‘I was confident my movie script will win int’l award’

Abdulkareem Usman Dauda is a Nigerian Navy Petty Officer and official photographer of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas. Recently, he won the Calcutta International Cult Film (CICFF) award for his movie script, ‘Grandfather’s Address’. In 2011, his debut novel, ‘African Cowboys’, won the readers Favourite Award Contest for that year in […]

Abdulkareem Usman Dauda is a Nigerian Navy Petty Officer and official photographer of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas. Recently, he won the Calcutta International Cult Film (CICFF) award for his movie script, ‘Grandfather’s Address’. In 2011, his debut novel, ‘African Cowboys’, won the readers Favourite Award Contest for that year in the United States. Here, he talks about his latest award, the writing process, and more. Excerpts:

Congratulations on winning the Calcutta International Cult Film award for your movie script, ‘Grandfather’s Address’. How do you feel about your win?

Thanks so much. Honestly, I feel happy and fulfilled with this great achievement.

Were you expecting it?

Sure, I was very confident that the movie script will win an international award, and I’m still very optimistic about winning more awards for the script.

How did you learn about the award and what did it take to enter for it?

Calcutta International Cult Film Festival is a meeting point for film professionals all over the world. It’s well known to screenplay writers, movie directors and producers. So, I have known about it for long. You can enrol your movie script, music and film as long as it qualified for the contest. They have criteria for the contest where you can read through and find out if your project is qualified for the contest before submission.

Sometimes movies don’t do justice to the plot in a novel, or they are altered to suit what the sponsors like. What do you have to say about this?

‘Grandfather’s Address’ is a complete feature movie script, and the director will have the absolute right to alter, add or subtract anything he feels doesn’t fit. It’s not my duty to supervise the director over the shooting of the movie. Once the script is bought, he will have the total right to amend what he wishes to. I have done my own part and the script is for sale. Any interested producer can contact me. Although some producers would like to involve the writer as a consultant during the film production, it will be based on his discretion. Film producers from Nigeria can also contact me if they are interested. The award-winning script is up for sale.

The story centres around an ex-convict in Nigeria, who reunites with his former girlfriend, now a counter-terrorism expert, for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and they work to stop a bloody religious war orchestrated by a powerful politician. What inspired this plot direction and what level of research did it involve?

It’s an adventure story, a mix of fiction and fantasy. Writing fiction needs more of experience than research. The story deals with contemporary issues of corruption in Nigeria, where many politicians use religion as an impetus to solidify power. I wanted to show young Nigerians the need for perseverance and the importance of remaining resolute and focused on their dream.

What would you say was most challenging about the writing process?

Time was my greatest challenge. I don’t have much time for myself due to the nature of my work in the military. I leave home very early in the morning and return home in the late hours of the night. So, creating time for my hobby is really a very big challenge. Moreover, writing a movie script has laid down rules and ethics that you must abide by. One must use special software like Final Draft and the like to write a professional screenplay, which is very expensive. You can’t use Microsoft words to write a movie script.

How long did the writing process take and what was it like developing your major characters?

The project took eight years. I adapted the story from my unpublished novel. But the idea of writing the movie script grew last year, so it took me approximately six months to get the script done. Developing the characters didn’t give me any problem since the in the original story the characters had been created already.

This is not the first award you have won. Your debut novel, ‘African Cowboys’, won the 2011 readers Favourite Award Contest in the United States. How do you view the role awards play in the career of a writer, particularly a Nigerian one?

Winning an award is important. It encourages a writer and gives him confidence in what he’s doing. It’s validation for your work and gives you the confidence that your work can compete favourably anywhere in the world. Award-winning books undergo vigorous scrutiny and evaluation by professionals from the industry before they scale through. Competing and winning means your work stood out amongst many. It takes a lot to achieve that.

As the official photographer to the Chief of naval Staff, how did you turn out to also be a writer?

I’m a professional photojournalist trained by the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Nigerian Film Institute, all in Jos. That was where I learned how to write movie scripts and novels. Photojournalism and writing are interwoven, so I did scripting and directing in my course.

How are you able to take out time to write despite your busy schedule?

Creative writing is the most difficult aspect of writing. But if you have passion for something, you will create time for it. So, I have passion for writing and must create time for it.

If you are to choose between the Navy, photography and writing, which would you hold on to?

The Navy provided the platform for me to be a professional writer. So, I have to respect my profession despite whatever position I attain. Being in the Navy is a privilege, because it affords me the opportunity to travel around the country. There are only two states I haven’t visited. I know the Niger Delta like my village. It gives me the experience to write more. What I see that goes on in the society and also experience influences my writing. I don’t think I can choose any one. They are all special to me. Photojournalism is like being a writer because you tell stories through pictures. If you are not creative, you can’t capture pictures that tell stories. This also applies to writing.

 What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on another future award-winning novel, titled ‘Diary of a Peasant Child.’ The book is ready for publication and my editor has just finished the proofreading and has returned the final draft to me. I’m now searching for a publisher. I bet you that novel will definitely win an award in-sha-Allah.