76 AWARD WINNING MOVIE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MEETS SUPREME

76 AWARD WINNING MOVIE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MEETS SUPREME

Can you please introduce yourself to Supreme magazine?

I am Adonijah Owiriwa, am married with six children, five boys and a girl. I studied Mechanical Engineering at YABATECH, i work for a multinational oil servicing firm, Schlumberger, and I produce movies.

How does it feel being a Rivers Indigene?

It’s awesome, when you say Rivers indigene I am a good description of a full Port Harcourt boy; my dad is from Oroworokwo while my mum is from Abuloma all in Port Harcourt LGA. And I feel very proud contributing my own quota in entertainment. Overtime this sector (entertainment) has been dominated by Lagos state. So I am a proud Rivers indigene, I grew here, I work here and I live here.

The world got to know more about you through 76, a movie you produced, what have Adonai being doing before now?

I have been working and also trying my hands in entertainment out of which I produce Nnenda in 2008, a story that looked at the plight of orphanages. This movie won an award at Ion international film festival and I also produced Kajola.

How did you go from these smaller projects to an international movie like 76?

From the lessons and experienced we gathered from our smaller projects we had to painstakingly spend time and money. The movie took seven years to produce, so it cost us perseverance, dedication, hard work and huge fund about 2 million US Dollars. After the principal photography fund became a problem because we had to go to Munich to complete the production. One other key thing we did was being open to ideas and suggestions; after the first cut we held a private screening for opinion leaders and stakeholder in the movie industry as to get their reactions. And after the second cut I craved the indulgence of organizers of International film festivals, Jury members and they told me one or two things to take out or add as to cut across the international market. So we added all these ideas and suggestions and came up with the final cut. By the grace of God we were officially invited to make a screening at Toronto International Film Festival. At that film festival we sealed a distribution deal with an entertainment company in Los Angeles, Sureline Entertainment. This company currently represents Adonai Production across the world as far as 76 is concerned except in Africa which we didn’t give them the right because we earlier had a deal with African Magic and DSTV. It was a very good deal; they were blown away to the extent they had to give us some reasonable amount of money even before the final production as to keep us.

76 Director, Izu Ojukwu & Executive Producer, Adonai

76 hiting it big at AMCVA Awards

How many Film Festivals have this movie been to?

As we speak it has been to sixteen international film festivals across Europe and Asia. And there are more festivals lined up. It’s actually the first time a Nigerian movie is selected back to back like this.

Can you give us an overview of the movie, 76?

It’s actually a movie that is paged in 1976; it looked at the circumstances that surrounded the coup which resulted to the assassination of then head of State, General Murtala Mohammed. It isn’t a drama that just followed the story; we focused on the family point of view. What happens to the family of a soldier who dies while serving his beloved country, do anybody care about them anymore? So we think the true heroes of these families are actually the wives. You can imagine how many times they literally died whenever their husbands embark on a mission, before he eventually pays the ultimate price with his life. It’s saddening that after a month or two, the family is asked to quit the official apartment or maltreated in one way or the other. A good number of these women we see hawking, or selling mama-put (road side foods) are wives of supposed heroes, nobody care about them after their husband die. So it is a very good movie to see.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

The inspiration basically is entertaining and educating at same time. Another big inspiration is the desire to tell our stories by ourselves not by a foreigner. Recently all the African Stories told through movies like Hotel Rwanda, Sometime in April, Last King in Scotland etc was done by Hollywood. And our fear is if you let others tell your own story, they will tell it in their own perspective. By the grace of God we told a part of our history to a level that even Hollywood appreciates. Then secondly we found out that the kids of these generations know very little about our history, maybe because they find the subject, History unpalatable so we try to build these historical facts around a very entertaining movie. For instance there is a scene in the movie where an airport taxi driver rejected a British Pounds from a passenger because his own currency (Naira) was worth more. Are our kids aware that there was a time like that? We want this generation to enjoy our history, learn from it and relate to it.

How challenging was it, knowing that good things don’t come easily?

Of a truth it was very challenging, one of the very first challenge that will come to mind is finance, like I said earlier it cost us close to two million US Dollars, we couldn’t access loan from anywhere, so we had to do it ourselves, myself, the co-producer Tonye Princewill and my uncle Dumo Opuiyo. So basically it was personally sourced fund. Another very painful challenge was lack of archival materials or footage, we had to go to BBC, London and pay huge money just to get footage of what happened in Nigeria. And of course the story happened in way back 1976 so it wasn’t easy to recreate that era, today we have modern things like MTN mast, GP tanks, pure water sachets on the floor etc. that never existed then. So that’s why it took that long. The movie was short at Mokola Barrack in Ibadan; we rented duplexes, emptied them, took time to repaint and changed furniture, electronics to those used that time. We also looked for vehicles that were in vogue at that time, like you expect they weren’t working again, so we had to repair them. Men…. It wasn’t easy, but finally it came out good. We currently broke the all-time record in DSTV Box Office.

The movie had Nollywood bigwigs as cast, what were your criteria in selecting these acts?

The lead characters were pen down from day one, they saw the story and for Rita Dominic I personally insisted on casting her because of the level of emotions needed in the movie and her dedication. We were on set for six months, all the guys that acted as soldiers had to go through military drills for a month before we started. We knew it was going to be a very tasking set so we had to be very careful in selecting. They were very awesome; imagine keeping Ramsey Noah, Rita Dominic, Chidi Mokeme, Ibinabo Fiberesima and the younger ones at a place shooting a movie for six good months. Chidi Mokeme wedded during that time; we had to leave Ibadan to Lagos for the wedding and came back the following day. He skipped his honeymoon until after the shoot. That was how committed and dedicated they were during this project.

How many awards has this movie received so far?

Right now we have received nine awards at the continent level, we haven’t gone in for any Nigerian movie festival or events yet, maybe soon we will. At the African International Film Festival Globe Awards, 76 won Best Director, Best Costumier, Best Screen Play, Best Actress and Best Overall movie in the whole of Africa. At the AMVCA we clinched four, we are also looking forward to the AMAA awards which will be in the 2nd quarter of 2017.

Aside the recognition this super movie has brought, has it also done well in raising money, most times we hear producers complain of not being able to recover their financial expenses after producing a huge movie?

Yes, we have done well, like I told you we closed up an international deal with Sureline Entertainment, with DSTV Box office and renowned cinemas. God has been very gracious to us and has also blessed our efforts on this particular project.

You are now on the limelight for your creative works, and Rivers State is proud of you. But your continuity is our concern. So what do we expect next from you?

Weeks ago myself, co-executive producer Tonye Princewill and director Izu Ojukwu actually spent five days at Maiduguri we were invited by the chief of army staff to screen 76. And on that point we have been asked to do a movie about the Boko Haram insurgence. So as we speak we are going to produce a movie on that in collaboration with the Nigerian Army. It’s a modern movie so it won’t take long like 76.

Your state, Rivers is 50 now, as an entertainer how do you intend celebrating this golden feat?

I would keep doing my best in my own little corner to raise our flag high. I think making the state proud is a good way of celebrating her. I am proud and very happy for Rivers State; we have been together for 50 years despite our diverse ethnicity.

What’s your proudest moment as a Rivers Man?

I have always been proud as a Rivers man especially about my personal story, losing my dad at a very tender age, and being raised by a single mother. So what I am most proud of is the resilience of the Rivers woman, she was only 21 years and she was left with 3 kids to fend for. Today I am an engineer and am trying my hands producing movies. So am very proud of her and those moments of our little beginning.

Men of the Nigeria Army with reps of 76

The 76 family in a happy moment

Has there been time you felt down as a Rivers Indigene?

Yea! But I rose to be positive at all times so I don’t dwell on such moments.

Who could your role model be?

My role model is my uncle; Dumo Marcus Opuiyo. He stood for us since we lost our dad. He became our father and a friend, that bond has been strong till date. He is so hardworking and selfless.

What’s your aspiration?

Basically to keep working and pursuing my passion which definitely is entertainment.

Any word for Nigerians?

I want them to know we (Nigeria) can be great again.