I direct while editing film in my head – Paul Apel Papel

Weekend Magazine: You directed ‘The Little Devil’, a movie to be released in July. What was the experience like? Paul Apel Papel: Directing ‘The Little Devil’ has been a very unique experience. It’s a story that’s gospel-like with all the elements of entertainment that makes it very interesting. It was also wonderful working with those […]

Weekend Magazine: You directed ‘The Little Devil’, a movie to be released in July. What was the experience like?

Paul Apel Papel: Directing ‘The Little Devil’ has been a very unique experience. It’s a story that’s gospel-like with all the elements of entertainment that makes it very interesting. It was also wonderful working with those selected for its making. The producer did a great job and casted before we even came on board. I was impressed with it because everything fit. It’s the story of a humble husband and wife who had challenges and almost fell apart, before getting back together.

WM: What was your first reaction to the script and what drew you to it?

Papel: From the title, I thought the movie had a narrow audience. But after reading through, I didn’t see it that way because the story is addressing the daily challenges we have all round. The movie makes you understand that despite being close to God, the almighty still allows life’s challenges come your way. We saw a family that prayed together and believed God, yet faced certain challenges. So it got beyond being spiritual and got very practical. It has a lot of elements I faced growing up as a young man having a family. You have challenges and yet have to hold unto God to see you through, despite how big they seem. In the end the challenges become very little. So from personal experience, I have learnt to look beyond those challenges, knowing that it’s just the effort of ‘the little devil’. I loved it because it was very different from the stories I have been making for some time.

WM: With the experience you have had, what would you say is the criteria for an excellent movie script?

Papel: ‘The little Devil’ has all those elements. You have someone who has a goal, a happy family, and then faces a major obstacle just when he thinks everything is perfect. Everything just turned around. God was testing the central character who was a child of purpose right from birth.  I saw all the elements where the woman, who was the man’s strength, gave in at the peak of their challenge. There’s the element of surprise. Also, when humanity plays in was when the man couldn’t understand that his wife went out and came back clean with money they needed. He became a human who would judge. 

WM: What would you describe as your major challenge directing?

Papel: Challenges in film production, generally, is funding and time. If the producers have a lot of money, you could spend a lot of time doing the same thing. So everyone had to sacrifice in one way or the other. Time is a problem in Nollywood. The advantage we had in this movie (‘The Little Devil’) however is chemistry amongst us, so we did not need much time. 

WM: You are arguably one of Abuja’s biggest film directors. How did directing begin for you?

Papel: Directing for me began with my second film. I didn’t direct the first, titled ‘The Bond’, in 2007. I wrote the story and had all the pictures in my mind, but I just felt a director has a different touch and had to hire. I wasn’t satisfied with my first director and had to let him go. I got a second director and after the production, I edited the film. When I was planning for my second film, I wrote the story, did the story board, met Izuchukwu who directed ’76 and told him I was looking for a director. When I showed him my story board, he said “you have directed your film.” I said “how?” and he said “with everything you have done you just need to call the shots. Just get the right people, your light, sound and everything is done.” In my second film, which was ‘90 Ninth Day’, my major characters were Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey and Bimbo Akintola, and I also acted in the film. That was how I directed the movie and my career in that area began.

Basically in the entertainment industry, I started acting first in ‘Tales by Moonlight’ in NTA way back in the ‘90s. Then I became Production Assistant, Production Manager and learnt how to edit within the NTA system. I started editing and worked in an Abuja studio for some time. But I had love for film. I also worked on some film set in Lagos. I started buying equipment and preparing myself for film production when I moved back to Abuja. 

WM: You are an actor, producer, director, editor and scriptwriter. How do you juggle these?

Papel: It’s easy for me to be all these because they happen at a given time. I write, so there’s time for writing, when I am done with that I raise funds and with the support of my wife we produce. Most times my wife has to look after the office and I travel to negotiate for the films. But she also produces alongside me and does more of that when I am making the film. Then for directing, when I am on set I can call the shots and still act. Also I love to edit, because I did wedding coverage back in the day, I know how to use the camera. I studied cinematography online, won several awards even before I went to Colorado Film School in the United States. I love editing the most. I like it when things come together and I tell a story. I edit in my head. Sometimes if I am directing and know that I am going to edit, I know the shots that would be unnecessary. I also love acting and have acted for free. My father was a thespian, but I would say I am just a gifted child. 

WM: Your wife is also an actress. What is it like being a couple in the entertainment world?

Papel: It’s been my dream. I’m blessed; God loves me with all my misgivings. I almost married a girl who studied Mass Communication because of this dream. I married a woman who had no idea about film production, but she likes supporting me and delved into it and does it well. Today my children love the arts and have acted with us a couple of times, in ‘The Bond’ and ‘90 Nine Days’. All of them can use the camera. My son even covered the making of a film and edited it. 

WM: What do you do when you are not acting or directing a movie?

Papel: Whenever my kids are on break, we bond watching films and riding bicycles. Now that they are in boarding school, I and my wife spend much time together. I knew her since she was fourteen and I was eighteen.