Why Nigerian films fail to compete globally – Sule Umar

Malam Sule Umar is a veteran film producer who recently bagged the Zuma Films Festival lifetime achievement award for his excellent contributions to Nigeria’s film industry. The US-trained filmmaker returned to Nigeria in 1980 and has done numerous films including a documentary on adult education in Kano State which was recognised by UNESCO in 1980. He was the director and producer of MAITATSINE, a feature film released in 1984. In this interview, he speaks on why Nigerian films fail to compete globally and how to tackle this challenge. 

Congratulations on receiving Zuma Films Lifetime Achievement Award, how did that make you feel?

It came as a surprise considering that I have been inactive in the film business. It was really an honour and I quite appreciate it that some people remembered me. The news of the award came as a surprise as well and I quite appreciate the gesture from the Nigeria Film Corporation. 

This award came despite being inactive, how does that make you feel about your impacts in the industry? 

What I meant by being inactive is that it is about one and a half years that I was partially involved in film training. People from the Nigeria Film Corporation approached me to be part of a training organised for Abuja indigenes. This was supposed to be a constituency project by a senator representing Abuja and he felt there are so many unemployed youths, and it might be helpful to them if they are trained in the film industry. So, the Nigeria Film Corporation asked me to be one of the trainers for the two weeks event.  We trained about 100 people; so that was the last involvement I had in the film business. 

In the production aspect, I will say the last time I did any work or documentary was about 10 years ago. But there have been several attempts. I was invited by the government at a time, to do a documentary on insecurity. We started preliminary work on that project but never got to execute it. 

I came back from the USA in 1980, did my NYSC, and that was when I did the documentary film that won the UNESCO award on adult education. 

After that, we did a feature film which was a major production as I brought crew from the US. At that time, films were shot on celluloid in which case you must take it to the laboratory. It’s been 15 to 20 years that I’ve done nothing. I won’t call it frustration as it’s what I wanted to do. I won’t rush production like what they do today. Again, I won’t blame them, technological advancement has transformed film production. 

What I noticed in Nigerians’ approach to production is that they are too quick. I slowed down and gradually became less interested, and then got busy with other aspects of life. While I appreciate and wish to be in the industry, I find myself not compatible with how production is on going in the industry. That’s why I’ve been redundant in that industry for some time. 

I don’t want to believe you were forced out of the industry due to the advent of technology?

Film works hand in hand with technology. During my training in the US, I did a small seminar at Universal Studio. Sometimes, a special camera is developed to shoot certain aspects of the film. This industry keeps up with technological advancement, especially how to make the production top breed or first class. I wasn’t shy, I’m expecting it, it’s just that the basics you can’t avoid. The last aspect of the postproduction has been cut by 60 to 70percent because there is no more laboratory work. Other aspects that took time before now, technology has advanced them, but you still need to do some pre-production work and it will still take you about the same time or more to implement it. 

The advancements are welcome, in fact to my surprise Nollywood now produces more movies than Bollywood which used to be the highest. Now, we are after quantity not quality. In Burkina Faso, they have the most prestigious African film festival called FESPACO which takes place every two years. The idea was for all African production, but then they expanded it to Africans in diaspora and now they are taking other international talents. I remember one year, Nigeria had the highest entry but 95 per cent of the entries were dropped because we didn’t meet the standards. Many of our productions today can’t compete with other African productions, because in Nigeria we don’t create time to produce quality. Anything quality takes time.  

If a production company wants to produce quality, that means everyday every minute someone is working on that project. If you want to produce quality and it takes a year to put it together, obviously you are going to find the budget is four times more than someone who does script to screen in two months. 

While not using this as an attempt to compromise quality, funding is a big challenge in the Nigeria film industry.

If I am running a production company that wants to churn out 10 movies this year, I will be doing one or two. For instance, rather than spend N50m on five movies, I will be thinking to produce one or two films because that’s just my nature. Also, I’m not quite sure, but I’m reading that a big chunk of the money goes to the actors, stars. Of course, in Hollywood, even the star makes a difference, but no star will participate if the storyline is appalling. 

instead of spending time to produce quality films, most companies forget that the whole world is their market not just Nigeria. If you have a fantastic music, people will buy it all over the world. Art is meant to be consumed; you don’t make it because you are making it for Nigerians. There is a story you are telling and the way you say that story will be appealing to mankind no matter where he is because the theme of that film is something they’ve experienced and want to see how Nigerians react to it. To get that market, there are certain standards. 

There are some products if you send abroad, there are guidelines to cross the threshold of the film they will show. People join the business without knowing the business. There are thousands of acting schools where they learn how to deliver but once an audition is done here in Nigeria, an actor is made. 

Do you watch Nigerian movies?

I can confess to you that I don’t see through. If I am watching a film, as a filmmaker, I try to appreciate the shooting, style, lighting, sound, these are things I enjoy. When I watch, I don’t concentrate on the story but on production. When I go halfway through, I’m done. There are some I can say I really enjoyed, I mean enjoyed the production more than the story, I can sit down to watch to the end but can’t tell you the story because I did not focus on the dialogue.

Taiwo Adeniyi & Aishah Saleeman