Kunle Afolayan OpensUp On His New Film And Relocation Plans... - NET EXCLUSIVE

Film maker, Kunle Afolayan, is no doubt one of the country’s finest story tellers. His first feature length movie ‘Irapada’ was a pleasant shock to film lovers all over, and fetched him great reviews. Not long after, Afolayan set tongues rolling again with ‘Araromire‘ and then ‘Phone Swap‘. His record so far has beaten the expectations of critics yet the film maker isn’t relenting. In this interview with NET, Afolayan talks about his recent work, ‘October 1‘, describing it as a never-before-seen piece even in world cinema. He also tells of his intentions to leave the country soon and why....


How has your last movie, ‘Phone Swap’ fared so far?
We haven’t released the DVD but what we are doing is leveraging on other open distribution channels like the TV and Internet rights, festivals and screenings. The movie has enjoyed screening in places like Japan, India, Brazil and Athens. But now, we are working on releasing the DVD.


Are you yet to make as much profit as you intended?
That would be a very difficult question to answer. All I can say is we are not indebted to anybody but as far as making profits is concerned, we are yet to. We hope to, with the sale of TV rights, especially for Africa and also the DVD rights. Right now, we are taking our time to make sure there is a proper distribution framework for the DVD because of course, it will be pirated anyway but before that happens, let’s make sure we are able to distribute it properly and make as much as we can.

 In times past, filmmakers have been lamenting the increase in piracy, have you any strategies in place to ensure you don’t suffer same fate with the movie?
That is why I have been keeping the film and, of course, when it is released, it is going to be pirated like they did to Tunde Kelani. There is nothing someone like me can do. It’s a shame that things like this happen in this country and nobody can figure out a way to put an end to it. The way film makers now make little money is if the film is widely distributed on the first day of release and given proper publicity, but if we continue with the same standard and level on ground, no film-maker will make money from DVD sales....

What would you suggest as a solution to this menace?
Honestly, I don’t know. It is just a hopeless situation but I know it is not the duty of film-makers. These people will struggle to make film, release and distribute the film. The government should at least handle the part of nabbing the pirates. Movies nowadays have an inclination towards telling Nigerian stories as seen in Bandele’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and Imasuen’s ’1897′.

Were you thinking of following the trend when you chose to shoot ‘October 1′?
No, I wasn’t. I was actually running away from a big budget film but when I met Tunde Babalola and he gave me the treatment of ‘October 1′, at that time, the title was ‘Dust’, I realised it was bigger than what I was running away from but I saw it as a challenge as I have not done a period piece before and also because it is also a national film with a universal appeal, I felt it would make a huge difference in Nigerian cinema and that was why I chose it. At the moment, we have finished shooting and editing.

When will it be due for release?
Hopefully, it will be released in June in Nigeria but now we plan to do as many private screenings as possible to see how much we can make off it before we go public.

How much did you spend making the movie?
 It’s a two million dollar budget film but we have spent over 200 million naira and it wouldn’t have been possible but for the help of the Lagos State government and the chairman of Toyota Nigeria. I can tell you categorically that there has never been anything like this film before in this country and even in the world cinema. It’s a long film, well over two hours, with no boring moment.

How long did it take you to make?
The pre-production stage took us about four months. We finished shooting in September (2013). We shot for well over 40 days and since then we have been doing post production. What locations did you use? We shot in different places. The bit we shot in Lagos was at the Railway compound. We also did shoot in Ilara-Mokin, the hometown of Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria. We also shot at the School of Agric in Akure, Ondo State and a few neighboring villages around Akure. Your previous films haven’t had you feature as many mainstream actors as other producers have.

Why is this so?
 There really is no special reason. I am looking forward to working with Omotola (Jalade Ekeinde), Genevieve (Nnaji), Ini Edo and most of those main stream actors. Right now, the only reason I haven’t featured them is because I am yet to work on a movie with a large number of female cast members. ‘October 1′, for instance, has only one lead female and several male cast. The script is what determines but as soon as the opportunity opens, I sure will work with these actresses.


Having worked with local and international actors, what is your opinion about Nigerian actors?
When these actors (foreign) feature, it looks real and doesn’t look like a film or a joke but here, most times, our actors feature in films and it looks like they are acting and it shouldn’t be so.

Which Nigerian actor(s) can you then vouch for as super in the art?
All the people I have worked with are great actors and people can see for themselves. Look at Ramsey Nouah in ‘Figurine’ and compare what he did in a whole lot of other films he has featured in the past.

Is there anything you did to ensure his outing in ‘Figurine’ is his best so far?
When Ramsey came, we didn’t just give him the script and tell him the number of days we expect him to be available. I first invited him for a chat that lasted for about three hours before I revealed the project to him. I gave him the script and told him to read and tell me if he likes it. I also intimated him on some of my ideas as well as how I work. These were the processes we went through before starting the shoot. I believe his mindset also changed, now if you ask him, he will tell you he will rather be a director than an actor. He’s been acquiring a lot of equipments since we shot ‘Figurine’. These are ways we influence people because the mileage they get from my film is different from what they get from other producers.

It’s a two million dollar budget film but we have spent over 200 million naira and it wouldn’t have been possible but for the help of the Lagos State government and the chairman of Toyota Nigeria. I can tell you categorically that there has never been anything like this film before in this country and even in the world cinema. It’s a long film, well over two hours, with no boring moment. How long did it take you to make? The pre-production stage took us about four months. We finished shooting in September (2013). We shot for well over 40 days and since then we have been doing post production. What locations did you use? We shot in different places. The bit we shot in Lagos was at the Railway compound. We also did shoot in Ilara-Mokin, the hometown of Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria. We also shot at the School of Agric in Akure, Ondo State and a few neighboring villages around Akure. Your previous films haven’t had you feature as many mainstream actors as other producers have. Why is this so? There really is no special reason. I am looking forward to working with Omotola (Jalade Ekeinde), Genevieve (Nnaji), Ini Edo and most of those main stream actors. Right now, the only reason I haven’t featured them is because I am yet to work on a movie with a large number of female cast members. ‘October 1′, for instance, has only one lead female and several male cast. The script is what determines but as soon as the opportunity opens, I sure will work with these actresses....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on FIt’s a two million dollar budget film but we have spent over 200 million naira and it wouldn’t have been possible but for the help of the Lagos State government and the chairman of Toyota Nigeria. I can tell you categorically that there has never been anything like this film before in this country and even in the world cinema. It’s a long film, well over two hours, with no boring moment. How long did it take you to make? The pre-production stage took us about four months. We finished shooting in September (2013). We shot for well over 40 days and since then we have been doing post production. What locations did you use? We shot in different places. The bit we shot in Lagos was at the Railway compound. We also did shoot in Ilara-Mokin, the hometown of Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria. We also shot at the School of Agric in Akure, Ondo State and a few neighboring villages around Akure. Your previous films haven’t had you feature as many mainstream actors as other producers have. Why is this so? There really is no special reason. I am looking forward to working with Omotola (Jalade Ekeinde), Genevieve (Nnaji), Ini Edo and most of those main stream actors. Right now, the only reason I haven’t featured them is because I am yet to work on a movie with a large number of female cast members. ‘October 1′, for instance, has only one lead female and several male cast. The script is what determines but as soon as the opportunity opens, I sure will work with these actresses....

You started as an actor and later delved into film production. Was that because you feared you weren’t going to be successful as an actor?
I’m still an actor. I played a key role in ‘October 1′ and even in Tunde Kelani’s film but I choose my scripts. It must be something that appeals to me. I wasn’t scared about making it as an actor or not. At this stage, I don’t need to impress anybody but myself. I want to leave behind a legacy I will be remembered for years from now. A creative person is a creative person. I can function well as both.

So have you always wanted to be a filmmaker?
When I went to meet Tunde Kelani in 1997, I told him I wanted to be a filmmaker not an actor and then he advised that I make sure I learn it but that I could start as an actor. I didn’t want to start as an actor. Share with us your experience on the set of ‘Saworo Ide’. That was my first experience acting but then I was already working in a bank so I went there with an open mind — I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself. I met the likes of Akinwunmi Isola, Adebayo Faleti and others who were my father’s contemporary. It was a good way to start. You and Arapa were a topic then. What is the relationship between you two at the moment? I hardly see her. Twenty children, they say, cannot be together for twenty years. She is battling and struggling with her career, I’m doing the same.


You recently wrote on Facebook that you intend to leave the country. Do you still have that in mind? I have it in mind. Well sef. It is something I’m going to do. I wasn’t blabbing and that is who I am. You mean you plan to leave the country soon? Hopefully.

Do you not feel your leaving the country might discourage people looking up to you?
I’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, so I should stay here and die because I want to impress people? It isn’t about people anymore. It is now about me and about my health. I have proven that certain things can be done in this country but you have to use blood and sweat. All the projects I have done, I have used these two. For me to achieve this, whoever is ready to use blood and sweat to it might be able to achieve the same feat. But we don’t have the same level of strength. Right now, I am overwhelmed in a way and I can function from anywhere. I can go to Hollywood and be lecturing African cinema or go to Gambia and be making film or move to Ghana. I love this country, which is why I am still here. I discouraged people from travelling abroad but health is wealth. I think it is important that I am in the right frame of mind for health reasons.

What country are you looking at?
I don’t know yet but like TK once said, if they give me citizenship in one nice African country, I will go there.

Would that stop you from continuing your work in Nigeria? I would always come back to work but I will go there and rest. We own this country, we built it together. What would you like to be remembered for as a director? What I want to achieve, I have achieved part of it. It is to create my style and tell my story the way I want it to be told. Also to tell stories that the world isn’t very familiar with. I want to be known as a filmmaker in Nigeria, even Africa, but I know I will tell Nigerian stories better than anybody. Is that you calling other film makers to a challenge? There is really no competition. I want to tell it better than everybody who has been there. We all look at it from different points of view. We all have different styles and that is what makes us different from each other....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Would that stop you from continuing your work in Nigeria?
 I would always come back to work but I will go there and rest. We own this country, we built it together.

What would you like to be remembered for as a director?
What I want to achieve, I have achieved part of it. It is to create my style and tell my story the way I want it to be told. Also to tell stories that the world isn’t very familiar with. I want to be known as a filmmaker in Nigeria, even Africa, but I know I will tell Nigerian stories better than anybody.

Is that you calling other film makers to a challenge?
There is really no competition. I want to tell it better than everybody who has been there. We all look at it from different points of view. We all have different styles and that is what makes us different from each other.

How has your last movie, ‘Phone Swap’ fared so far? We haven’t released the DVD but what we are doing is leveraging on other open distribution channels like the TV and Internet rights, festivals and screenings. The movie has enjoyed screening in places like Japan, India, Brazil and Athens. But now, we are working on releasing the DVD. Are you yet to make as much profit as you intended? That would be a very difficult question to answer. All I can say is we are not indebted to anybody but as far as making profits is concerned, we are yet to. We hope to, with the sale of TV rights, especially for Africa and also the DVD rights. Right now, we are taking our time to make sure there is a proper distribution framework for the DVD because of course, it will be pirated anyway but before that happens, let’s make sure we are able to distribute it properly and make as much as we can. In times past, filmmakers have been lamenting the increase in piracy, have you any strategies in place to ensure you don’t suffer same fate with the movie? That is why I have been keeping the film and, of course, when it is released, it is going to be pirated like they did to Tunde Kelani. There is nothing someone like me can do. It’s a shame that things like this happen in this country and nobody can figure out a way to put an end to it. The way film makers now make little money is if the film is widely distributed on the first day of release and given proper publicity, but if we continue with the same standard and level on ground, no film-maker will make money from DVD sales....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Film maker, Kunle Afolayan, is no doubt one of the country’s finest story tellers. His first feature length movie ‘Irapada’ was a pleasant shock to film lovers all over, and fetched him great reviews. Not long after, Afolayan set tongues rolling again with ‘Araromire‘ and then ‘Phone Swap‘. His record so far has beaten the expectations of critics yet the film maker isn’t relenting. In this interview with NET, Afolayan talks about his recent work, ‘October 1‘, describing it as a never-before-seen piece even in world cinema. He also tells of his intentions to leave the country soon and why....

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Film maker, Kunle Afolayan, is no doubt one of the country’s finest story tellers. His first feature length movie ‘Irapada’ was a pleasant shock to film lovers all over, and fetched him great reviews. Not long after, Afolayan set tongues rolling again with ‘Araromire‘ and then ‘Phone Swap‘. His record so far has beaten the expectations of critics yet the film maker isn’t relenting. In this interview with NET, Afolayan talks about his recent work, ‘October 1‘, describing it as a never-before-seen piece even in world cinema. He also tells of his intentions to leave the country soon and why. How has your last movie, ‘Phone Swap’ fared so far? We haven’t released the DVD but what we are doing is leveraging on other open distribution channels like the TV and Internet rights, festivals and screenings. The movie has enjoyed screening in places like Japan, India, Brazil and Athens. But now, we are working on releasing the DVD. Are you yet to make as much profit as you intended? That would be a very difficult question to answer. All I can say is we are not indebted to anybody but as far as making profits is concerned, we are yet to. We hope to, with the sale of TV rights, especially for Africa and also the DVD rights. Right now, we are taking our time to make sure there is a proper distribution framework for the DVD because of course, it will be pirated anyway but before that happens, let’s make sure we are able to distribute it properly and make as much as we can. In times past, filmmakers have been lamenting the increase in piracy, have you any strategies in place to ensure you don’t suffer same fate with the movie? That is why I have been keeping the film and, of course, when it is released, it is going to be pirated like they did to Tunde Kelani. There is nothing someone like me can do. It’s a shame that things like this happen in this country and nobody can figure out a way to put an end to it. The way film makers now make little money is if the film is widely distributed on the first day of release and given proper publicity, but if we continue with the same standard and level on ground, no film-maker will make money from DVD sales. What would you suggest as a solution to this menace? Honestly, I don’t know. It is just a hopeless situation but I know it is not the duty of film-makers. These people will struggle to make film, release and distribute the film. The government should at least handle the part of nabbing the pirates. Movies nowadays have an inclination towards telling Nigerian stories as seen in Bandele’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and Imasuen’s ’1897′. Were you thinking of following the trend when you chose to shoot ‘October 1′? No, I wasn’t. I was actually running away from a big budget film but when I met Tunde Babalola and he gave me the treatment of ‘October 1′, at that time, the title was ‘Dust’, I realised it was bigger than what I was running away from but I saw it as a challenge as I have not done a period piece before and also because it is also a national film with a universal appeal, I felt it would make a huge difference in Nigerian cinema and that was why I chose it. At the moment, we have finished shooting and editing. When will it be due for release? Hopefully, it will be released in June in Nigeria but now we plan to do as many private screenings as possible to see how much we can make off it before we go public. How much did you spend making the movie? It’s a two million dollar budget film but we have spent over 200 million naira and it wouldn’t have been possible but for the help of the Lagos State government and the chairman of Toyota Nigeria. I can tell you categorically that there has never been anything like this film before in this country and even in the world cinema. It’s a long film, well over two hours, with no boring moment. How long did it take you to make? The pre-production stage took us about four months. We finished shooting in September (2013). We shot for well over 40 days and since then we have been doing post production. What locations did you use? We shot in different places. The bit we shot in Lagos was at the Railway compound. We also did shoot in Ilara-Mokin, the hometown of Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria. We also shot at the School of Agric in Akure, Ondo State and a few neighboring villages around Akure. Your previous films haven’t had you feature as many mainstream actors as other producers have. Why is this so? There really is no special reason. I am looking forward to working with Omotola (Jalade Ekeinde), Genevieve (Nnaji), Ini Edo and most of those main stream actors. Right now, the only reason I haven’t featured them is because I am yet to work on a movie with a large number of female cast members. ‘October 1′, for instance, has only one lead female and several male cast. The script is what determines but as soon as the opportunity opens, I sure will work with these actresses. Kunle Afolayan as Agbekoya in his movie, October 1. Kunle Afolayan as Agbekoya in his movie, October 1. Photo: Filed Having worked with local and international actors, what is your opinion about Nigerian actors? When these actors (foreign) feature, it looks real and doesn’t look like a film or a joke but here, most times, our actors feature in films and it looks like they are acting and it shouldn’t be so. Which Nigerian actor(s) can you then vouch for as super in the art? All the people I have worked with are great actors and people can see for themselves. Look at Ramsey Nouah in ‘Figurine’ and compare what he did in a whole lot of other films he has featured in the past. Is there anything you did to ensure his outing in ‘Figurine’ is his best so far? When Ramsey came, we didn’t just give him the script and tell him the number of days we expect him to be available. I first invited him for a chat that lasted for about three hours before I revealed the project to him. I gave him the script and told him to read and tell me if he likes it. I also intimated him on some of my ideas as well as L-R Ramsey Nouah and Kunle Afolayan on the set of Figurine. Photo: Labisi's blog L-R Ramsey Nouah and Kunle Afolayan on the set of Figurine. Photo: Labisi’s blog how I work. These were the processes we went through before starting the shoot. I believe his mindset also changed, now if you ask him, he will tell you he will rather be a director than an actor. He’s been acquiring a lot of equipments since we shot ‘Figurine’. These are ways we influence people because the mileage they get from my film is different from what they get from other producers. You started as an actor and later delved into film production. Was that because you feared you weren’t going to be successful as an actor? I’m still an actor. I played a key role in ‘October 1′ and even in Tunde Kelani’s film but I choose my scripts. It must be something that appeals to me. I wasn’t scared about making it as an actor or not. At this stage, I don’t need to impress anybody but myself. I want to leave behind a legacy I will be remembered for years from now. A creative person is a creative person. I can function well as both. So have you always wanted to be a filmmaker? When I went to meet Tunde Kelani in 1997, I told him I wanted to be a filmmaker not an actor and then he advised that I make sure I learn it but that I could start as an actor. I didn’t want to start as an actor. Share with us your experience on the set of ‘Saworo Ide’. That was my first experience acting but then I was already working in a bank so I went there with an open mind — I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself. I met the likes of Akinwunmi Isola, Adebayo Faleti and others who were my father’s contemporary. It was a good way to start. You and Arapa were a topic then. What is the relationship between you two at the moment? I hardly see her. Twenty children, they say, cannot be together for twenty years. She is battling and struggling with her career, I’m doing the same. Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed You recently wrote on Facebook that you intend to leave the country. Do you still have that in mind? I have it in mind. Well sef. It is something I’m going to do. I wasn’t blabbing and that is who I am. You mean you plan to leave the country soon? Hopefully. Do you not feel your leaving the country might discourage people looking up to you? I’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, so I should stay here and die because I want to impress people? It isn’t about people anymore. It is now about me and about my health. I have proven that certain things can be done in this country but you have to use blood and sweat. All the projects I have done, I have used these two. For me to achieve this, whoever is ready to use blood and sweat to it might be able to achieve the same feat. But we don’t have the same level of strength. Right now, I am overwhelmed in a way and I can function from anywhere. I can go to Hollywood and be lecturing African cinema or go to Gambia and be making film or move to Ghana. I love this country, which is why I am still here. I discouraged people from travelling abroad but health is wealth. I think it is important that I am in the right frame of mind for health reasons. What country are you looking at? I don’t know yet but like TK once said, if they give me citizenship in one nice African country, I will go there. Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Would that stop you from continuing your work in Nigeria? I would always come back to work but I will go there and rest. We own this country, we built it together. What would you like to be remembered for as a director? What I want to achieve, I have achieved part of it. It is to create my style and tell my story the way I want it to be told. Also to tell stories that the world isn’t very familiar with. I want to be known as a filmmaker in Nigeria, even Africa, but I know I will tell Nigerian stories better than anybody. Is that you calling other film makers to a challenge? There is really no competition. I want to tell it better than everybody who has been there. We all look at it from different points of view. We all have different styles and that is what makes us different from each other. © NET Newspapers 2014. All Rights Reserved. Ple...

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

Film maker, Kunle Afolayan, is no doubt one of the country’s finest story tellers. His first feature length movie ‘Irapada’ was a pleasant shock to film lovers all over, and fetched him great reviews. Not long after, Afolayan set tongues rolling again with ‘Araromire‘ and then ‘Phone Swap‘. His record so far has beaten the expectations of critics yet the film maker isn’t relenting. In this interview with NET, Afolayan talks about his recent work, ‘October 1‘, describing it as a never-before-seen piece even in world cinema. He also tells of his intentions to leave the country soon and why. How has your last movie, ‘Phone Swap’ fared so far? We haven’t released the DVD but what we are doing is leveraging on other open distribution channels like the TV and Internet rights, festivals and screenings. The movie has enjoyed screening in places like Japan, India, Brazil and Athens. But now, we are working on releasing the DVD. Are you yet to make as much profit as you intended? That would be a very difficult question to answer. All I can say is we are not indebted to anybody but as far as making profits is concerned, we are yet to. We hope to, with the sale of TV rights, especially for Africa and also the DVD rights. Right now, we are taking our time to make sure there is a proper distribution framework for the DVD because of course, it will be pirated anyway but before that happens, let’s make sure we are able to distribute it properly and make as much as we can. In times past, filmmakers have been lamenting the increase in piracy, have you any strategies in place to ensure you don’t suffer same fate with the movie? That is why I have been keeping the film and, of course, when it is released, it is going to be pirated like they did to Tunde Kelani. There is nothing someone like me can do. It’s a shame that things like this happen in this country and nobody can figure out a way to put an end to it. The way film makers now make little money is if the film is widely distributed on the first day of release and given proper publicity, but if we continue with the same standard and level on ground, no film-maker will make money from DVD sales. What would you suggest as a solution to this menace? Honestly, I don’t know. It is just a hopeless situation but I know it is not the duty of film-makers. These people will struggle to make film, release and distribute the film. The government should at least handle the part of nabbing the pirates. Movies nowadays have an inclination towards telling Nigerian stories as seen in Bandele’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and Imasuen’s ’1897′. Were you thinking of following the trend when you chose to shoot ‘October 1′? No, I wasn’t. I was actually running away from a big budget film but when I met Tunde Babalola and he gave me the treatment of ‘October 1′, at that time, the title was ‘Dust’, I realised it was bigger than what I was running away from but I saw it as a challenge as I have not done a period piece before and also because it is also a national film with a universal appeal, I felt it would make a huge difference in Nigerian cinema and that was why I chose it. At the moment, we have finished shooting and editing. When will it be due for release? Hopefully, it will be released in June in Nigeria but now we plan to do as many private screenings as possible to see how much we can make off it before we go public. How much did you spend making the movie? It’s a two million dollar budget film but we have spent over 200 million naira and it wouldn’t have been possible but for the help of the Lagos State government and the chairman of Toyota Nigeria. I can tell you categorically that there has never been anything like this film before in this country and even in the world cinema. It’s a long film, well over two hours, with no boring moment. How long did it take you to make? The pre-production stage took us about four months. We finished shooting in September (2013). We shot for well over 40 days and since then we have been doing post production. What locations did you use? We shot in different places. The bit we shot in Lagos was at the Railway compound. We also did shoot in Ilara-Mokin, the hometown of Chief Ade Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria. We also shot at the School of Agric in Akure, Ondo State and a few neighboring villages around Akure. Your previous films haven’t had you feature as many mainstream actors as other producers have. Why is this so? There really is no special reason. I am looking forward to working with Omotola (Jalade Ekeinde), Genevieve (Nnaji), Ini Edo and most of those main stream actors. Right now, the only reason I haven’t featured them is because I am yet to work on a movie with a large number of female cast members. ‘October 1′, for instance, has only one lead female and several male cast. The script is what determines but as soon as the opportunity opens, I sure will work with these actresses. Kunle Afolayan as Agbekoya in his movie, October 1. Kunle Afolayan as Agbekoya in his movie, October 1. Photo: Filed Having worked with local and international actors, what is your opinion about Nigerian actors? When these actors (foreign) feature, it looks real and doesn’t look like a film or a joke but here, most times, our actors feature in films and it looks like they are acting and it shouldn’t be so. Which Nigerian actor(s) can you then vouch for as super in the art? All the people I have worked with are great actors and people can see for themselves. Look at Ramsey Nouah in ‘Figurine’ and compare what he did in a whole lot of other films he has featured in the past. Is there anything you did to ensure his outing in ‘Figurine’ is his best so far? When Ramsey came, we didn’t just give him the script and tell him the number of days we expect him to be available. I first invited him for a chat that lasted for about three hours before I revealed the project to him. I gave him the script and told him to read and tell me if he likes it. I also intimated him on some of my ideas as well as L-R Ramsey Nouah and Kunle Afolayan on the set of Figurine. Photo: Labisi's blog L-R Ramsey Nouah and Kunle Afolayan on the set of Figurine. Photo: Labisi’s blog how I work. These were the processes we went through before starting the shoot. I believe his mindset also changed, now if you ask him, he will tell you he will rather be a director than an actor. He’s been acquiring a lot of equipments since we shot ‘Figurine’. These are ways we influence people because the mileage they get from my film is different from what they get from other producers. You started as an actor and later delved into film production. Was that because you feared you weren’t going to be successful as an actor? I’m still an actor. I played a key role in ‘October 1′ and even in Tunde Kelani’s film but I choose my scripts. It must be something that appeals to me. I wasn’t scared about making it as an actor or not. At this stage, I don’t need to impress anybody but myself. I want to leave behind a legacy I will be remembered for years from now. A creative person is a creative person. I can function well as both. So have you always wanted to be a filmmaker? When I went to meet Tunde Kelani in 1997, I told him I wanted to be a filmmaker not an actor and then he advised that I make sure I learn it but that I could start as an actor. I didn’t want to start as an actor. Share with us your experience on the set of ‘Saworo Ide’. That was my first experience acting but then I was already working in a bank so I went there with an open mind — I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself. I met the likes of Akinwunmi Isola, Adebayo Faleti and others who were my father’s contemporary. It was a good way to start. You and Arapa were a topic then. What is the relationship between you two at the moment? I hardly see her. Twenty children, they say, cannot be together for twenty years. She is battling and struggling with her career, I’m doing the same. Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed You recently wrote on Facebook that you intend to leave the country. Do you still have that in mind? I have it in mind. Well sef. It is something I’m going to do. I wasn’t blabbing and that is who I am. You mean you plan to leave the country soon? Hopefully. Do you not feel your leaving the country might discourage people looking up to you? I’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, so I should stay here and die because I want to impress people? It isn’t about people anymore. It is now about me and about my health. I have proven that certain things can be done in this country but you have to use blood and sweat. All the projects I have done, I have used these two. For me to achieve this, whoever is ready to use blood and sweat to it might be able to achieve the same feat. But we don’t have the same level of strength. Right now, I am overwhelmed in a way and I can function from anywhere. I can go to Hollywood and be lecturing African cinema or go to Gambia and be making film or move to Ghana. I love this country, which is why I am still here. I discouraged people from travelling abroad but health is wealth. I think it is important that I am in the right frame of mind for health reasons. What country are you looking at? I don’t know yet but like TK once said, if they give me citizenship in one nice African country, I will go there. Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Kunle Afolayan. Photo: Filed Would that stop you from continuing your work in Nigeria? I would always come back to work but I will go there and rest. We own this country, we built it together. What would you like to be remembered for as a director? What I want to achieve, I have achieved part of it. It is to create my style and tell my story the way I want it to be told. Also to tell stories that the world isn’t very familiar with. I want to be known as a filmmaker in Nigeria, even Africa, but I know I will tell Nigerian stories better than anybody. Is that you calling other film makers to a challenge? There is really no competition. I want to tell it better than everybody who has been there. We all look at it from different points of view. We all have different styles and that is what makes us different from each other. © NET Newspapers 2014. All Rights Reserved. Ple...

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/05/net-exclusive-kunle-afolayan-opens-up-on-his-new-film-and-relocation-plans/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook