Oyetayo Raymond Ojoade is a content creator, filmmaker and lecturer in film studies. In this interview, he advises that the Nigerian film industry should concentrate on predictions to advance the industry, amongst other issues.
How did your filmmaking career begin and what is your motivation?
I started off as a graphic artist in Nigeria. I used to draw and paint portraits to earn some money as a teenager. The skill further advanced into motion and computer graphics in Lagos before I left the shores of Nigeria in the early 2000s and settled in the Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago where I was introduced to filmmaking. Since then, I have created a niche in documentary filmmaking. I look for thought provoking themes that attracts attention and I create films based on my findings.
You have directed and produced many films and documentaries. Tell us briefly about them?
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Originally, I look for thought provoking themes and create a film based on my findings. Growing up in Nigeria, I did not see any stray dogs roaming the streets. The dogs were either guard dogs, pets or eaten by different tribes. With my relocation to Trinidad, I saw an abundance of stray dogs to my amazement. I was moved to work on a documentary that I titled “Who Let the Dogs Out”, because it was appalling to see dead dogs on the road every single day. Another culture which shocked me was the way girls as young as eight years and grandmothers in their old age dress exposing their bodies in public. In Nigeria, the women are more conservative and dress more moderately. I was moved to work on a feature documentary that I named “Bottom in De Road”. There is an annual carnival festival in Trinidad, where over the years has become more of a spectacle than an historical event.
I worked on another feature documentary that my wife named “The Madonna Murti”. This is about a black female statue that is housed in a Catholic Church in Trinidad. People of all religions – Christians, Muslims, Shouter Baptist, Orisha, Hindus, etc. go to the statue to pray whenever they have a deep desire to obtain something personal in their lives. Most of the time, women who have the desire to give birth and cannot, come to the statue with gifts of gold and money. They pray fervently to the statue and most of the time their prayers are answered.
My most recent documentaries are based on the ongoing issue of abuse against men and women. I have witnessed a lot of abuse of women by men in Trinidad but the shocking thing is that men are also abused by women. Because of the pride and ego that men have, they are ashamed of reporting the problem to the police because the people in authority who are supposed to help end up ridiculing the male victims and sending them back home; telling them to deal with it.
Your father, Professor Jabez Olowo Ojoade, is a professor of African folklore. To what extent did he influence your filmmaking career?
My father being a professor of African Folklore explores different ways of enlightening his students by his research. He taught me how to inspire my audience by producing thought provoking documentaries that are very different from the day-to-day documentaries that you watch on local and foreign television.
Being half Nigerian and half Trinidad, how will you compare the filmmaking environment of both countries?
As a filmmaker, I try to compare the similarities and differences between both nations in my films. The annual carnival festival in Trinidad can be compared to the traditional African festivals. The traditional African religions like Orisha and Shouter Baptist in Trinidad are connected to the traditional religions in Africa and they are yearning for more knowledge and awareness from Africa, just to mention a few.
How will you describe the kinds of films you do in Trinidad?
The kinds of films I do are in alignment with the vision statement of my company, which is to help eradicate social injustice, promote equality and foster cultural cohesion.
However, my plan is to relocate to Nigeria for a while to reintegrate myself back into the way of life, especially the filmmaking scene and see how I can make myself relevant to the nation with my filmmaking career.
As a lecturer in film, I can teach the young ones who are interested in becoming film makers basics in filmmaking. I can also share my knowledge on photography and give a few tricks of the trade to whoever is willing to pay and learn.
You are currently in Nigeria and your films on abuse were recently screened at the 6th Kaduna Film Festival. Tell us how your films got selected?
My younger brother is my inspiration. He was the one that told me to start sending my films to the diaspora, especially African film festivals. I was reluctant but when my films on abuse was rejected in Trinidad, I was upset and sent them to film festivals around the world, especially Nigeria, and to my surprise Enugu State accepted to screen my films and I was even more surprised to win “Best Documentary” award.
I was then compelled to send my films to more Nigerian film festivals, including the 6th Kaduna international film festival where I hear that both films have been nominated but I have no clue what the nominations are yet.
How long does it take you to complete a film or documentary?
It can take from one month to a few years to complete a documentary. I have realized now that the longer it takes, the better the outcome. For instance, it took me three years to complete “Bottom in De Road” and the result was amazing. But sadly, I have not made back the money I spent in producing it.
What is your most fascinating aspect of filmmaking?
The finished product. When I sit in a film festival and watch the faces of the audience as they see what I created and they applaud me at the end of it, I feel fulfilled and proud to be a filmmaker. That’s when I feel that all the hard work has paid off.
What are the challenges you face in the course of filmmaking?
The main and only challenge I face is the financial part of the filmmaking process. Till date, I have not gotten any grant or monetary funding to support my filmmaking career. All the money comes from my pocket or the generosity of my wife. So, I need to get more accessible avenues of obtaining film grants, and I am trying to tap into easy monetary funding to do more thought-provoking films.
Are you currently working on other films?
Presently, research is taking place in the form of gathering evidence, but I’m also working on my personal repositioning so I can situate myself where I can generate income to sustain my film industry.
What, in your opinion, is the problem with filmmaking in Nigeria?
Nigeria has good films, but unlike Hollywood, they need to make films about future predictions and not historical past. They need to look at the society, study it and see where it is heading and make films with future predictions. This will project the film industry more.
Hollywood would do films about us and use their own people to act it and give the impression to our children and grandchildren that this history belongs to them. It’s time we claim what belongs to us, even in filmmaking. Again, filmmaking in Nigeria has become a money-making venture. Everyone is trying to see how many films they can produce overnight. They are neglecting the importance behind the filmmaking process. By this I mean a good script, an interesting storyline, good three-point lighting, good sound quality etc.
What is your advice to aspiring filmmakers?
My advice to young aspiring filmmakers is to go with your dreams. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If filmmaking is your passion, do whatever it takes to reach for higher grounds. Don’t wait for anyone to tell you what to do. Go out and research on your own.