By Tadeniawo Collins
Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen is a filmmaker who has been active in the Nigerian movie scene for 20yrs now and definitely needs no introduction.
His body of works, which includes films like The Soul That Sinneth (1999), Private Sin (2003), Enslaved (2004), Moment of Truth (2005), Games Men Play (2006), Yahoo Millionaire (2007), Sister’s Love (2008), Entanglement (2009), Home in Exile (2010), Bent Arrows (2010) and others, speaks volumes about his passion for the arts and penchant for quality.
In this exclusive chat with NET, Lancelot talks about his latest offering, Invasion 1897 and how he has been able to stay relevant in the movie industry for so long.
What was the inspiration behind your movie, The Invasion 1897?
I think the inspiration is basically about the fact that it’s high time we begin to tell very sensitive stories like this about ourselves as it connects to the world, but from our perspective. So, I’ve always told myself that as a Benin man from Edo State, Nigeria, West Africa; there are stories like this that resonate with us and the Western world that we need to tell but only from our perspective. That was the driving force behind the project.
The movie generated a lot of controversy and outcry upon its release. Was that the desired effect you wanted it to have?
Yes, of course from day 1 we set out to draw attention. This is a story of some warriors – the victor and the vanquished. The story before now had always been from the point of the victor, and nobody ever wanted to hear from the vanquished. The vanquished too as it were, were never bold enough to tell the story from their perspective.
What actually brought the war? How did we get here, and the consequent effects of being here? Nobody has ever really examined these facts, so that birthed my desire and attempt to tell this great story from our own point of view.
How long did it take you to put this project together, considering the immense research it would have required?
Well, before we ever started, Professor Ola Rotimi wrote Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, Ovonramwen was the name of the Oba at the time of the invasion that became global (Ngboisi actually means – ‘That became global’). He became the talk of the whole world.
Professor Ahmed Yerima wrote Trials of Oba Ovonramwen and several other writers have tried to narrate this story but no one has ever attempted to put it into motion picture. Maybe because of the sheer size or volume of work and capital it would require, but I know that as a filmmaker, the import and impact this story will have will fetch a lot more when it ‘filmically’ represented. This was what we attempted to do 100 years after the said Oba Ovonramwen passed away in Calabar. We visited his last known abode and the prison where he was kept in Calabar as it was the Headquarters of the then Southern Protectorate before the amalgamation in 1914 of what we now know as Nigeria.
So, indeed, we did a lot of research from our end basically. We knew the names and numbers of the British conquerors that came; what their aim was, why they wanted to take over Benin by all means and how they went about it. We knew the reaction of the people and what the British tagged then as the ‘Benin massacre’. We are refuting their claims now and saying that it was an invasion; there wouldn’t have been a massacre without an invasion, or what they now tag as the ‘Benin Expedition’.
So, how long did it take to shoot this movie, and how much did it cost you?
We’ll leave the cost of production; this movie took 4yrs to produce. I started in 2010, shot all through 2012 till 2013, and post-production started in late 2013 till July 2014. We started the exhibition as soon as the movie was ready.
Now, you embarke ond this project to expose, as you say, what many others would not dare talk about. Have there been any adverse effects or reactions towards you and your work from the side of the so-called ‘victors’?
Well, we attempted to premiere this movie right inside the British museum where the artifacts that were carted away during the invasion are kept till date. Of course, when we made this move there were reactions. We had not just made a movie about Oba Ovonramwen alone, but were also drawing a lot of attention to the art of bronze making which was a prerequisite for life to the Benin people. I’ve never advocated for the ones that were taken away to be returned, but I am asking that part of the economic benefits of these carted artifacts be returned to the people of Benin. If even a percentage of the accruing benefits and monetary gains for over 100yrs that these artifacts have been on display by the British government around the world is given back to the original craftsmen and owners of these works, there will be a massive boost in the lives of the Benin people and the economy of the State – even Nigeria as a whole. This has always been my own angle and argument. I’ve never agitated for return of the artifacts, but I want an agreement to be struck that will see a percentage of the economic gains of the display of these items returned. This is why I embarked upon this project hoping to reach out to the Federal and Edo State governments, well meaning Nigerians across the world and international organisations. A percentage of the monies that these artefacts have generated for over 100yrs should be given back to aid the further development of our people who made them originally.
So, during the premieres in London, Benin, Lagos and every other location, we’ve also had exhibitions of these bronze works by present day artists. Our cry is for these funds in order to safeguard and secure these craftsmen. And, to also reveal that though the British in 1897 carted away the artworks, the craft was not taken away. A young boy named Nosa, whose work we exhibited, was used to reconnect and show the world that the generations and lineage of these bronze casters still exist. If we get these funds from the British, it’s going to help in the development of this craft and the economic benefits are going to be felt by all. But, in terms of reactions, the British refused to endorse this project when they heard about our attempt to premiere it in London. This same film has been endorsed by the American government through the Smithsonian Institute; it was screened by the institute which is a major American institution for arts in Washington. The film was used to celebrate 50yrs of African arts inside the museum of African Arts in Washington D.C.
The British refused to endorse the film initially, but we still ended up premiering it right there inside the British Museum of Arts. Besides this, there hasn’t been any major confrontation or backlash. I’m an artist and I express myself. If anyone has any contrary opinion or view, they are free to state it. I’ve not contravened any international law by making this movie.
What were your expectations during the cinema release of this project?
Being human, we had our fears. But then, I consider the fact that everywhere this movies has shown, in terms of premiere and screening, the reaction has been massive. The private and personal analysis of the film has been quite encouraging. We’ve also not let any stones unturned in our attempt to put the word out so that people can know that the movie is now out and showing in cinemas across Nigeria and Ghana since December 5, 2014. We chose December for the release because it’s the period when the National Igue Festival is celebrated by the Benin people. This festival is very important to us, and was the cause of the war in the film.
How was the festival the cause of the war?
It was the cause of the conflict in the movie. The British visited during the course of the festival and tradition forbids that the Oba receive visitors at that time. They insisted on seeing the Oba and this led to the start of the conflict.
Considering the economic benefits this project portends for the country, have you received any support or acknowledgement from the Federal or Edo State government?
When we were going to start in 2010, we wrote the Edo State Government to inform them that we were about to embark on this gargantuan project with the aim of globalising arts and its related activities in Edo State to the whole world. We got a letter of commendation then and a promise of support from the government but nothing ever came. It was not until the movie came out that the Edo State Commissioner for Arts & Culture sent us a letter in November 2014 saying that the film has been adopted by the Edo State government and it will be formally presented to the government at the Edo State Festival of Arts & Culture.
But all well-meaning Edo people across the world have thrown their weight behind this project. It’s personal to them. They’re excited and emotional about this film, and we’re not expecting less from every other person that comes across the film. Support has been coming in and funding for this project has come primarily from Edo people all over the world since we started it. We have taken it beyond just the Edo people too as it speaks for all black people in the world; this is why we tagged it Invasion 1897: The deposition of the last king of Africa.
This project, as personal as it is for the Edo people, will not only benefit them but the entire country. Have you received anything in form of support from the Federal Government since you started this project?
Well, I will state this for the records: it is very sad that Nigeria is not a country where merit holds. The Minister of Arts, Culture & Tourism cannot claim to be ignorant of this project because several letters were sent to his office intimating them of this production and there has not been a single response. I even sent text messages to the minister because I know him personally. I have written to the Director General of Tourism Development Commission because a particular building was used in this movie that is 198yrs old today. It was built by the brother of the grandfather of the Oba Ovonramwen in 1802. Guardian Newspaper did a cover story on that building, stating that this is actually one of the benefits of filmmaking. But, as we speak, there has not been any official response to that letter.
The ship that Oba Ovonramwen was deported to Calabar with was built by us. We would have expected that they would actually take it and keep in a museum. We met with the Director General of the Nigerian Museums & Monuments in Washington; he was there when the American government through the Smithsonian Institute adopted this film to celebrate 50yrs of African arts inside the museum of African Arts in Washington D.C. I thought that he was going to reach out to me when we got back to Nigeria but he did not. So you see, sadly, Nigeria is all about who you know. And when you have a good work, you can’t stoop low to do certain things because your work in time will speak for you. I believe by God’s grace that this film with time will become a reference point for filmmaking in Nigeria and subsequently Africa as a whole.
You’ve been around in this industry for well over a decade. As a filmmaker, was this project more about the passion to reveal or was it profit driven?
Well, I’ll take my answer to that from an experience I had at a wedding I attended Benin recently. The M.C at the event, which a massive gathering of the biggest moguls and prominent individuals in this parts, acknowledged my presence and I was overwhelmed by the reception I got. The way people thronged to me to appreciate me and this project was so fulfilling. Sometimes it’s not just about money. Of course, we want to make back everything we invested and profits as well. But we also want to use this to restructure the entire Nollywood industry and teach people how things should go business-wise. It’s about pride, it’s about a renewal, it’s about the people, it’s about doing the right thing and it’s also about making a living because this project has opened gates and people have blessed me because of this work. A lot of people are passionate about this project and they’re willing to do even more for me.
How long exactly have you been in the movie industry?
The turn of 2015 makes it 20 yrs exactly as a filmmaker, and 34years as an artist.
Nollywood had not even been birthed as we know it now back then. What has been your driving force and why have you kept at it for this long?
Well, quite frankly, I think it’s just my nature; if the quality is not in it, then my name cannot be on it. I grew up having this penchant for quality, and I’ve always stated that whatever it is I choose to in life, I have to do it optimally. I do everything I do very passionately. If I had chosen to be a mechanic, I would have been a celebrated mechanic. Perfection is just my nature, and my consistency over the years is borne of this nature. I did not just become an artist by accident. It was a conscious, divine ordering and I’ve given my all to achieving my goals ever since.
So, for me, it’s more of a nature. I’m a critic of myself. As well lauded as The Invasion has been, I still sit down and criticize myself over things I now see I could have done better. The capacity to be the very best has never been in doubt in me. It’s always been my nature and I thank God for that.
What informed your choice of actors while casting for this movie?
Well, there are some works that you hold dear to your heart and you just want to keep to yourself. There’s a saying that you cannot tell who a man is through his physique or looks. For us, it was more about getting great actors that will hold people spell bound with their display like the late Justus Esiri, Segun Arinze, and others.