Ace film-maker and multiple award-winning director cum producer, Teco Benson, in this E! Blitz interview with YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine’s ZEAL OBAZEI, inside his studio in Lekki, Lagos, opens up about his legacy, his family and his next big movie. ‘I am storming Africa’s cinemas with a big bang’, he says. Enjoy the rest of the story…
Congratulations! You are 15 years in marriage and still going strong? What is the secret?
Thank you! I can say God is the first secret and actually I started early. I give God the glory for the vibrancy, energy and happiness I share with my wife (Uju) and my family. Without God, we won’t be here, so He is the secret.
Why do you think marriages of today don’t last? Is there something they are not doing right?
Personally, before I got married, the number one thing I did was pray. I sat down and prayed and asked God to give me the right person because for every man there is a wife and for every woman God has a special husband. My wife is God’s choice for me. Some people make the mistake of marrying somebody else’s spouse and along the line get into problems. But for me, from inception, I committed it into the hands of God, no wonder when I met her, a voice in my mind told me that she was meant for me. She had all the qualities I admired and wanted and today we are happily married and blessed with five boys.
So, does any of the boys want to carry on their father’s legacy? Are you grooming any?
(Laughs) Actually, growing up myself, I have learnt to not force this kind of thing. If it will happen, it will happen. For example, I had a lot of plans as a little boy. I was fascinated with nature and life. First, I said I was going to be a pilot, so that I can fly so high and see the world. I wanted to travel the world and see the skies, the stars, the moon. Those things thrilled me. I got to a particular stage again and felt I was going to be a medical doctor and so I went on like that. I wanted to be a mechanical engineer, an artist and so on. There was so much wonder in my eyes and many things running through my mind. But my dad just looked at me. He did not force his own on me. He allowed me to develop my talent and interest on my own and choose what would make me happy. Eventually, I studied Public Health in Enugu, advanced on it and started working in the department. But today, I have settled on what I love the most, film production. I never really planned it to be here. It was a childhood fantasy. I gave it my best shot. Today, it is what gives me great satisfaction and a good sense of accomplishment. So, I will try and do what my dad did for me for my boys. No pressure! Just support!
Are they interested in what you do?
Yes! They are even very much involved. All my boys have acted in key movies I made and they have done so well.
What are their names?
Miracle, Chisom, Tochukwu, Kenechukwu and Kosi. My first son, Miracle, acted in a movie called Explosion in 2006 and he was nominated for the category of Best Kid Actor, AMAA. He was four years young at the time. My second boy, Chisom, too has done a little, but the big ones are not out yet. The rest have made appearances here and there. My last baby, Kosi, is among the cast of my new television series. But I cannot still authoritatively say they have decided to dedicate to the industry like me. They are only supporting daddy (Laughs). They are young and to them, it is just fun. If you sit them down and ask them what they want to do, you will hear different things. However, I cannot also say it will never happen. You never say never. They are young, indecisive still. My first boy, Miracle, said to me that he will still be a filmmaker later, no matter what he ends up doing. So, I said “Very well” (Laughs). I just have to wait and see. He has got the background. I have encouraged him. He can study something else if he likes; this one will always be here for him to fall back on anytime.
Which one of them is your greatest critic?
(Laughs) Funny enough, I listen to them. I care about what they think. My movies are not only for adults. They ought to appeal to young ones too. But they know daddy too is cool like them. They trust my skills.
Would you ever make an acting comeback?
I left acting in 1998. I was not leaving it to come back. Nevertheless, if situation demands it in future, well… If it becomes extremely necessary, then I will feature in my own film. I don’t want to mix acting with directing now because I have a lot on my hands.
Do you still remember your acting days?
Yes! It was after Living in Bondage. I became an actor and was constrained to do hundred percent because I was working. I was sharing my time, combining them. I enjoyed it as well.
How did you transit into film-making?
In 1996, I started producing movies. In 1997, I resigned officially since it became obvious to me that film-making was my calling. Instead of cheating my government employers and collecting salaries and yet not giving all of my devotion and mental faculties to the office, I quit. I could not commit a hundred percent because my mind was somewhere else. I had to take one of the most vital and crucial decisions of my life. Today, I am happy. It was a risk I took. It was scary at the time. I was gainfully employed on a salary and I was resigning to go into private practice without confirmation of where my next meal will come from. Moreover, there was not an industry at all, so to say. Not like today, where someone can study Film Production and know that once he is done, he will be gainfully employed in the film industry as a director, movie maker, behind the scene worker or even an actor. Unlike when I started, it was more difficult. But I had guts that I wasn’t going to starve because I had a positive outlook. I was following a passion. l made my first film. It was a huge commercial success. That was the turning point for me. I was excited. I was most convinced that filming was possible in Nigeria. People were excited too, seeing a film made in Nigeria, focusing on our fatherland, our people, our culture, the way we are. Then, with that, I knew I made the right decision in film production. While filming, I did my Master’s in Communication Studies and this is my 22nd year in the industry and I have no regrets!
Fans are patiently anticipating your next film, after your award-winning production, Accident, any scoop on what you are doing currently?
I am working on a television series called Fast Lane. I intend to finish it in March this year. It will start airing on Africa Magic Urban by March also. Immediately after this, I plan to do a very big cinema movie. I am still working on the concept. I decided to relax for some time, but now I am coming out with a serious bang. I am ready to raise a lot of dust and controversy on some topics. I have always liked to treat topical issues. I don’t like to scratch just the surface or just entertain. I love to make movies that educate, inform and entertain at the same time, leaving people with something to remember. A strong message! That is my essence. So, we are planning something in this regard that will storm Africa’s cinema with a big bang. With God on our side, it will also pull through and be a success. When we are done, YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine will be the first to report it.
How do you tell when you have a great script that might even win an award?
That is what we are working on now. The stage we are in life and in this industry, we can’t afford to do anything less than what we have done before. Everybody is looking forward to what our next job will be. Like you know, every actor and director is rated by his or her last movie; no matter what you have done before. If one released a terrible movie last, he will be judged as a terrible film-maker. Most people don’t really talk about the past and how you did it well before. They will talk about your current miss or hit. With that consciousness, we are trying to put it right. Beyond impressing the people, one has to be true to himself. We are growing and not going down. So, we are researching and we are discovering things. The end result will be very good. Fans can keep their fingers crossed because when it comes out, Accident, my last movie, might just be a child’s play. I always like to surpass what I have done before.
How does Teco Benson get his scripts?
First, it is through inspiration. You create. Sometimes, people sell ideas to you, you buy. So, I can buy ideas, I can create ideas. A lot of people come to me since I am a producer and they want me to buy their scripts, ideas and all that. Once in a while, I don’t want to turn everybody down, I listen to some people. If I see any script that interests me so much, I buy. Then, go back to develop it to fit my style because for every director, there is a style. So, I might be impressed with a script, but there is no way I will accept the style and format without my own modifications. That Teco Benson signature will have to be injected during the development stage. It will go through a lot of polish before it comes out. However, the foundation is that original story that I connected with. No matter the embellishment or polish, if a story is not first good, we cannot have a good work. If you build a house and the foundation is poor, the house will collapse. You can use special effects, sex, other stuff to sell a movie, but without a proper story, you have nothing. There will be disappointments. But when you have a good one, it will sell itself. It will be timeless. People still call me for movies I did more than a decade ago. Imagine that! They are competing with new movies in market. It is a key thing to become a reference point that academic scholars will come back to you for research. Like when I did Mission To Nowhere in 2007. It was a film that was even an experiment. That was a movie released universally. It was the first Nollywood movie that was showing not just in Africa, but worldwide, in places like London, Scotland, alongside foreign movies. Till today, people are still asking for it and watching it.
What makes a good movie director?
A good movie director must be a very good creative force. He must be an embodiment of creativity. It has to be inborn or he has to possess it somehow. Next, he must be able to sense and appreciate a good story because that is the foundation of everything. A director interprets the scripts and translates that script into the motion picture you watch as a film. Some people don’t have that creative imagination to know what the audience will like. A good director should be able to represent the audience. When he is reading a raw script, whatever that script does to him, he must trigger that same sensation in his audience. It is one of the major things that helps convince one about the intensity and strength of a script and thereby be moved to make a film. Moreover, a director should be a leader. Film-making is team work. He works with lots of people. It is not like music where one music star shines alone. With film, there are so many important people that make up the team. If one is not a good leader, he can’t be a good director. Above all, a director must be educated. If he does not have that education, he is going to crumble. He should have a lot of initiative, intelligence and wisdom. He will play the role of a father on set. The artistes will be like his children. He will mentor them, cut their excesses, tolerate them and make them better because they will reflect him. Some people don’t have the patience. Personally, I can relate because I acted before I became a director. I’m able to put myself in their shoes. Instead of publicly shattering an actor’s dignity and self-esteem, I sometimes whisper or at times talk to them privately. Then, the actor comes out more confident to play his part. But when you scream, belittle and yab, it can frustrate them. If a film turns out bad, the director will be to blame for it. Anything that is bad in a film, even the makeup, costume, blockage shots will be blamed on him. A good movie director controls the affairs of the cast from pre-production to production into post-production. When a movie is finished, a director still goes to the studio and makes sure it is edited very well. Some will delegate it to their proteges because they claim they have no time. But they run from shoot to shoot. The movie will come out a mess with bad reviews. Is the staff to blame? No! Thus, a good director should be a multi-talented person. He should know a bit about everything, whether it is lighting, cinematography, costume, everything basically. Without his idea about these things, many things will be going on wrong under his nose and he will have no clue. He must not overlook anything. At the end of the day, he will be able to even satisfy his investors and even triple their funds. All of these areas must be adhered to before one can say he is a good director.
Is that the edge Teco Benson has over the rest?
I guess (Laughs). I am a patient person. I pay a lot of attention to details. When I am working, if I don’t get it right, I can never go to sleep. I must get it right. I don’t compromise. That word compromise is not in my line. That is why sometimes when I am working, actors working under me might not be used to the exhaustive and thorough way I do it. Others can finish shooting a movie in one week and they are done. With me, it is a different ball game. If you want to work with me, you have to be ready to commit your time and give your best shot. They sign contracts with me. The minimum I engage is 3 weeks. If you feel you can work, you come. If you can’t, just tell me on time, then I find the right person to do it. I make it very clear from the onset. The challenge is that some people, despite the contract, will still want to frustrate you. What they don’t know is that they are killing their own careers. With life, it is what you sow, you reap. Again, there are directors that in just 1 year will direct 35 films and can’t even get any profit while people like us can just do one movie in 1 year and we are not bothered. So, what is happening? You should not work in vain like an elephant and reap like an ant. Like the Good Book says, why do you want to punch and you are punching the air? Quality is important. Each time directors make a less quality film, they are killing themselves. The more they stress themselves, the same time a lot of virtues are depleted. It is like they are using themselves improperly and turning themselves to ‘Tokunbo’ and getting older instead of remaining fresh in perspective and causing a buzz in the households of their audience. It does not make any sense. It will not favour them. We are the history books people will read tomorrow. Let them not hear that we did nothing, but the best and learn from us. If we are aware of this, then we will want to leave our names in the sands of time, so that when we are gone, there will be positive remarks and references, because we made a good name.
What do you look out for in an actor? What qualities appeal to you?
When you say somebody is a good actor, it is very clear, even to an uneducated person. If the market women watch a movie and someone performs well, they know. It is like when you are in church and the preacher preaches well, you know that he has preached well. In the same vein, If you have a bad preacher preach and he doesn’t deliver his speech well and messes up, everybody will know. Not to talk of educated directors that are well informed about the practice. We always know. That is why we do auditions and find potential ones, we select those that are outstanding in their performances and give them a shot. From good selection, you begin to narrow down to the roles you want them to play. But you see, for the established actors, I already know what they can do. I know their heights, their looks, age bracket and acting capabilities. So, it helps me if I want to select someone to play a mature father, mother, student, president, whomever. Then, if I want to work with them, I must first decide the particular one at the beginning of the project. It is the lead actor that will determine other actors in the picture. For instance, if I am using Genevieve Nnaji in my movie and the story requires I put her father and mother; he has to be dark-skinned or if he is not, her mother has to be. There must be a resemblance for it to look real. I can’t use two fair-skinned people as her parents. The same thing goes for Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde who is light-skinned. But you see, some people will have a black man and black woman play the role of parents and give them a half-caste actor as their son. It is unacceptable.
Do you go extra mile to find new talents?
Yes, I have done that a lot and I have discovered a lot of people. I have helped many who are new because I have that patience to groom them. I still give a lot of chance to new people. I pencil down a few. From these new ones, I even find exceptionally talented actors that are even better than some great names. They just need an opportunity to prove it.
Will you use Hollywood actors in future?
Well, I had the plans. Once upon a time in 2007, I planned to use Will Smith for a project I wanted to do. Then, after speaking with his manager, we ran away because he was giving us a bill of almost 20 million Dollars to play my lead actor. All our budget for the entire film was not even up to half of a million Dollars. I didn’t know how to rob a bank then (Laughs). So, it didn’t work. Now, the industry is developing to a stage where you can take a gamble like that. But let us not get confused. You cannot pick any white man on the streets of America and call him a Hollywood star. No!
Tell us, which of your movies did you enjoy making the most, that you would do over and over if you could?
Hmmm! Out of all my squad?
Yes! Your best movie experience till date?
Well, I have not retired yet (Laughs). I am still doing one currently. Fast Lane, my new television series, is kind of a new experience for me. I have never shot a series before. So, I am excited. There is that adrenalin rush. I must say I am really attached to this one that will be showing in March. There are loads of messages, stunning points and angles that touch deeply. It’s something I can’t wait for. I am anxious to see it playing so that I can get the feedback from the viewers. I want to know what the feeling will be like.
What is the most expensive film you ever had to make?
Mission To Nowhere. We spent a lot of money when I did Explosion too. The same goes for State Of Emergency. But Mission To Nowhere was really expensive.
What issues are still unresolved in Nollywood?
We still have issues with piracy, distribution and the structure of the industry. That is why there is no control. Nigerians know the meaning of series. But some persons will go and do films and instead of naming it part 1 and 2, will call it season 1 and 2. It is a disgrace and shame to the industry. He just wants to mislead people. He ought to be flogged. Sadly, nothing is done. There are some structures, but the issue is that they are along some ethnic and tribal lines. We have Hausa producers. They even call themselves Kannywood. They are separating themselves in the same country we live. We also have the Yoruba industry separate, with their own association. We have Igbo association, with their own separate name. Same with Akwa Ibom. English too is on its own. So is Edo language. But film ought to have one universal language. America is as big as a continent and they have just one Screen Actors Guild. While in this little Nigeria, because we want to have different kings and presidents that will be fighting in the newspaper, we now have different actors’ associations under every tribe. So, tell me, how can it have standard? But if we come together, irrespective of our tribe, language or ethnic group. If we come together as a film industry and unite and speak with one accord, we will be able to defeat anything, control our distribution that is defective and attract the attention of the government more seriously and even control some encroachment right now in the industry. If we don’t put our acts together, we may end up as spectators in the near future. Now that we have the opportunity is the only time for us to come together and unite because “divided we fall, united we stand.” We can never get it wrong by uniting. We will adhere to a proper code of ethics. We will be professional and use sanctions, if necessary. If you do a film and lie that it is season 1, you will be arrested, even sanctioned. If you do movies as an actor and you are paid and you leave the producer to go and do another movie, you will be arrested or jailed. If there are punishments, people will take this seriously and act like professionals, not charlatans or amateurs. They will take their profession seriously and respect one another. Imagine you are doing a film with an actor and he is arriving by 6pm when he is supposed to be there by 6am. The producer is paying hotel bills, spending money on the location for nothing because somebody is messing up the production. At the same time, some will do a movie and not pay the actors. They will even squander the money. Now, all of that is just horrible. They should all be disciplined professionals. So, these are things we need to put in place so that sanity will automatically come to play and we begin to self-regulate ourselves. We are not kids anymore. We know where we are coming from. What is key in Africa is that system that we have, that culture and tradition that sets us apart. The role we have to play as filmmakers, as change agents, is to bring back those systems we are losing gradually that make us unique. To outsiders, Africa is vast and regarded as a goldmine. We need to stay ahead so that we can be guaranteed of our future generations because if not, our kids are going to forget everything because there is no precedent. Our message can only come from our movies so that they see our essence.
Have you accomplished all that you ever wanted?
Ah! God forbid! I am just starting. An accomplished man is a man close to his grave. I am still a small boy (Laughs). Please, I don’t want to die before my time ooo.
At the end of the day, what gives you peace of mind?
It is God that gives peace of mind. There is no other person that can make your life meaningful. Knowing He supports me makes me happy. I am a simple person and unassuming, but I have a very deep understanding of life. I take life very easy because I know that we have a very limited time to play our parts. So, I am glad I can be used by God to do something, at least, in somebody’s life today with my time. I can do the best I can within the available space I have because time waits for no one.
How do you like to relax from a hard day’s work?
I spend time with my family. We chat, we watch movies together, both local and foreign. We check what is happening in the world. I call it relaxing too. I like to swim, but I have not swam in quite a long time now. I guess when one is swamped like I am, leisure time is limited.
Are you happy with where you are right now?
Yes! Of course, I am. I am a content person. Even if I am drinking garri, I am happy to be alive. Yes, I work hard, but I don’t stress and bother myself too much. For humans, there is still this insatiable lust and quest for money and it puts them in trouble. That is why you will see some presidents steal billions, even trillions and they die without ever finishing a quarter of it. Then, it is discovered and they are disgraced and reputed as thieves. Sometimes when you acquire those things, it is not a guarantee that your children will be better. Most of the children from poor families are the ones that get richer than them. The best legacy you can leave for your children is good training, guidance and most of all, good example that celebrates hard work.