Mak ’Kusare: ‘Nollywood can be saved if…’

Frequently described as ‘Nollywood’s last hope’, ‘Kusare immediately shrugs that title off, shaking his head. “No, no, no…Nollywood doesn’t need saving. It needs education,” he said. “It’s amazing that bad movies like the ones that are made here in this country are made at all, what with the amazing educational institutions we have, where potential […]

Frequently described as ‘Nollywood’s last hope’, ‘Kusare immediately shrugs that title off, shaking his head. “No, no, no…Nollywood doesn’t need saving. It needs education,” he said. “It’s amazing that bad movies like the ones that are made here in this country are made at all, what with the amazing educational institutions we have, where potential filmmakers can go and hone their craft,” ‘Kusare said, not-too-subtly tipping his hat to his alma-mater, the Nigerian Film Institute, adoringly called ‘NFI’ by its graduates. The following, are excerpts from the interview:

Weekend Magazine: What have you been working on for the past two years, basically after BBC’s hit Wetin Dey series?

Mak ‘Kusare: Really? Is it two years already? How time flies. Since BBC it was tough for me trying to make up my mind on what I should do next, putting into consideration the dynamics of the industry I am in from all angles. Any way you want to look at it, operating within the Nigeria film industry is like going hiking.

However, I was lucky because as I struggled to make up my mind on the next move, BBC, of course, had created a standard and you only want to get better in life, so the challenge was overwhelming.

Then, also, I had an opportunity to make a film with a group of young, adventurous producers who wanted something different from regular Nollywood and so I pitched the idea of an ‘art house’ movie and that’s how ‘Comrade’—my latest film—was born. We made the movie in Lagos, using a Lagos Crew, actors and I used the opportunity to test the waters over there, shooting in the same conditions as Nollywood filmmakers. We shot the whole feature film in within six days.

It was a grueling experience. The set was not fully built by the time we started shooting, so the set construction team had to work overnight in shifts while shooting was in progress. The props master I heard had worked in that capacity in a trillion Nollywood movies but he couldn’t get me props when they where needed, to the extent that we had to move scenes forward because of a lack of necessary props.

After that film, I made up my mind to remain in Lagos.

Lagos is good for business, so I was told and so I have discovered. So, I have started my own small production company which has most of the most talented and creatively hungry — and angry — hands in the industry. Since leaving BBC’s Wetin Dey, I shot a drama called ‘Sara’s Choice,’ still for BBC.

Oh, and I just got engaged yesterday, to tie the know proper sometime in October this year. She’s beautiful, smart and loves movies. What more could I ask for?

My eyes are still set on film and consequently, I am working right now on two major films to be shot in late September and the other, early next year. I am also working on a couple of TV series and my phone has not stopped ringing. I keep getting offers, so I’d be an ingrate to complain, really.

WM: Your films have generally been favourites with critics. Have you thought of completely going into mainstream Nollywood, since your movies are basically art-house-ish works?

‘Kusare: I don’t consider my films art house per se. In fact, I have reason to believe that they are actually more commercial than a regular Nollywood movie, which are quite frankly fashioned after cheap telenovelas. I make movies. I make cinema. I stir emotions, I engage my audience intellectually. My audience can identify with my characters and the situation these characters find themselves in. It is not abstract, it is no fantasy. My stories are about real people, in a real world. But I am happy for the reviews I get from critics, I appreciate the fact that they appreciate my work.

Mainstream is a natural progression, it will come. However, I’m already involved in television, which is mainstream.

WM: But you are also notoriously candid about Nollywood’s shortcomings. Presently, is there reason to smile, based on what’s being churned out in the industry?

‘Kusare: It is not yet Uhuru. I heard on CNN just the other day that Nollywood now ranks number two. That is reason enough to smile but it has not translated to the living standards of the practitioners because we still need to get distribution right, we still need to cultivate the right attitude to work, we still need to develop high production values, we still need to see the world as our market and hence make films that are globally competitive. We still have not arrived. There is more work to be done on the quality of our films, in terms of content and technique.  And by technique, I don’t mean fancy camera movement — I mean the entire form and structure.

It is clear that Nollywood still hasn’t understood how to tell stories with the medium. I have seen recent films and I don’t see personal voices or visions, if you like, from the directors of these films. I have not seen constructive storytelling showing off a director’s appreciation of film grammar/language. I am yet to be impressed or challenged. Nollywood has not given me a challenge.