difference

[00:58:56] between

[00:58:56] the past

[00:58:57] and the

[00:58:58] present

[00:58:58] because

[00:58:58] now we

[00:58:59] have

[00:58:59] technology

[00:59:00] now we

[00:59:01] have

[00:59:01] also

[00:59:02] we have

[00:59:02] we've

[00:59:03] had

[00:59:03] improvements

[00:59:04] in

[00:59:05] filmmaking

[00:59:07] in

[00:59:09] shooting

[00:59:09] every aspect

[00:59:10] of film

[00:59:11] and music

[00:59:12] in Nigeria

[00:59:13] that is

[00:59:13] unprecedented

[00:59:15] so

[00:59:16] and we

[00:59:17] know that

[00:59:17] technology

[00:59:17] has played

[00:59:18] a role

[00:59:18] in that

[00:59:19] so how

[00:59:20] have you

[00:59:20] been able

[00:59:21] to come

[00:59:21] from

[00:59:21] because

[00:59:22] you're

[00:59:22] still

[00:59:22] making

[00:59:22] film

[00:59:23] how

[00:59:24] have you

[00:59:24] been able

[00:59:24] to

[00:59:25] come

[00:59:25] from

[00:59:26] how

[00:59:26] things

[00:59:27] were

[00:59:27] made

[00:59:27] in the

[00:59:27] past

[00:59:28] to

[00:59:29] pivot

[00:59:29] into

[00:59:30] how

[00:59:30] things

[00:59:31] have

[00:59:32] been

[00:59:32] done

[00:59:34] in the

[00:59:35] present

[00:59:36] I'm

[00:59:37] interested

[00:59:37] in

[00:59:38] the

[00:59:39] technology

[00:59:39] aspect

[00:59:40] of it

[00:59:40] okay

[00:59:42] okay

[00:59:43] I'm going to tell you

[00:59:44] something very

[00:59:45] important

[00:59:46] what is most

[00:59:47] important to me

[00:59:48] is not

[00:59:50] the film

[00:59:50] what is most

[00:59:52] important to me

[00:59:53] is how

[00:59:53] Nigerians

[00:59:54] will survive

[00:59:56] I told you

[00:59:58] that I'm

[00:59:59] Afrocentric

[01:00:00] and Nigerians

[01:00:02] are really

[01:00:03] not Afrocentric

[01:00:04] I spent

[01:00:06] years

[01:00:06] in the

[01:00:07] African-American

[01:00:08] inner city

[01:00:09] with all

[01:00:09] the professors

[01:00:10] studying

[01:00:11] to understand

[01:00:13] why

[01:00:14] Nigeria

[01:00:15] is the

[01:00:17] only

[01:00:19] black

[01:00:20] country

[01:00:20] that can

[01:00:22] unify the

[01:00:22] whole

[01:00:23] blacks

[01:00:23] and create

[01:00:24] viable

[01:00:25] monetization

[01:00:26] structure

[01:00:26] for black

[01:00:27] folks

[01:00:28] Nigeria

[01:00:28] hasn't

[01:00:28] done it

[01:00:29] Nigeria

[01:00:29] is thinking

[01:00:30] as an

[01:00:31] individual

[01:00:32] country

[01:00:32] that's

[01:00:32] number

[01:00:33] one

[01:00:33] everybody

[01:00:34] in Nigeria

[01:00:34] is thinking

[01:00:35] as

[01:00:36] themselves

[01:00:36] in most

[01:00:37] cases

[01:00:37] it is a

[01:00:38] very

[01:00:38] self-centered

[01:00:40] thinking

[01:00:41] when you

[01:00:42] are Afrocentric

[01:00:44] you don't

[01:00:45] think as

[01:00:45] an

[01:00:46] individual

[01:00:46] you don't

[01:00:48] think

[01:00:48] about

[01:00:49] yourself

[01:00:50] it's not

[01:00:51] about

[01:00:51] oh I'm

[01:00:52] going to

[01:00:52] make the

[01:00:52] next movie

[01:00:53] or I'm

[01:00:53] going to

[01:00:53] no no

[01:00:54] no no

[01:00:55] no it

[01:00:55] doesn't

[01:00:55] happen

[01:00:56] so the

[01:00:57] only hope

[01:00:59] for Nigeria

[01:01:00] is not to

[01:01:02] look at

[01:01:02] film as

[01:01:03] art

[01:01:04] it's fine

[01:01:05] to look at

[01:01:06] it as

[01:01:06] art

[01:01:07] but there

[01:01:08] are a

[01:01:08] hundred

[01:01:08] million

[01:01:09] languishing

[01:01:09] Nigerian

[01:01:10] youth

[01:01:11] that can

[01:01:12] never

[01:01:12] make

[01:01:13] film

[01:01:15] how are

[01:01:15] they going

[01:01:16] to eat

[01:01:18] that is

[01:01:19] my

[01:01:19] preoccupation

[01:01:20] from day

[01:01:21] one

[01:01:21] I have

[01:01:22] a hashtag

[01:01:23] called

[01:01:24] 100 million

[01:01:26] languishing

[01:01:27] youth

[01:01:27] I don't

[01:01:30] care

[01:01:30] about the

[01:01:32] individual

[01:01:32] filmmakers

[01:01:33] I care

[01:01:35] about how

[01:01:36] hundred million

[01:01:36] Nigerian

[01:01:37] youth

[01:01:37] are going

[01:01:38] to eat

[01:01:38] and survive

[01:01:39] but I

[01:01:41] know

[01:01:44] that it

[01:01:46] is true

[01:01:46] film

[01:01:47] to the

[01:01:48] creative

[01:01:48] industry

[01:01:49] that it

[01:01:50] can

[01:01:50] survive

[01:01:50] because

[01:01:51] it's the

[01:01:51] low-hanging

[01:01:52] fruit

[01:01:52] okay

[01:01:53] how

[01:01:53] having

[01:01:54] said

[01:01:54] that

[01:01:54] I will

[01:01:55] now

[01:01:55] explain

[01:01:57] it to

[01:01:57] you

[01:02:01] the

[01:02:02] only

[01:02:02] thing

[01:02:03] that

[01:02:03] Nigerians

[01:02:03] can

[01:02:04] do

[01:02:04] without

[01:02:04] major

[01:02:04] training

[01:02:06] is

[01:02:07] film

[01:02:07] music

[01:02:09] art

[01:02:10] fashion

[01:02:11] the

[01:02:12] creative

[01:02:12] industry

[01:02:13] the

[01:02:14] training

[01:02:14] doesn't

[01:02:15] take

[01:02:15] you

[01:02:15] done

[01:02:15] we

[01:02:15] don't

[01:02:16] have

[01:02:16] to

[01:02:16] go

[01:02:16] to

[01:02:16] university

[01:02:16] for

[01:02:17] four

[01:02:17] years

[01:02:17] yeah

[01:02:18] so

[01:02:20] if

[01:02:20] Nigeria

[01:02:21] is

[01:02:21] smart

[01:02:23] from

[01:02:24] governmental

[01:02:24] level

[01:02:26] they

[01:02:27] will

[01:02:27] take

[01:02:28] advantage

[01:02:28] and

[01:02:28] I've

[01:02:28] been

[01:02:28] preaching

[01:02:29] it

[01:02:29] for

[01:02:29] 25

[01:02:30] years

[01:02:31] until

[01:02:31] recently

[01:02:32] the

[01:02:32] federal

[01:02:32] government

[01:02:33] just

[01:02:33] gave

[01:02:33] it

[01:02:33] its

[01:02:34] due

[01:02:37] ministry

[01:02:39] the

[01:02:40] ministry

[01:02:40] of the

[01:02:40] creative

[01:02:41] economy

[01:02:41] but

[01:02:42] they

[01:02:42] still

[01:02:43] don't

[01:02:43] understand

[01:02:44] how

[01:02:44] it

[01:02:45] will

[01:02:45] work

[01:02:45] everything

[01:02:47] now

[01:02:47] is

[01:02:47] still

[01:02:47] theory

[01:02:48] the

[01:02:48] ministry

[01:02:49] of

[01:02:49] creative

[01:02:49] economy

[01:02:50] yes

[01:02:54] everything

[01:02:54] is

[01:02:55] I

[01:02:55] noticed

[01:02:56] you

[01:02:56] interviewed

[01:02:59] Ubi

[01:02:59] Asika

[01:03:00] yes

[01:03:00] I

[01:03:00] did

[01:03:01] Ubi

[01:03:01] Asika

[01:03:02] is

[01:03:02] the

[01:03:03] DG

[01:03:07] of

[01:03:07] one

[01:03:08] aspect

[01:03:09] of

[01:03:09] the

[01:03:10] creative

[01:03:10] economy

[01:03:10] which

[01:03:11] is

[01:03:12] the

[01:03:13] culture

[01:03:14] and

[01:03:14] the

[01:03:14] arts

[01:03:15] which

[01:03:15] falls

[01:03:16] with

[01:03:16] the

[01:03:16] movies

[01:03:16] and

[01:03:17] I

[01:03:17] can

[01:03:17] follow

[01:03:17] that

[01:03:17] a

[01:03:18] great

[01:03:21] leader

[01:03:21] is

[01:03:22] a

[01:03:22] perfect

[01:03:23] feat

[01:03:23] so

[01:03:24] Ubi

[01:03:24] Asika

[01:03:25] has

[01:03:25] experience

[01:03:25] a wealth

[01:03:26] of

[01:03:26] experience

[01:03:26] in

[01:03:27] music

[01:03:27] in

[01:03:27] the

[01:03:28] music

[01:03:28] industry

[01:03:28] it

[01:03:42] may

[01:03:48] in

[01:03:48] the

[01:03:48] US

[01:03:51] now

[01:03:51] check

[01:03:51] this

[01:03:52] out

[01:03:53] when

[01:03:54] you

[01:03:54] talk

[01:03:54] about

[01:03:54] movies

[01:03:55] as you

[01:03:55] said

[01:03:55] before

[01:03:56] it's

[01:03:56] a lot

[01:03:57] of

[01:03:57] money

[01:03:57] to

[01:03:57] make

[01:03:57] a

[01:03:57] movie

[01:03:57] the

[01:03:58] average

[01:03:58] movie

[01:03:59] in

[01:03:59] Nigeria

[01:03:59] now

[01:03:59] that

[01:04:00] goes

[01:04:00] to

[01:04:00] Netflix

[01:04:00] is

[01:04:01] a

[01:04:01] minimum

[01:04:03] 100

[01:04:03] million

[01:04:05] 100

[01:04:06] million

[01:04:06] is

[01:04:06] about

[01:04:07] it's

[01:04:07] about

[01:04:07] $70,000

[01:04:08] you can't

[01:04:09] make a movie

[01:04:10] in the

[01:04:10] US

[01:04:10] for

[01:04:11] $70,000

[01:04:11] but

[01:04:12] in

[01:04:13] Nigeria

[01:04:14] that's

[01:04:14] a lot

[01:04:15] of

[01:04:15] money

[01:04:17] 100

[01:04:18] million

[01:04:20] only

[01:04:21] 20

[01:04:21] people

[01:04:22] can

[01:04:22] do

[01:04:22] it

[01:04:24] out

[01:04:24] of

[01:04:24] 200

[01:04:25] million

[01:04:27] so

[01:04:27] you have

[01:04:28] Netflix

[01:04:28] you have

[01:04:29] Amazon

[01:04:31] they take

[01:04:32] the 20

[01:04:32] movies

[01:04:32] pay an

[01:04:33] average

[01:04:34] of

[01:04:34] between

[01:04:34] 100,000

[01:04:35] and

[01:04:35] 200,000

[01:04:36] and then

[01:04:37] those

[01:04:38] individual

[01:04:38] filmmakers

[01:04:39] start

[01:04:39] gloating

[01:04:41] that

[01:04:41] they just

[01:04:42] made a

[01:04:42] big

[01:04:42] movie

[01:04:43] and

[01:04:44] it's

[01:04:44] all over

[01:04:44] the world

[01:04:45] being watched

[01:04:45] all over

[01:04:46] the world

[01:04:46] there are

[01:04:46] only

[01:04:47] 20

[01:04:47] of

[01:04:47] you

[01:04:49] and

[01:04:50] I

[01:04:50] told

[01:04:50] you

[01:04:50] before

[01:04:52] right

[01:04:53] now

[01:04:53] in

[01:04:54] Nigeria

[01:04:55] is

[01:04:55] self

[01:04:56] centeredness

[01:04:57] you

[01:05:00] pull

[01:05:01] yourself

[01:05:01] by

[01:05:01] your

[01:05:01] own

[01:05:01] bootstraps

[01:05:03] and that

[01:05:04] is the

[01:05:04] worst

[01:05:04] philosophy

[01:05:06] for

[01:05:06] Africa

[01:05:07] that

[01:05:07] is the

[01:05:08] worst

[01:05:08] philosophy

[01:05:09] for

[01:05:09] Nigeria

[01:05:12] so

[01:05:13] I've

[01:05:13] engaged

[01:05:14] what I

[01:05:14] always

[01:05:14] do

[01:05:14] I

[01:05:14] engage

[01:05:15] all

[01:05:15] the

[01:05:16] filmmakers

[01:05:16] I know

[01:05:16] almost

[01:05:17] all of

[01:05:17] them

[01:05:18] personally

[01:05:19] and I

[01:05:20] try to

[01:05:20] explain

[01:05:21] to them

[01:05:21] that

[01:05:22] listen

[01:05:22] you guys

[01:05:23] are doing

[01:05:23] a service

[01:05:23] because

[01:05:24] you

[01:05:24] employ

[01:05:24] 100

[01:05:25] people

[01:05:25] each

[01:05:26] time

[01:05:26] you

[01:05:26] make

[01:05:26] a

[01:05:26] movie

[01:05:26] but

[01:05:27] the

[01:05:27] 100

[01:05:28] people

[01:05:28] times

[01:05:28] 20

[01:05:29] people

[01:05:29] is

[01:05:30] just

[01:05:30] 2,000

[01:05:30] people

[01:05:31] yeah

[01:05:31] there

[01:05:33] are

[01:05:33] 200

[01:05:33] million

[01:05:34] Nigerians

[01:05:34] who

[01:05:34] cannot

[01:05:35] eat

[01:05:36] who are

[01:05:37] starving

[01:05:38] to death

[01:05:38] yeah

[01:05:40] and the

[01:05:40] government

[01:05:41] is overwhelmed

[01:05:42] so what

[01:05:43] is the

[01:05:44] solution

[01:05:44] the

[01:05:45] solution

[01:05:45] is

[01:05:47] technology

[01:05:51] now

[01:05:51] check

[01:05:51] this

[01:05:52] out

[01:05:52] I'm

[01:05:53] going to

[01:05:53] reveal

[01:05:53] something

[01:05:54] here that

[01:05:54] I'm not

[01:05:55] supposed to

[01:05:56] reveal

[01:05:56] reveal it

[01:05:57] we want

[01:05:58] to hear

[01:06:00] okay

[01:06:01] go on

[01:06:01] I'm going

[01:06:02] to reveal

[01:06:02] it

[01:06:06] asking you

[01:06:07] a question

[01:06:11] of Nigerians

[01:06:12] in diaspora

[01:06:13] you are one

[01:06:13] of them

[01:06:15] what attracts

[01:06:16] the eyeballs

[01:06:18] and the

[01:06:19] air looks

[01:06:20] of Nigerians

[01:06:21] in diaspora

[01:06:23] so do

[01:06:25] you

[01:06:25] it is the

[01:06:25] movies

[01:06:27] music

[01:06:29] it is

[01:06:29] the movies

[01:06:31] and the

[01:06:31] music

[01:06:31] unfortunately

[01:06:32] now

[01:06:32] nollywood

[01:06:33] is dead

[01:06:34] yeah

[01:06:35] I don't

[01:06:35] know what's

[01:06:35] going on

[01:06:36] there was

[01:06:36] a time

[01:06:36] we had

[01:06:37] 5,000

[01:06:37] film

[01:06:38] yes

[01:06:38] it's

[01:06:39] dead

[01:06:39] we have

[01:06:39] there was

[01:06:40] a time

[01:06:40] we have

[01:06:40] individual

[01:06:41] filmmakers

[01:06:41] but in

[01:06:42] nollywood

[01:06:42] is dead

[01:06:42] there was

[01:06:44] a time

[01:06:44] when we

[01:06:44] had

[01:06:44] 5,000

[01:06:46] producers

[01:06:48] 5,000

[01:06:50] under

[01:06:51] the

[01:06:54] what they

[01:06:55] called

[01:06:55] the

[01:06:55] guilds

[01:06:56] the

[01:06:57] producers

[01:06:58] guild

[01:06:59] of

[01:06:59] Nigeria

[01:06:59] 5,000

[01:07:01] film

[01:07:01] producers

[01:07:02] were

[01:07:03] sustaining

[01:07:04] themselves

[01:07:04] and

[01:07:05] millions

[01:07:05] of

[01:07:06] people

[01:07:06] because

[01:07:07] of

[01:07:07] the

[01:07:07] DVD

[01:07:08] distribution

[01:07:09] we

[01:07:10] control

[01:07:10] the

[01:07:11] production

[01:07:11] we

[01:07:11] control

[01:07:12] the

[01:07:12] distribution

[01:07:12] we

[01:07:13] control

[01:07:13] the

[01:07:13] monetization

[01:07:15] the

[01:07:15] minute

[01:07:16] the

[01:07:16] DVD

[01:07:16] died

[01:07:18] all

[01:07:18] those

[01:07:19] people

[01:07:19] perished

[01:07:20] yeah

[01:07:20] because

[01:07:21] it's

[01:07:21] channel

[01:07:21] now

[01:07:22] distribution

[01:07:22] there

[01:07:25] you go

[01:07:26] so the

[01:07:27] Africans

[01:07:27] are not

[01:07:28] smart

[01:07:28] enough

[01:07:28] to come

[01:07:29] up with

[01:07:30] a different

[01:07:30] thing

[01:07:30] the

[01:07:31] Africans

[01:07:32] always

[01:07:32] wait

[01:07:32] for

[01:07:32] the

[01:07:33] white

[01:07:33] people

[01:07:33] to

[01:07:34] come

[01:07:34] up

[01:07:35] with

[01:07:35] something

[01:07:35] then

[01:07:36] they

[01:07:36] rush

[01:07:36] so

[01:07:37] all

[01:07:37] the

[01:07:37] movies

[01:07:38] now

[01:07:38] go

[01:07:38] to

[01:07:38] YouTube

[01:07:40] bottleneck

[01:07:41] for

[01:07:41] free

[01:07:42] yes

[01:07:43] they

[01:07:43] go

[01:07:43] to

[01:07:43] YouTube

[01:07:44] and

[01:07:44] if

[01:07:45] a

[01:07:46] million

[01:07:46] people

[01:07:46] watch

[01:07:47] your

[01:07:47] film

[01:07:47] on

[01:07:48] YouTube

[01:07:48] YouTube

[01:07:49] will pay

[01:07:50] you $100

[01:07:54] so now

[01:07:55] check this out

[01:07:57] the other ones

[01:07:58] who can raise

[01:07:59] a million

[01:07:59] people like

[01:08:01] people like

[01:08:02] we shot

[01:08:04] movies for

[01:08:04] a million

[01:08:05] dollars

[01:08:05] right

[01:08:06] when you

[01:08:07] shoot a

[01:08:08] movie

[01:08:08] Dr.

[01:08:08] Billow

[01:08:08] was a

[01:08:09] million

[01:08:09] dollars

[01:08:09] when you

[01:08:10] shoot

[01:08:10] with

[01:08:11] Hollywood

[01:08:11] actors

[01:08:12] and all

[01:08:12] that

[01:08:12] it becomes

[01:08:12] extremely

[01:08:13] expensive

[01:08:13] right

[01:08:14] so

[01:08:15] my

[01:08:16] intention

[01:08:17] of

[01:08:17] shooting

[01:08:18] Dr.

[01:08:19] Billow

[01:08:19] was to

[01:08:20] have

[01:08:21] mainstream

[01:08:22] American

[01:08:23] theatrical

[01:08:23] release

[01:08:24] which nobody

[01:08:25] has

[01:08:26] no

[01:08:26] African

[01:08:26] on the

[01:08:26] planet

[01:08:27] when I

[01:08:29] shot

[01:08:29] Dr.

[01:08:29] Billow

[01:08:30] what year

[01:08:30] was it

[01:08:31] I'm trying

[01:08:31] to see

[01:08:31] oh Dr.

[01:08:32] B.

[01:08:32] It was

[01:08:32] 2012

[01:08:34] Isaiah

[01:08:35] Washington

[01:08:36] Vivica

[01:08:37] Fox

[01:08:37] Jimmy

[01:08:38] Jean-Louis

[01:08:38] Genevieve

[01:08:39] Vinagy

[01:08:40] on and

[01:08:40] on

[01:08:40] superstars

[01:08:41] it was

[01:08:43] the first

[01:08:43] African

[01:08:44] film

[01:08:44] to be

[01:08:45] giving

[01:08:46] 20

[01:08:46] mainstream

[01:08:47] American

[01:08:47] cinemas

[01:08:48] by AMC

[01:08:49] the number

[01:08:51] one

[01:08:51] film

[01:08:51] on the

[01:08:52] planet

[01:08:53] they gave

[01:08:54] me that

[01:08:55] opportunity

[01:08:55] they asked

[01:08:56] me if my

[01:08:57] country

[01:08:57] understood

[01:08:58] the value

[01:08:59] because

[01:09:00] all we

[01:09:01] had to

[01:09:01] do

[01:09:02] was make

[01:09:02] 10 movies

[01:09:03] do 20

[01:09:04] million dollars

[01:09:05] that's 200

[01:09:06] million dollars

[01:09:06] we bring it

[01:09:07] to Nigeria

[01:09:08] we create

[01:09:09] our own

[01:09:09] channel

[01:09:09] and then

[01:09:10] guess what

[01:09:12] we fund

[01:09:12] the entire

[01:09:12] creative

[01:09:13] industry

[01:09:14] when I

[01:09:15] got in

[01:09:15] I came

[01:09:16] to Nigeria

[01:09:17] and begged

[01:09:17] and begged

[01:09:18] and begged

[01:09:18] for

[01:09:20] marketing

[01:09:20] points

[01:09:23] nobody

[01:09:23] gave

[01:09:23] me

[01:09:24] that

[01:09:24] died

[01:09:25] so

[01:09:27] that

[01:09:27] died

[01:09:28] like

[01:09:28] that

[01:09:30] now

[01:09:30] you

[01:09:31] have

[01:09:32] Nigerian

[01:09:33] filmmakers

[01:09:33] who

[01:09:34] are

[01:09:35] aspiring

[01:09:37] to have

[01:09:38] their movie

[01:09:38] in

[01:09:39] the

[01:09:40] Academy Awards

[01:09:41] which of course

[01:09:42] is not

[01:09:43] the real

[01:09:43] Academy Awards

[01:09:43] you're trying

[01:09:44] to get

[01:09:45] your movie

[01:09:45] into

[01:09:47] language

[01:09:48] the language

[01:09:49] side of it

[01:09:51] which is

[01:09:52] a slight

[01:09:54] way of

[01:09:57] accommodating

[01:09:57] people

[01:09:58] from other

[01:10:00] cultures

[01:10:00] and other

[01:10:01] countries

[01:10:01] you can't

[01:10:03] monetize it

[01:10:03] in zero

[01:10:04] so guess

[01:10:05] what

[01:10:05] the Nigerians

[01:10:06] now

[01:10:07] are preoccupied

[01:10:08] with that

[01:10:08] maybe the

[01:10:10] 20-25 people

[01:10:11] that are making

[01:10:11] movies

[01:10:11] or

[01:10:12] luckily

[01:10:13] for them

[01:10:15] one or two

[01:10:16] people

[01:10:16] invited

[01:10:17] Netflix

[01:10:17] to

[01:10:19] Nigeria

[01:10:20] I remember

[01:10:21] Kune Afolani

[01:10:22] was one of the

[01:10:23] first

[01:10:23] Moabudu

[01:10:24] was one of the

[01:10:24] first

[01:10:25] and Film

[01:10:26] One

[01:10:26] was one of

[01:10:26] the

[01:10:26] first

[01:10:27] okay

[01:10:28] Netflix

[01:10:29] raised

[01:10:30] 12 billion

[01:10:31] dollars

[01:10:33] to start

[01:10:34] that platform

[01:10:38] and then

[01:10:39] we make

[01:10:40] our movies

[01:10:40] they give

[01:10:41] us the

[01:10:41] standard

[01:10:42] we make

[01:10:42] the movies

[01:10:43] on the

[01:10:43] standard

[01:10:43] like the

[01:10:44] one I

[01:10:44] just made

[01:10:44] now

[01:10:44] which cost

[01:10:45] me

[01:10:45] about 200

[01:10:46] million

[01:10:46] about

[01:10:47] 150

[01:10:48] thousand

[01:10:48] dollars

[01:10:48] guess what

[01:10:49] then

[01:10:50] we put

[01:10:51] it on

[01:10:51] Netflix

[01:10:51] but that

[01:10:52] is not

[01:10:52] the solution

[01:10:54] that's

[01:10:54] the solution

[01:10:55] for 20

[01:10:55] people

[01:10:57] and their

[01:10:57] families

[01:10:58] what happens

[01:10:59] to the

[01:10:59] remaining

[01:10:59] 200

[01:11:00] million

[01:11:01] Nigerians

[01:11:03] and that

[01:11:03] is the

[01:11:03] answer

[01:11:04] I'm going

[01:11:04] to give

[01:11:05] you now

[01:11:05] okay

[01:11:06] with

[01:11:07] nobody

[01:11:07] has heard

[01:11:08] okay

[01:11:08] I've

[01:11:09] tried to

[01:11:09] discuss

[01:11:09] it

[01:11:10] with

[01:11:10] all

[01:11:10] the

[01:11:10] banks

[01:11:11] in

[01:11:11] Nigeria

[01:11:11] they

[01:11:12] do

[01:11:14] so

[01:11:14] this

[01:11:15] is

[01:11:15] it

[01:11:15] I

[01:11:15] asked

[01:11:15] you

[01:11:15] a

[01:11:36] the

[01:11:36] people

[01:11:38] the

[01:11:38] people

[01:11:38] who

[01:11:38] buy

[01:11:39] fancy

[01:11:40] cars

[01:11:40] and

[01:11:40] fancy

[01:11:41] house

[01:11:42] nobody

[01:11:43] is

[01:11:43] thinking

[01:11:43] about

[01:11:43] the

[01:11:44] whole

[01:11:44] so

[01:11:44] they

[01:11:44] are

[01:11:44] not

[01:11:45] going

[01:11:45] back

[01:11:46] into

[01:11:46] the

[01:11:46] community

[01:11:47] at all

[01:11:48] everybody

[01:11:49] just

[01:11:50] makes

[01:11:50] their own

[01:11:51] money

[01:11:51] and start

[01:11:51] shine

[01:11:52] with

[01:11:52] their

[01:11:52] Rolls Royce

[01:11:53] and everything

[01:11:53] the

[01:11:55] intelligence

[01:11:55] is still

[01:11:56] very

[01:11:56] elementary

[01:11:57] so

[01:11:59] guess

[01:11:59] what

[01:12:01] how

[01:12:02] much

[01:12:02] do

[01:12:03] Nigerians

[01:12:04] in

[01:12:04] diaspora

[01:12:05] send

[01:12:07] as

[01:12:07] remittances

[01:12:08] to

[01:12:09] Nigeria

[01:12:10] every year

[01:12:10] that's

[01:12:11] the

[01:12:11] second

[01:12:12] time

[01:12:13] that

[01:12:14] this

[01:12:15] will

[01:12:15] come up

[01:12:15] on

[01:12:16] this

[01:12:16] podcast

[01:12:17] that

[01:12:17] there's

[01:12:18] a

[01:12:18] huge

[01:12:19] amount

[01:12:19] of

[01:12:19] money

[01:12:21] coming

[01:12:22] from

[01:12:23] the

[01:12:23] diaspora

[01:12:23] back

[01:12:24] home

[01:12:26] about

[01:12:26] 27

[01:12:27] billion

[01:12:28] dollars

[01:12:28] a year

[01:12:29] my

[01:12:30] god

[01:12:30] we're

[01:12:32] number

[01:12:32] five

[01:12:32] in

[01:12:33] the

[01:12:33] whole

[01:12:33] world

[01:12:33] billion

[01:12:34] dollars

[01:12:35] go back

[01:12:36] to

[01:12:36] Nigeria

[01:12:36] from

[01:12:37] the

[01:12:37] diaspora

[01:12:40] the

[01:12:40] Nigerians

[01:12:41] are not

[01:12:42] too

[01:12:42] smart

[01:12:44] because

[01:12:45] everybody

[01:12:46] sends their

[01:12:46] money

[01:12:47] individually

[01:12:48] so we

[01:12:49] don't make

[01:12:49] a dime

[01:12:50] do you

[01:12:50] know how

[01:12:51] much

[01:12:51] the

[01:12:52] money

[01:12:55] transfer

[01:12:55] organization

[01:12:56] called

[01:12:57] IMTO

[01:12:57] the

[01:12:58] international

[01:12:58] money

[01:12:59] transfer

[01:12:59] organization

[01:13:00] like

[01:13:00] Western

[01:13:00] Union

[01:13:01] and so

[01:13:01] on

[01:13:01] do

[01:13:01] you

[01:13:01] know

[01:13:02] how

[01:13:07] the

[01:13:10] middle

[01:13:11] people

[01:13:12] they

[01:13:14] are

[01:13:15] performing

[01:13:16] a

[01:13:16] service

[01:13:16] they

[01:13:17] are

[01:13:18] doing

[01:13:18] their

[01:13:18] great

[01:13:19] have

[01:13:20] you

[01:13:20] ever

[01:13:20] gone

[01:13:20] to

[01:13:20] ask

[01:13:21] Western

[01:13:21] Union

[01:13:22] that

[01:13:23] you

[01:13:23] have

[01:13:23] a

[01:13:23] soccer

[01:13:24] or

[01:13:24] basketball

[01:13:24] team

[01:13:25] and

[01:13:25] you

[01:13:25] want

[01:13:25] to

[01:13:25] buy

[01:13:26] jerseys

[01:13:27] for

[01:13:27] the

[01:13:27] players

[01:13:27] you

[01:13:39] on

[01:13:40] the

[01:13:42] dumb

[01:13:42] Nigerians

[01:13:44] so

[01:13:45] guess

[01:13:45] what

[01:13:46] how

[01:13:46] come

[01:13:46] there's

[01:13:47] no

[01:13:47] Nigerian

[01:13:47] in

[01:13:47] that

[01:13:49] market

[01:13:49] we

[01:13:50] control

[01:13:51] the

[01:13:51] music

[01:13:51] we

[01:13:52] control

[01:13:52] the

[01:13:52] eyeballs

[01:13:53] we

[01:13:53] control

[01:13:53] the

[01:13:54] movies

[01:13:54] we

[01:13:54] control

[01:13:55] the

[01:13:55] fashion

[01:13:55] but

[01:13:56] we

[01:13:56] do

[01:13:57] not

[01:13:57] control

[01:13:57] the

[01:13:57] monetization

[01:13:58] because

[01:13:59] we

[01:13:59] think

[01:13:59] as

[01:14:00] individuals

[01:14:02] as

[01:14:03] individuals

[01:14:03] we

[01:14:04] die

[01:14:04] poor

[01:14:05] people

[01:14:06] who

[01:14:06] starve

[01:14:06] our

[01:14:07] country

[01:14:07] will

[01:14:07] become

[01:14:07] unstable

[01:14:08] and

[01:14:08] so

[01:14:08] on

[01:14:09] and

[01:14:09] so

[01:14:09] forth

[01:14:09] because

[01:14:11] we

[01:14:11] are

[01:14:11] not

[01:14:12] smart

[01:14:12] we

[01:14:14] are

[01:14:14] self

[01:14:14] centered

[01:14:15] and

[01:14:16] think

[01:14:16] about

[01:14:16] ourselves

[01:14:17] in

[01:14:17] love

[01:14:20] now

[01:14:21] the

[01:14:21] federal government

[01:14:22] of

[01:14:22] Nigeria

[01:14:22] just

[01:14:22] raised

[01:14:22] 613

[01:14:24] million

[01:14:25] US

[01:14:25] dollars

[01:14:26] for

[01:14:27] what

[01:14:29] 613

[01:14:29] US

[01:14:31] million

[01:14:32] dollars

[01:14:32] they

[01:14:33] said

[01:14:33] for

[01:14:33] the

[01:14:34] creative

[01:14:34] industry

[01:14:36] they

[01:14:37] having

[01:14:37] the

[01:14:37] meetings

[01:14:38] they

[01:14:39] getting

[01:14:39] themselves

[01:14:40] together

[01:14:40] the

[01:14:41] whole

[01:14:41] group

[01:14:41] that

[01:14:41] is

[01:14:41] meeting

[01:14:41] there

[01:14:41] is

[01:14:42] not

[01:14:42] a

[01:14:42] single

[01:14:42] filmmaker

[01:14:42] there

[01:14:43] there

[01:14:43] is

[01:14:43] not

[01:14:43] a

[01:14:43] single

[01:14:44] musician

[01:14:44] there

[01:14:47] so

[01:14:47] what

[01:14:47] do

[01:14:47] you

[01:14:47] think

[01:14:47] is

[01:14:47] going to

[01:14:48] happen

[01:14:48] by

[01:14:49] time

[01:14:49] they

[01:14:49] come up

[01:14:49] with

[01:14:49] the

[01:14:50] protocol

[01:14:51] it's

[01:14:51] going to

[01:14:52] be

[01:14:52] flow

[01:14:52] because

[01:14:53] there

[01:14:53] there

[01:14:53] nobody

[01:14:54] has

[01:14:54] gone

[01:14:54] through

[01:14:54] the

[01:14:55] system

[01:14:56] and

[01:14:57] taking

[01:14:58] money

[01:14:58] and

[01:14:59] executed

[01:15:00] it

[01:15:00] and

[01:15:00] knows

[01:15:01] the

[01:15:01] structure

[01:15:01] the

[01:15:02] only

[01:15:02] person

[01:15:02] that

[01:15:02] can

[01:15:02] know

[01:15:03] the

[01:15:03] structure

[01:15:03] are

[01:15:03] the

[01:15:03] people

[01:15:04] that

[01:15:04] are

[01:15:04] in

[01:15:04] the

[01:15:04] game

[01:15:05] themselves

[01:15:06] out

[01:15:07] but

[01:15:08] they

[01:15:08] are

[01:15:08] not

[01:15:08] invited

[01:15:08] in

[01:15:09] the

[01:15:09] gathering

[01:15:09] of

[01:15:09] the

[01:15:10] discussion

[01:15:10] long

[01:15:11] story

[01:15:11] short

[01:15:12] somebody

[01:15:13] has

[01:15:13] to

[01:15:13] get

[01:15:14] the

[01:15:14] IMTO

[01:15:14] license

[01:15:17] and

[01:15:17] that

[01:15:17] person

[01:15:17] the

[01:15:18] IMTO

[01:15:19] license

[01:15:19] used

[01:15:20] to

[01:15:20] be

[01:15:20] about

[01:15:20] 30

[01:15:20] million

[01:15:21] dollars

[01:15:21] but

[01:15:22] we

[01:15:22] have

[01:15:22] found

[01:15:22] a

[01:15:23] way

[01:15:23] to

[01:15:23] do

[01:15:23] it

[01:15:23] now

[01:15:34] and

[01:15:36] I

[01:15:36] it

[01:15:38] took

[01:15:39] me

[01:15:39] five

[01:15:40] years

[01:15:41] of

[01:15:42] begging

[01:15:42] everybody

[01:15:43] in

[01:15:43] Nigeria

[01:15:44] and

[01:15:45] nobody

[01:15:45] listening

[01:15:45] I

[01:15:47] know

[01:15:47] all

[01:15:47] the

[01:15:48] CEOs

[01:15:49] of

[01:15:49] all

[01:15:49] the

[01:15:49] banks

[01:15:51] for

[01:15:52] like

[01:15:52] seven

[01:15:52] years

[01:15:55] and

[01:15:56] none

[01:15:56] could

[01:15:57] even

[01:15:58] understand

[01:15:58] what

[01:15:59] I

[01:15:59] was

[01:15:59] saying

[01:16:00] so

[01:16:01] but

[01:16:01] now

[01:16:01] luckily

[01:16:02] we

[01:16:03] don't

[01:16:03] need

[01:16:03] that

[01:16:04] amount

[01:16:04] of

[01:16:04] money

[01:16:04] for

[01:16:05] the

[01:16:05] transfers

[01:16:06] and

[01:16:06] the

[01:16:07] bulk

[01:16:07] of

[01:16:07] the

[01:16:07] money

[01:16:07] comes

[01:16:09] from

[01:16:09] the

[01:16:09] US

[01:16:09] which

[01:16:09] is

[01:16:10] where

[01:16:10] I

[01:16:10] am

[01:16:10] and

[01:16:11] I

[01:16:11] know

[01:16:11] from

[01:16:12] the

[01:16:15] medical

[01:16:16] association

[01:16:16] medical

[01:16:17] doctors

[01:16:17] the

[01:16:18] nurses

[01:16:18] association

[01:16:18] I

[01:16:19] can

[01:16:19] go

[01:16:19] and

[01:16:19] eat

[01:16:19] pounded

[01:16:20] yam

[01:16:20] and

[01:16:20] in

[01:16:20] the

[01:16:21] house

[01:16:21] so

[01:16:25] we

[01:16:25] will

[01:16:25] launch

[01:16:26] that

[01:16:29] platform

[01:16:30] by

[01:16:31] March

[01:16:34] because

[01:16:34] we

[01:16:35] will

[01:16:35] now

[01:16:35] give

[01:16:35] out

[01:16:35] all

[01:16:36] the

[01:16:36] content

[01:16:36] for

[01:16:36] free

[01:16:38] all

[01:16:39] the

[01:16:39] movies

[01:16:40] all

[01:16:40] the

[01:16:41] music

[01:16:41] all

[01:16:41] the

[01:16:41] fashion

[01:16:42] free