In the close to a century existence of Odeon chain of cinemas in the United Kingdom, Nigerian-born Kene Mkparu made history over a decade ago by becoming the first black to rise to the position of a General Manager with the revered entertainment company. In this exclusive encounter with Azuh Amatus, who was recently in the UK, and also on tour of the cinema, Mkparu bared his mind on a wide range of issues, especially those germane to Odeon and Nollywood.
Enjoy the interaction!
You are the first Nigerian and black to rise to the position of a general manager at the Odeon Cinemas in the UK. How and when did you join them?
As a matter of fact, I moved to the UK in 1990, after my youth service and joined Odeon in October 91, while doing a postgraduate course in Bio Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of London, Kings College. I got a part time job with the Odeon Cinemas while schooling, at Odeon Swiss Cottage; and a few months into the job, I asked my white boss, a general manger too, what it would take for me to be employed as a full staff at Odeon. Also, at that time, the cinema was being transformed from a three screen to six screens. Meanwhile, I joined as a customer service assistant and a team member. I was later made a team leader when the cinema was upgraded in same 91. I was later promoted to the post of a Trainee Assistant Manager and was immediately transferred to another Odeon cinema at Kensington in 1992. I later became a full Assistant Manager, but I never liked my stay at Kensington and wanted to go back to Swiss Cottage. It was a bit rigid, and the General Manager was old and also old school in thinking and administration.
Luckily for me another opportunity came and I was transferred back to Swiss Cottage. I later became tough because a lot of my colleagues who joined Odeon before me could not believe the fact that a black man had gone two steps ahead of them in less than two years, but most of them failed to realize that I joined Odeon as a graduate and my vision is to progress in life. I was back at Swiss Cottage from 1992 to 1994 acquiring managerial knowledge about Odeon and how it operates successfully. So, that same 1994, I asked my boss again that what would it take to become a general manager at Odeon. I later took a test and interviews with the executives of the company and was promoted to the post of a Trainee General Manager in 1994.
Once you attain this height, you automatically become a property of the company; I was moved to Leicester Square, which is the flagship of the Odeon Cinemas because it is in the heart of the West End. It is also where they organize most Hollywood premieres with several Hollywood stars in attendance at Leicester Square, my boss made me work like a jackal. I also organized several premieres at Leicester. Months later, I was moved to the Odeon at Marble Arch where I spent five months, before being moved again to the Odeon in Manchester, where I leant a lot from the General Manager there. I was later moved to the Odeon at Chatham, while there a vacancy for General Manger was advertised for Blackpool Odeon, I applied and got it in February 1996, which was when I became a full-fledged General Manager and the first black man to rise to that position since Odeon was established.
Looking back now, how does it feel attaining such an enviable height in such a short period in your career?
For me, it was a mixed positive feeling, because as at the time I got the job, I was more qualified than most of the General Mangers that I met on the job academically.
Tell us more about year academic background.
Firstly, I gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1984 to study Bio Chemistry and Zoology and really enjoyed my time while studying there. My original plan was to come over to the UK and read Medicine after my graduation and probably major in Toxicology. I later did a postgraduate course in Bio-Pharmaceutical Science at the University of London, Kings College. I later went back to school again, at City University in London and obtained an MSC in Business Systems Analysis and Design. That also qualifies me as a professional business analyst. Basically, my stay at Odeon has really exposed me to the global world of showbizness.
So, in essence your sojourn at Odeon and showbiz in general was by accident and not based on your academic background?
When I was in secondary school I hated the arts, in fact, I was forced to add literature to my subjects as a science student, which I passed very well. While in school, I’ve always had it in mind that I want to become a manager, be it in a pharmaceutical or cinema company. And in whatever I do, as a manger of men and material, I apply the principle of firm, fair and fun, in order to make the work easier and achieve results.
As one of the General Managers at Odeon Cinemas, what does your job entail?
As the current General Manager of Odeon Digiplex Cinema, the Galleria, Hatfield, my job entails a lot. In fact, it is pretty much general management and we are fanatical about films. I manage human and material resources. In managing people also, you are designing, training and developing them. Of course, management is getting things done through other people and also understanding the people you work with and making sure they deliver the goals you want. We also manage financial resources and do our budgeting in order to deliver on your targets. A whole spectrum of general management is what I do at Odeon. Another aspect is managing the health and safety of not just your business, but your product and people. And in doing all these, you must have business strategies.
In your quest at achieving all of these set aims and objectives as the General Manager, what would you say are the major challenges?
First, at Odeon, like I told you before, we are very fanatical about films because we are one of the oldest cinema chains in the world and the first Odeon is nearly 80 years old.
We would like to know more about Odeon cinemas?
Well, Oscar Deusche founded Odeon, it is also sometimes assumed that Odeon stands for Oscar Deusche Entertains Our Nation. But Odeon is actually a Greek word, meaning amphitheater. It is pronounced Odeion. Initially, Oscar Deusche built a lot of these cinemas and they were all using one screen, but over the years, Odeon cinemas, which are scattered all over UK, and even Europe, have added multiple screens. Right now, Odeon has the biggest market share of cinemas in the UK, followed by Cineworld. Odeon is also a mixture of multiplex cinemas, some with ten screens, while others with 12 screens and even 20 screens.
We also have the traditional sites built by Oscar Deusche, who later sold it to an organization called Rank, it used to be the biggest entertainment company in the UK. Rank later sold Odeon to Venture Capital Company and over the years, they sold it to a German Company, which later sold it to another UK Company, who are the current owners. And part of our vision is to make Odeon the best cinema in the UK.
As a General Manager with Odeon, what would you say stands your organization out?
First, we are fanatical about films and every Odeon general manager has always had autonomy to run and develop his branch and the business in general. A lot of the other cinemas in UK here can’t do this. We have the flexibility to run and grow the business within the organization’s framework. Even though you are based and working here in the UK, you still do a lot for Nollywood and its movies, what fascinates and drives your passion for Nollywood?
Having been in this industry for so long, I don’t think a lot of people knew that a Nigerian, in fact, a proud black man is one of the general managers of Odeon cinemas. Gradually and around 2004, a lot of Nollywood film makers started approaching us to help show their films in our cinemas. During the period, I also discovered that a lot of these filmmakers know little about film distributions in the UK, but knew nothing about its exhibitions here. Upon approaching me, I started re-educating them on how these things work in the UK.
With their constant approach, I started knowing more and more about Nollywood. Along the line, somebody brought Living in Bondage and I really liked it after watching it. Then that same year, I ran into a Nigerian called Tony Nwaolisa, he was in London to premiere a movie titled The President Must Not Die. I was invited to the premiere, which held in a community hall, which I was not happy about. I later made a public statement to the gathering that no Nigerian movie will ever be shown in a hall as long as I’m alive and working with Odeon, which has over 30 cinemas in London alone. After that, I got more passionate about Nollywood.
Along the line also, I decided to form a strictly Nollywood Company with my friend Nkem Ajoku called Film Africa. I also became a Nollywood film Producer during this period with two movies to my credit. The Successor, which I produced was the first ever Nollywood movie to be shown at Odeon Cinemas in the UK in 2006. In fact, it was released in six Odeon cinemas immediately after the premiere. Lucky Joe later followed, a comedy, till date, we have shown over seven Nollywood movies at Odeon.
What was it like in September 2007, when two Nollywood blockbusters Mission to Nowhere and Mirror of Beauty stormed Odeon and Cineworld cinemas in the UK here?
Wow! It was massive, huge and memorable. It was fun meeting Teco Benson, the director of one of the films, some cast members and the financier of the films, Andrien Gbinigie, who is also the chairman of Atlantic Overseas. I take off my hat for him, because he invested a lot of money and time into these laudable projects and also drove Nollywood to a global height, which is what we need. For two weeks, Nollywood sparkled in the UK. Nollywood needs the right format and backing. For Gbinigie, it was not about movie, but leaving a mark for Nollywood and he has left a mark for Nollywood. I have a passion for Nollywood and when I see somebody with same passion and drive, I go all out to assist. We even added Ireland and Scotland. Gbinigie, has done what nobody else has ever done, it terms of supporting Nollywood on the global scene, even in the UK here.
What professional advice would you proffer to help revive the dead cinema culture in Nigeria?
First, Silverbird and Nu Metro are trying their best and we still need more to come on board. These two outfits brought modern cinemas back to Nigeria. Sincerely, we have not begun to scratch what cinema can do for Nigeria and Nigerians as a business. Aside exposing our films in the UK Cinemas, my biggest passion is to further help in developing the cinema industry in Nigeria. I will be coming back home soon to do that with my partners. I will be bringing back the Odeon culture soon to Nigeria. With that we will revive the dead culture of cinemas and make it appealing to Nigerians, even affordable too. I’m also coming back with a film distribution framework for Nollywood.
First published, March 2008.
Culled from Azuh Amatus’ best selling books, FAMOUS FACES…
