ordinary girls in the movie industry. The sexy, and industrious sisters
have proved their mettle through determination and diligence. Over the
years, they have proven that hardwork pays and not fraternizing with
producers and directors make stars. Today, they can stand tall among
their peers and colleagues in the industry.
With theircreativity, they have also joined the league of movie producers and
production managers. Based in Enugu, where they are spreading their
tentacles in movie production amidst financial constraints, the
graduates of Mass Communication and Business Administration respectively
are owners of Greenville production company. They set up the company to
make their dreams a reality and to effectively manage their
investments. They told us recently about their new movie, how their
father’s death shaped their lives and their marriage plans. Excerpts:.
Aboutour new film ‘Ujuaku, the tigress’
The movie is about a man whomarried two wives, and was maltreating one of them because she didn’t
give him a male child. The second wife is wicked and heartless as she
tries to disrupt the peace at home. She hated the first wife with a
passion and turned her children against her and her husband as well. The
movie is an eye opener on polygamy and its attendant effects, it will
educate women on how to handle marital crisis without involving their
children because it could be disastrous. The movie is also about the
test of love because the polygamous man tested his wives to know who
loved him more.
The story line
The inspiration for the moviestemmed from various experiences of married women when there is crisis
in the home. A woman we know recently left her husband with her
children, which will in the long run have psychological effects on them.
A lot of women are not happy in their marriages and some of them even
die in the process.
Lessons for viewers
We wish to instructindividuals on the dangers of polygamy and stick to one man, one wife
rule. In addition, we hope to teach families how to wade through the
crisis of life with relative ease. Women in particular have to learn to
stick to their husbands no matter how bad the situation at home is, no
condition is permanent. The virtue of patience and endurance comes to
fore in Ujuaku the tigress.
Making impact with the movie inNigeria
Yes. Nigerians believe in what they see than what they hear.The movie addresses salient issues affecting families and individuals
making wrong choices, thereby educating them on being responsible for
their actions.
The cost of producing Ujuaku the tigress
Itcosts a lot but we will not reveal the exact amount because we have
sponsors. The cost of producing a movie is not a child’s play. We are
sure that we will reap our financial rewards despite the rate of piracy
in Nigeria.
Venturing into movie production
This is not thefirst movie we produced. We have been doing that, but we want to make
noise with this one because of its message. W
e will also marketit ourselves under our company Greenville Productions, unlike our
previous movies which we sold the right to marketers to market them for
us. We hope to meet and discuss issues with different marketers on
quantities they wish to distribute as well areas they wish to market
them.
Our Nollywood journey
We joined Nollywood in 2004.Since then, God has been faithful to us and we are doing well. We are
contented with the progress we have made so far, because a journey of a
thousand miles begins with a step. We may not be where we want to be,
but we will get there with God on our side. Life is a process and for
one to excel, that process has to be followed. We believe that patience,
hard work, tolerance, being yourself and having a friendly disposition
will help us get to the top.
Assessing Nollywood
It is acontinous journey in search of perfection. Nollywood is growing,
technically, and in terms of delivery by the actors and actresses.
MovingNollywood forward
Practitioners have to sit down and map outstrategies on how to improve the industry. The quality of movies have to
be more creative, original and impactful. There has to creative rivalry
which is healthy for the success of the industry. Seminars and
conferences where movie practitioners would be taught the rudiments of
film making as well as bringing in experts from developed countries to
rub minds with them on how to be the best movie makers in the world is
equally important.
Lack of moral values in youths
This can beattributed to the fall in the standard of family values. Parents have
failed in their duties to bring up their children properly thereby
giving rise to social vices and criminal tendencies. At times, parents
lie in the presence of their children and expect them to be truthful
always, it does not work that way. Children are taught by what they see
and not what they hear.
Parents no longer provide an atmosphereof dialogue or discussion with their kids, they are left on their own.
They have also failed in being role models for their children as they
are no longer the source of strength for them. Mothers especially are
guilty in discipliningtheir children whenever they go wrong, they wait
for their husbands to do that, it is wrong. Correct a child anytime it
is necessary and tell him or her why you are being strict.
Ourcareer dreams
There are many plans in the offing which will have tobe a secret for now so that it would remain original. When the time is
right, we will unveil them to Nigerians, we are just starting as movie
producers. We hope to achieve more in our acting and producing careers.
We have not arrived yet as this is a starting point for us.
Aboutus
Growing up, we were taught to be independent and that made usstrong and determined to take our destinies into our hands. We decided
not to look for white collar jobs, but work independently, that also
propelled us to go into acting. We studied Business Administration and
Mass Communications respectively so as to make a good team working
together as actresses and producers.
How we react to criticisms
Webelieve in constructive and not destructive criticisms. Our movies are
first criticized by our friends because we give room for improvement in
everything we do. We are always happy to be corrected but not in a
damaging way. We love criticisms.
Childhood memories
It wassweet and wonderful because our father loved us to bits. He would always
take us to the market to buy clothes and insists on getting the same
clothes and designs for us. If for any reason we don’t get the same
clothes, we leave the market and return another day.
We alsoplayed a lot of pranks with him because he couldn’t differentiate us
until he died. After his death, a lot happened that left us bankrupt .
We started afresh in life to the extent that we started hawking akara
and bread, pure water and mango. We were happy doing that because we
knew that it won’t last as no condition is permanent and because we know
that our future is bright.
On marriage
We want to getmarried same day. We would like to marry twin brothers but God
determines what is best for us because His ways are higher than our
ways.
Our love lives
We do not wish to discuss that but weare happy. We love life and what it offers but our love life remains
private.
Future plans
We wish to have 2 sets of twins of twoboys and two girls. To have happy homes and live happily with our
husbands.