Charles Okpaleke’s first brush with the world of make-believe was in 2001 as an extra in the production of “Living in Bondage” the movie.
Young Charles, broke and home from his first year in school was told he could make N10,000 if he could wear a mean suit and be on set for a few days. He and cousins took up the opportunity and showed up.
Years later, Charles Okpaleke is investing in Nigeria’s movie industry. He, however, saw the need to make quality movies other than the low-budget ones he had been financing and “Living In Bondage” the sequel was born.
In this Guardian Life Magazine Issue, the businessman talks about his forage into Nigeria’s film making industry and his inspiration for doing so.
“To be honest, what drives me is our heritage. I am making films for Africa. What is important is Nigerians and Africans telling our stories”
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He also talks about the need for acceptance in the international community by most filmmakers and how this has caused many to abandon the essentialness of telling our own unique story.
“The problem with people is that they are so dependent on the international film industry accepting them and when they don’t, they feel that they are not there yet. What is important is Nigerians and Africans telling our stories. I don’t see why I should get that good tick from them when I can get it from us. Besides, what can sell in Africa might not sell in the Western world”
According to him, what the industry needs to do is invest more in production.
“For me, if you have a good film, you’d sell. My aim is to make films. If I break into that, I will do a film that is acceptable worldwide”
In 2019, Ramsey Nouah, the director of “Living in Bondage” sequel in an interview said that unlike the juju scenes Nigerians knew, this came with a ‘’s**y, Illuminati vibe.’’ True to his words, the little girl, the inverted cross, and the devil troupe all make appearances in the film.
Is this his attempt to push the narrative? Charles Okpaleke says:
“What we did here was to modernize it, we made the spiritual, occultic thing a refined organization. You didn’t use juju for money to fall down on you. Everything was more like a corporate system. As long as there is life, there is evil and there is good. I don’t think you can stop anyone from shooting something that doesn’t depict this.”
Reinforced by the success of the non-comedy film, Okpaleke says that more than ever, he does not regret towing the paths of Horror.
“I am built to not regret anything. When I miss out on something, I look at it again and say, ‘what are the lessons here?’ It depends on if you want to take it as a failure or a lesson. King of Boys showed that there are people who are interested in other genres apart from rom-com. It also showed diversification and growth in the industry.”
Read the full interview here.
Photo credit: Guardian Life.
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