In Nollywood today, one of the names that rings a bell when it comes to action-packed and quality movies is Teco Benson. He started first as an actor, later producer cum scriptwriter, before finally berthing and consolidating as a top-notch director. And interestingly, he has been at the top of his thriving career since his debut in 1994, getting accolades and winning several awards locally and on the foreign scene.
In this interview, the movie-maker with over 30 hit flicks to his credit, among them the recently released Explosion, bared his mind on several issues, especially those germane to Nollywood. He also spoke about his recent trip to Tel-Aviv, Israel, where he took the gospel of Nollywood to and came back with a sweet tale and song.
Enjoy the interaction!
What was it like, starting your outfit, TFP Productions?
Actually this company was established in 1996 but not registered then, but in 1997 I registered the company. In ’99/2000 I got a place and moved in. it’s been a very nice experience, we have made tremendous impact in the movie industry. We have edited movies for almost all the big names in the industry. T.F.P. stands for Teco Films Production.
As a leading name in the industry, what would you say are the major challenges facing Nollywood and its practitioners?
The biggest challenge here is the Nigerian factor, number one, most of us are used to making films in one week, so when a Teco Benson wants to work, it stretches into three weeks because I want to get things right, you see people complaining here and there giving you hell, you know, complaining and harassing you and all that and sometimes you feel you are doing something wrong. The problem with most artistes is that they are always in haste; secondly, is the financial challenges. Our counterparts in Hollywood, Bollywood and other advance nations who are making movies sometimes are opportune to work with a budget of about two hundred million U.S Dollars but here we have very lean budget and our economy is so poor our movies are released directly to videos and the scenes are not encouraging at all.
Sometimes you make movies you don’t even make profit, even when you make profit it’s not even enough to take care of you until you do another movie. So these are problems that we confront and sometimes there are things you would ordinarily want to achieve in a movie but because of financial constraints you have to cut corners to make do with what you have and manage and sometimes it doesn’t make me feel good. The economy of the nation might be the biggest problem that is what is contributing to these problems. People don’t even have enough to eat let alone lavish money on acquiring or buying movies, you know that is the problem. Then another big problem is the lack of expertise, I have done a lot of action movies.
You discover that as a director I do my job and the job of so many other people because of lack of experts, we have in advanced countries what we call stunt coordinators, we have technicians, we have a lot of things, and a lot of people that can help you achieve a lot of things. You want to fire gun now there are experts that can help you even to burn cars professionally among several others. But here our engineers cannot even make a razor blade let alone trying to do a dummy of a car for you, so it’s a shame and they are the people sitting at home and criticizing Nollywood that we are not doing well. Meanwhile till now, we don’t have a 100% Nigerian made bicycle, it’s a shame; do you understand so they should sit up as well. You see Nollywood is part of the same Nigeria but we have gone ahead of every other sector; I know it’s doing well now, Nollywood has gone ahead to turn water into wine because from nowhere we have been able to make Nollywood a brand.
The name Nollywood was even given to the industry by the Washington Times, it wasn’t even given to us by ourselves, that would tell you the extent we’ve gone and every day you see analysis of Nollywood in foreign magazines, foreign papers and if you travel abroad you receive a lot of accolades from fans all over the world, you get e-mails from all over the world, anywhere you go, which goes a long way to show the extent Nollywood has gone. Another thing that makes me happy is the fact that in Africa for now the birth of Nollywood marked the death of Hollywood. Do you know that in most African countries people don’t watch Hollywood again, Nollywood is it everywhere, and they don’t watch Hollywood movies anywhere again.
As a director, your passion for making action movies is legendary. Why the special interest in such films?
Good, before I delved into action movies I have cut my teeth in other genre of movies, I have done lots of Christian movies, I have done lots of thrillers, I have done lots of other genre of movies but my entrance into action movies was borne out of the messages received from people. You see, the quest to be different was what pushed me into action movies.
How and why did you join Nollywood?
Well, I came into the industry in 1994, but before then I was a civil servant that didn’t find satisfaction with my job. I was working with Anambra State, actually I read sciences in school, I read Environmental Health and Pathology. I discovered that what I actually read in school was not actually my calling. Is all about calling, before you were formed in your mother’s womb God has already destined you and planned what you will be. I thank God for the experience. After acting in some movies, the offer to produce a movie came my way in 1996, Sunny Collins told me that he wants me to produce a movie for him, but I had never produced a movie before then. Yeah! That was my first movie and his first movie as well.
So that was how the journey began; Compromise was the movie’s title. I also produced other hit movies like Suicide Mission, Scores to Settle, Abandon, Confusion, Narrow Escape, Atrocity, and many others. Later I directed Waterloo and went on leave because I was not satisfied.
Which was your breakthrough movie in Nollywood?
Honestly, the funny thing was that from the time I did Compromise the name was everywhere, but when I now did Eye for Eye an action film people starting raising eye brows, because I was a writer and a producer and I was an actor too, the face was there. I want to use the medium of film to change the society I have to supply the content in that case, you have to choose the script you are shooting. Honestly, it will be difficult to answer the question because you keep doing jobs and people appreciate you because almost every of my films is a commercial success. It’s so because I take my time to do all my movies. When I did State of Emergency in year 2000 it was a big shock to the nation and I think it ballooned me to higher grounds. Even with the entire name as a director, my movies are less than 50.
Is the government doing enough for Nollywood in terms of support and technical assistance?
You know the answer before you asked me this question but I will still answer you. The truth is that government was not prepared for the boom that we experienced in Nollywood, they never cared, just out of nowhere Nollywood just started from efforts of individuals, the industry has so boomed now that it has attracted the attention of government.
Government is beginning to notice the impact of the industry and is trying to make an in-road into the industry. So if there’s anything they are going to do it is now, but I must say that Obasanjo government has impacted positively on the industry because for the first time in this administration the former minister of information, Chikelu Chukwuemeka did a lot for Nollywood; and after his exit, Frank Nweke Jnr is doing one or two things also to encourage the industry. They have not done enough, everybody knows that but with the effort they are trying to make now I believe the future is brighter and by the time government comes in properly there will be a change. Nollywood will now get to the next level.
As a major and critical stakeholder, what would you say is the biggest problem facing Nollywood?
The biggest problem facing us now is piracy, and then the second monster is anarchy.
Anarchy?
Anarchy because the industry is in shambles, we are not together; we have problems facing us here and there, associations here and there, multiplication and duplication of associations. You see an association of producers here; you see another association of producers there. That is why there is no professionalism and that is why one person can release forty films in two months and nobody can tell him not to do so, there is no control. So there is total lack of control in the industry and that is because the industry is not together and that is why the pirates are feeding fat because there is no law. We are not united. And any nation that is divided against itself can never stand, until we come together; to the drawing boards we can never, never make a head way. So these are the two biggest problems from my own perception in the industry and until they are uprooted to their roots, we cannot make any headway.
So, what do you think or see as the way forward?
The way forward is still connected to what I have said before now, by coming together government has already started to establish film makers council and the aim is to professionalize the industry and bring everybody together and eliminate the problems I have enumerated.
So if they can follow that to the letter I believe the industry will move forward because the industry can have standard now, you can decide on anything and follow it to the end, you can agree on minimum standard that nobody should go below and there would be penalty if anybody goes against it.
We would like to have your views on the rampant issue of sexual harassments in the industry?
It is a very difficult question to answer; I don’t think I will be able to answer the question. The accusation we hear often is that male producers are harassing female actresses.
As a leading filmmaker, what motivates you?
Basically, for every man created on earth there’s a purpose, God created me for a purpose and that purpose is part of my vision unconsciously I took that vision as my vision in Nollywood but later I realized that, that was even my purpose in Nollywood. God planted me in Nollywood to be able to accomplish these things through me and I’m going to do a lot more of exploits in the future, and my dream is to even have a movie ministry where I will be evangelizing through movies, but my own kind of evangelism will not be the full blown type, you see when you look at a situation you know the best way to approach circumstances and situations. Like in the world of today, if you just do a film and make it a full blown Christian film, it is only born again Christians that will watch it, the unbelievers who you are targeting will not watch it.
They will give their lives to Christ without anybody forcing them, without anybody harassing them or anything, but when it comes overtly, when it comes from the beginning you make it obvious as a Christian film, you are only preaching to people who are on the side of God. But God has told us to go inside the world and make disciples of all nations, the people you need to convert are the unbelievers. The only message you need to give the believers already is to encourage them and warn them against backsliding and the dangers of it. To constantly remind them of their covenant with God, but for the people in the world there is a different message for them and that is why am here.
My motivation is first of all from God, it comes in your mind, you think it’s just your mind talking to you, but it is God speaking to you through your mind. But first of all like I said earlier, I look at things happening wrongly here and there, I don’t feel happy about it, but I feel bad about them. So there’s this push in me that the nature and creation is waiting for me as the only person who can solve the problem. So whenever, I am doing films I put my life down, I put my life in every film I do even if I am doing the film for somebody. I must have to change the script to make sure that there is a message at the end of the day, there must be a moral message at the end of the day.
We would like to know more about your background?
Oh I am married to Uju Blessing Benson, Uju is a young beautiful lady in her twenties and God has already blessed us with three kids, three boys. I have a wonderful family; we are from Ojoto, Anambra state. I read Environmental Health at Enugu State School of health technology like I said earlier. Then I did a P.G.D in Pathology at Nnamdi Azikwe University Nnewi Campus, I am planning to further in an area related to the industry.
You just returned from a trip to Tel Aviv, Israel. What took you there and what was the experience like?
Honestly the trip was very, very exciting and I brainstormed; it was an experience I would not forget in a hurry. Well, we got to Israel safely and we were checked into a hotel because we went as a delegation kind of contingent, it was before the war with Lebanon. I said it was very wonderful; I must say it is very good for Nigeria as a nation that we went there, we did very much to launder the image of our country and our dear nation, and there’s no other country we can call our own. I am a staunch Nigerian and I believe so much in Nigeria, it’s a country I love so much that even in my own industry when people are talking about how to get to Hollywood I tell them that I am going to stay here and transform here to something beautiful than Hollywood and I believe that is how it should be.
The trip was organized by the embassy of Nigeria in Israel and it was part of a cultural exchange programme to show the Nigerian culture, paint the real picture of Nigeria. At the event we had exhibition of fashion shows, all the fashion in Nigeria, we had cultural shows all the tribes in Nigeria, we had dances and so many drama presentations, and we had Nollywood which was represented by “Explosion” directed and recently released by my humble self. The premiere was wonderful, the turnout was impressive and what actually touched me was that people were clapping intermittently as they were watching the movie and at the end of the whole show the impression about Nigeria changed. Yes, the theme of my movie is 419 and all of you know the negative and ugly trend it has done to Nigeria’s image. It has given us a bad name, for some of us who travel often, we face a lot of embarrassment at the airport and at other port of entries in other countries; once you have that green passport you have a kind of inferiority complex, they will search you even to your pants, even sometimes they take your private part and manhandle it unnecessarily all in the process of conducting their search and this is very embarrassing.
I have taken it upon myself to see how this image about Nigeria can change because like I said there’s no other country I can call my own no matter how you want to run away from Nigeria one day you will still come back and no matter how you run away you are a Nigerian. We were there for five days actually, at the event, you could see the excitement, you could see appreciation of Nigeria in there, because, before we came the only impression they had about Nigeria were that of illegal immigrants because they had to even deport all Nigerians there, most of those deported got there illegally. Minister of Information Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr. was also there; he stood up and spoke so beautiful about Nigeria as a nation. I feel so glad that I was chosen to be an ambassador of Nigeria and Nollywood.
What would say is the impact of your trip on Nollywood?
Well, the major lesson is that out there, there are lots of regards for Nollywood, there are lots of expectations from Nollywood. Our films have gone much farther than we believe and people expect much from us, so for me and my colleagues I think it’s time we sit up because I believe to whom much is given much is expected, we have to really buckle up and eschew mediocrity, pursuance of money at the detriment of professionalism kills the industry and honestly I feel very bad when I see people throw professionalism to the gutters because of money that will be here today and tomorrow is not there anymore. God has given this industry to us as a medium for a purpose. My vision is to change the society through the medium of film and I have been following it squarely, all my films have instant messages. Yes, for now I don’t have access to government, I don’t have access to political power, and I don’t have access to the pulpit, but I have access to this medium of film. So whatever I want to get across to my people I know how to do it so and I use the film medium.
Why are you so passionate about your latest project, Explosion?
Honestly ‘Explosion’ is about my biggest project in recent times. The drive for that movie was borne out of a big burden on me. I sat down for more than eight years to look at Nigeria, the people of Nigeria were not created to be thieves, we are very hardworking people, but all of a sudden this 419 thing came and every young man abandoned what they were doing and jumped into it because of the fast cash that comes with it and I must tell you it has done more harm than good. 419 is robbery, theft, murder, it is evil personified, but we have clothed that in very beautiful attire and call it some beautiful names and people tend to forget that this is a big sin not just against God but against humanity. You rob a man under a guise and you go home and enjoy your loot, live in glass houses with your family without knowing that you are inflicting curses on your children, you are inflicting curses upon yourself and the man that you have robbed will never be happy with you, he will even pray to God to punish you for that crime.
So people don’t know the other side of it, all people know is that they make money from it. So I have sat down and observed that many of our young people who are even into legal businesses already are leaving them for the fast lane because they make it faster when they come over here. I decided on my own to contribute because government has done much to curtail their excesses but it has not been easy because of so many bottle necks. Since I have this medium of film, I think I can through this medium tell or contribute in my own little way so that the menace can be stopped. My style is to expose the tricks and modus operandi of these guys to the international community to make sure that people won’t fall victims to this ugly stuff any longer.
Are you not afraid for your life and that of your immediate family by exposing these heartless souls publicly?
Well I am an apostle of change, God has sent me to do this and God will protect me.
I am not scared of anything. It’s already out and doing wonderfully well in the market, courtesy of my recently floated marketing and distribution outfit.
Honestly, a lot of millions was spent trying to make this movie measure up to international standards. Permit me to be silent on the particular figure, but I would tell you that a lot of millions have gone into the production but I might not be very, very specific as to the exact figure.
Aside Explosion, are you also working on other projects?
Honestly, aside Explosion I haven’t done another movie. My plan is to release it before I go into another, if my colleagues can borrow a leaf from me the problem we are experiencing would not be there because most of them are rushing and releasing movies as if the world is coming to an end tomorrow. It is absurd that sometimes a production company can do like seven films within one month sometimes ten, which is terrible and by the time you push all these films into the market and you expect the same Nigerians to buy in a month fifty films, it’s not possible. Producers should be disciplined do you understand. I want money as well, I need it to exist, I have my family to feed as well, you know but I just don’t look at that money.
I look at the value of what am doing I look at the effect on people, I look at the buying power of people; do you understand these are things we need to consider. There’s no way somebody can buy all these films. That is why I also encourage people to buy films based on the name of directors they respect, it’s much better, by so doing they will not be deceived.
Unlike other production houses, yours release fewer movies on a yearly basis, why?
It is maturity, I think I am getting more mature and understanding the reality of life. So many producers churn out thousands of movies and in the end they don’t even have any money in their accounts to show for their efforts. I believe it’s good for one to be focused there’s no hurry in life, anything you want to do, do it well, do it properly. I might not stick to three films every year, sometimes if I have the fund and time and if I have other people who can also work under me I can increase it to five or thereabout but I can never go the other way where people churn out movies as if they are making popcorns. Apart from movies, I am into commercials, T.V series, and studio use and equipment rentals.
First published, September 2006.
Culled from Azuh Amatus’ best selling books, FAMOUS FACES…
