ANDY Amenechi, even before he won the award as THEMA Best Director years back, has always been good. He, however, rose to become one of the hottest and busiest directors immediately after the award. Day after day, week after week and even month after month, the bearded six footer who avoids talking about his family has been moving from one location to another. And the results are such beautiful movies as Narrow Escape, Oracle, Igodo, Time Bomb, Blood of the Orphan, Destroyers…
Days back, while getting ready for yet another job (Narrow Escape 2) at the ever-bubbling Ekoas Hotel in Surulere, Lagos, AZUH ARINZE bumped into the father of three and what transpired between them is served here for your reading pleasure. Enjoy…
What do you think we should know about Andy Amenechi?
You don start again o! Anyway, Andy Amenechi is a gentleman who is totally and irreversibly committed to improving productions in Nigeria. A family man who is committed to his family. I am over 40. I hail from lllah in Delta State. I attended St. Mary’s Private School, Lagos, St. Gregory’s College, also in Lagos, Federal Government College, Warri and the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
When did you finish and what did you study?
I finished in 1982. I read Mass Communication, but apart from that, I have also attended other courses both here and abroad; courses in advertising and marketing, advanced production. I was also at the T.V College in Jos, BBC, ITR, Ireland, etc., for different programmes at different times.
Tell us more about your family.
No! This interview is about me, not my family.
Let’s talk about the industry. How do you see it generally?
Basically, the industry has progressed to a point where we need to control it. It’s no more for any mechanic or washer man who decides that because he has the money, then he’s now a producer. No! We need to harmonise the structure of the industry in Nigeria. But first of all, we have to make a distinction between the industry and the film industry. The movie industry is divided into video, then films and celluloid. We need to put together an academy of arts that will comprise the representatives of the guilds of every facet of production. And each guild will now decide the pre-requisite qualification for the membership of its own guild. By so doing, we will now have a collective responsibility for the film and video industry.
This is because what we have now is a bombardment of different interest groups without the necessary creative and artistic control. Not where when one can hold a VHS camera, he becomes a cinematographer or director of photography (DOP). If each guild can determine and control its membership, then we can now have quality personnel.
Some producers and directors don’t seem too happy with the way marketers have been getting involved. What is your own reaction to that?
It’s the bottomline of what I am saying. A butcher, mechanic or electronics dealer can now say or decide he wants to be a producer and that’s that.
We understand that, that is why Amaka Igwe, Mahmood Ali-Balogun and co just formed a new association to look into that. They even had a march not too long ago?
(Cuts in) Which association are you talking about?
We can’t remember the name again, but we think it involves a lot of people in the industry?
I am a member of Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Guild of Movie Directors (GMD) and my company has applied to be a member of ITPAN. I keep telling people that the association they are talking about is just a steering committee borne out of the informed meeting that took place after the MNET New Directions’ press conference. As far as I’m concerned, there is no association so called.
There is an obvious drop in the sales of movies. What in your own view is the cause?
Who says movies no longer sell? Do you know how many copies Igodo has sold? The question should be why did Igodo sell this much and not why movies no longer sell.
Okay. Why did Igodo sell?
(Ehen!) Ask O. J. (that is Ojiofor Ezeanyaeche, the producer). But in all seriousness, Igodo was a movie ahead of its time in terms of concept and content. How many effects were in Igodo? Igodo has just four or five, but because we had a good story that was well told and shot, Igodo is now a pace setter.
Everybody is now following suit by talking about epics and shooting something like that.
The quality of most movies in the market today are nothing to write home about. What, as a director, do you think could be done to save the situation?
I agree. That’s why we say many are called but few are chosen.
Apart from that, what else do you think is the way forward?
Once we can organize ourselves into guilds and there is criteria for membership, then every new story to be churned out by us will get better and better.
You have been very busy. And we learnt you just finished another movie. Mind sharing the experience with us?
Yes. I just finished a movie, Heart of Gold. A family-oriented socially responsible movie, a movie that gives hope and aspiration.
Who and who featured in
Saint Obi, Stella Damasus, Edith Azu, Justus Esiri, Bukky Ajayi, etc.
Where was the movie shot?
It was shot throughout Lagos.
How can you describe the movie?
It was the most professional movie that I have ever done so far. It took more than six months of research and 21 days of shooting to complete. It has just been released.
How is it doing in the market?
Ask OJ. But from what I heard, it’s the most accepted of all the movies released alongside it.
Do you think you can still shoot any movie that can surpass Mortal Inheritance in terms of relevance, acceptance, etc?
Every movie coming out of Silverscreen must have a thematic relevance. Silverscreen is synonymous with movies of societal awareness and uplift. Heart of Gold will give the disabled hope. In fact, its main ingredient is that no matter what you do or what your situation is, there is always hope for you. And with that, I believe it will do better than Mortal Inheritance.
How do you view life as a director?
I tend to feel fulfilled that most of the jobs that I have done have been best sellers and award winners. And I know that with all the deficiencies we have in terms of production, we can still do better.
What advice do you have for upcoming directors, especially those who look up to you?
They should be able to crawl before they walk and walk before they run and run before they fly.
What can make you quit the industry?
I will quit if the industry cannot be controlled. It is a collective thing. And once I do that, I will retire into consultancy. I want to retire as a consultant.