Young Nigerians are inspiring, inventive, says UK-based film-maker

How did the story line for Aisha’s song come along? We wanted to make a film about an inspirational young woman from Kano, Aisha was exactly that. A girl who had faced hardship but had not sat down and accepted it and instead had worked hard to overcome her difficulties. We wanted the film to […]

How did the story line for Aisha’s song come along?
We wanted to make a film about an inspirational young woman from Kano, Aisha was exactly that. A girl who had faced hardship but had not sat down and accepted it and instead had worked hard to overcome her difficulties. We wanted the film to be used to show other young women that through hard work the sky is the limit with what can be achieve. In terms of making the film like a song, this was something creative that I was inspired to do after hearing the incredible sounds of Kano.
Radio Amina is another short film of yours. Tell us a little about it?
I have a lot of love for Radio Amina. It’s a short film about a young street hawker from Kano. In the film she is given an opportunity to broadcast a radio show to the rest of the country where she can say all of the things she wants to.
You came to Nigeria to shoot a movie in Kano. Tell us your experience about the crew’s stay in Kano?
In the run-up to the shooting there had been some incidents involving militants near Kano, so we were not entirely sure how the atmosphere would feel in the city or how open people would be to us. However, people could not have been friendlier and we all really enjoyed filming in the city. This was three years ago.
When the movie was released what kind of reaction did it get from people especially Nigerians?
The response to Radio Amina has always been very positive from people who’ve watched it. The film was primarily made for a local audience in Nigeria and we were all interested to see how it would be perceived. I don’t think many people in the country seriously think girls should not be given any opportunities, so it’s hard not to like the film’s message. In Nigeria, it’s not really a case of “let’s not educate women because they are women”’ (as it can be in other parts of the world), it’s more a case of allocating resources. When a family’s resources are scarce, they tend to prioritise sending their male children to school. The campaign the film fitted into was about trying to change these types of thought processes by showing that if women are given opportunities they can really make use of them and this will in fact benefit everyone…
Do you think the movie Aisha’s Song can help portray Niger in a positive light?
I would like to think that the film shows how brave, inspiring and inventive some of Nigeria’s young citizens are.
In your view have girls or women been given their rights in the society diligently?
Historically, women have always had a rough ride and still do in many parts of the world. I think our planet would be a better place if equality between the sexes was more widespread.
You tend to choose your themes from the North, any particular reason why?
Actually, I’ve made just as many films in the south of Nigeria as I have in the North. I find it quite incredible how different the North and the south of the country are, it’s this diversity that makes Nigeria such an exciting place to work.
Your movies aren’t just make-belief but are real life stories. How are the girls who were your major cast in the short movies faring. Do you still keep in touch with them?
The girls in the films sadly do not have internet access so it’s hard for me to stay in touch directly. However, we get reports from some of the local NGOs we worked with updating us on how Amina and Aisha are doing. Both of them were doing well the last time I had an update.
What is the perception of the Western world to these short movies about these girls? Has there been any call from anyone to reach out to these young girls?
These films were part of a campaign by the British Department for International Development and the Nike Foundation to firstly challenge stereotypes about young women in northern Nigeria – to show that when given opportunities young women could grasp them and use it to benefit not just themselves but wider society as well – and secondly to inspire young women as well. I think to date over £50 million has been invested in the programme, called GirlHub, in Northern Nigeria, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Your films have often focused on children dealing with the struggles of their surroundings, and raising their voices or opinions through the din. What experience(s) made you to focus on kids in tough situations?
I really find the way young people still manage to be full of hope and ambition in the most unbelievably harsh circumstances deeply humbling. About a year before making Radio Amina, I made a short film in Kabul about a skateboard school there and I was simply bowled over at how full of life children, who’d only grown up knowing conflict, could still be.
What do your films hope to achieve generally in the society?
I think most documentary filmmakers want to make films that ‘make a difference.’ I’m not naive and know that many of the films I make won’t actually go on to have any real impact but it is of course  wonderful when you get it right and your film is used in a way that leads to a small betterment of our world. That said; if my films just make someone smile or force people to view a situation differently then I’m happy too.
The Nigerian connection is one many have said did not do justice to Nigeria’s image. What do you have to say about that?
I think any film which portrays some negative sides to life in a particular country could be accused of not doing the country justice however I don’t think that is a good reason not to expose injustice where it exists. The film didn’t try to represent Nigeria as a whole, rather it aimed to show that in a specific part of the country there is a worrying trend of women being taken advantage of and trafficked to Europe.
You have a flair for striking and touching stories especially in Africa, to be precise Nigeria. Where do you get the motivation to do what you do notwithstanding the challenges?
I really love working in Nigeria and have made lots of films there over the years. It’s one of the most intense, colourful and energetic places in Africa. Nigerians are full of life and really nice people.
Of all your films which was the most challenging and why?
I’ve just spent the past two years working on a film about the amazing Virunga National Park in Eastern Congo. This has been by far the most challenging film project I’ve ever worked on as a new civil war started just as I began the project. You can see a trailer for this film here online.
Which of your films have fetched you an award you never want to forget in life?
We recently won an award for our film about the Virunga National Park which I am extremely proud of. I was humbled to see the brave works of the rangers of the Virunga National Park get recognised.