Our guest this time around has tasted both the cultural offerings in Lagos but her taproots can
be found in the City of Jos. Since learning is endless, it is just appropriate to give a background
to that City of love and pleasure. There are “three ethnolinguistic groups indigenous to Jos –
Afizere, Anaguta and Berom – who are consequently considered indigenous people.” The Hausa
are said to be recent arrivals to Jos Plateau. We are informed by Kingley L. Madueke that the
“Hausa insist that they are also indigenous people by virtue of their long residence and
contribution to the growth and development of city.” In my interview with Rejoice Abutsa, we
played down on the tensions in Jos but focused on those memories that brighten the heart of
anyone who has tasted both worlds. Textually there are traces that the City of Jos used to be a
hub for leisure and nightlife. Eight years ago Chioma Gabriel of Vanguard newspapers, said
there is a new narrative. “Today, the Plateau State capital is being devastated by deadly ethnoreligious violence and this has forced authorities in power to impose curfews and other firm
measures hampering free movement in the metropolis. Nigerians no doubt crave for safety, but
they also miss hanging out at weekends.”
Our conversation with Ms. Rejoice Abutsa, is not focused on Jos but on the various
intersections of an emerging visual arts scholar. In the process we even threw in an
email exchange we had some time in June this year to break the monotony of questions
and responses. We hope you enjoy our offering.
Rejoice Abutsa is a Chevening Scholar, who has worked as a Brand Communications and
Creative consultant in Nigeria. Chevening scholarships are offered to citizens who are
intellectually capable but also have the capacity to leave positive imprints on the society
at large. Ms. Abutsa made a short movie on kidnapped girls in Nigeria to tribute Chibok
girls which were kidnapped in April 2014, while preparing for their exams “CaptiV
Dream: A Bring Back Our Girls Animated Story.
Not to be at sea during our conversation I asked for clarification. What do Brand
Communicators do?
Brand Communicators manage the digital and overall marketing communication
activities of a brand, to ensure it is in line with the value and mission of why it was started
in the first place.
Can you give us a brief of your academic & professional background?
Sometime in 2017, I led the development of Auditions.ng, a casting platform that connects
creative talents to professionals in Nollywood. The Platform achieved over 7,000 signups upon its launch, attracting talents from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and
as far out as India. I also conceptualised the business development plan to ensure the
transition of the brand from a free site to a subscription based platform. Alongside these
roles, I planned the 2017 Auditions.ng acting workshop with Ramsey Nouah and Tope
Oshin as facilitators. I have served as a casting, development and marketing executive in
several Nollywood cinematic projects.
I have also written and produced projects such as Victim (2016) and CaptiV Dream (2020).
In my journalistic pursuits, I was lead presenter of Family Cycle on PRTVC and I have
written several film-trend articles for Bella Naija, Nollywood Observer and
XploreNollywood.
I moved from Nigeria to the United Kingdom for further studies. However, early this
year before the COVID lockdown, while a Masters degree candidate in Creative and
Collaborative Enterprise at the University College London, I co-convened a roundtable
discussion on positioning neo-Nollywood in the United Kingdom alongside
transnational neo-Nollywood scholar, Dr Samantha Iwowo. In my paper titled, The
Issues of Neo-Nollywood Distribution in the UK, I highlighted amongst others, that the
absence of a filmmaking treaty between the UK and Nigeria is a hindrance to significant
production collaborations between both countries. My tentative findings stemmed from
research interviews with funding facilitating representatives at the British Film Institute
and the British Council.
I have also organised a series of online events that focused on creators of African descent.
Through these events, I facilitated online sessions with members of the BAFTA and the
Academy Awards to invigorate emerging creatives in Africa.
When I first asked her the first question about the meaning behind her, the response
came almost immediately. Oh, let me ask my parents.
What is the story behind your name?
Where I come from, as it is with several other cultures in Nigeria, parents name their
children out of an affiliation with a feeling, event, or it could even be that children take
over the name of a well-loved relative. In my case, I am the first child of my parents and
from what I know from stories I have heard, it brought them great joy. My parents say
the intent was to give me a name that would live with me. I think the name has lived up
to those expectations.
Where did you grow up in Nigeria and how was it?
I grew up in the Northern part of Nigeria, specifically, in Plateau State. My upbringing
was joyful, for the most part. Mainly because being raised by my parents was a blessing
in itself. I am filled with memories of the companionship offered by them, my siblings,
our relatives, neighbors and the culture of Jos. The culture over there is nothing like
anything I have experienced in other places I experience. Jos has its own soul. It has an
energy of its own and my personality takes a lot from that bliss.
Please take us through cultural spots in Jos where you hung out with your friends
Rayfield Resort, although not cultural, I enjoyed the rush of fear and fun that came from
being there.
I love the Solomon Lar Amusement Park during festive seasons or when there is some
special event during the year.
The Assop Waterfalls is a delight and a special discovery of what Jos holds.
What Role did Cinema Play in Your Life, What was your first movie?
Due to how the pandemic has affected the cinema culture this year, somehow, I have
found myself redefining cinema to go beyond watching a film on the big screen, in the
theatre. However, film continues to be at the heart of it. In Jos, my parents did not have
the luxury to take us to the cinema; however, our home was a cinema of its kind. Our
neighbors would visit within the weekend to see the latest film my father would rent,
because my parents always spared a budget to rent the latest films every weekend,
except when my siblings and I broke any of their laid down rules.
We also accommodated several neighbors for a communal viewing of Super Story on
Thursday nights, and at some point when the Telemundo shows were becoming
popular on African Independent Television (AIT), my parents let people find comfort
and entertainment in our home. My father had a special interest in books and
Nollywood, this was naturally passed onto me.
I grew up with an interest to be a writer because I liked that the stories on screen were
able to trigger my emotion to think, act or even relax. However, I wanted to write the
stories and have someone read them, and not watch them. I felt this way because I
always thought the process of writing and handing it over to someone to read was more
accessible than making a film. This all changed as I progressed to secondary school and
noted with interest, that I could go into the University, study film and make the stories I
want to tell, accessible to people.
I do not remember a first film but I certainly remember those that left a lasting
impression. For example, my parents wedding film remains the best I have seen.
However, in matters that concern fiction, the Regina Askia led Full Moon remains at the
top of my list. In the same way, I think Karashika remains special. I also valued Sarafina
and never got tired of watching it.
Did you ever watch live theater in Jos? If yes what was the production…
…of course, I studied Theatre and Film Arts and so a lot of my undergraduate
experience was grounded in live performance. It was the most crucial aspect of my
former department. I watched more than 10 performances each academic year, both in
school and outside school.
My favorite live performance remains a play called The Cemetery Road written in 2009 by
Esiaba Irobi. I was a newbie in the University when the final year students of our
department staged that play. Professor Isidore Diala says the drama “plays dangerously
between the sacred and the profane, the macabre and the hilarious and attempts to
appropriate the total resources of the theatre, ancient and modern, African and
Western.”
In the four years I spent in the department, I never saw anything that came close to the
brilliance in acting, music, direction, stage design or even, the electric vibe the play sent
to its audience. It was directed and produced by Ellison Domkap, one of our best
lecturers in Theatre and Film. I have never seen a live performance as perfect as it was
and I get so happy just thinking about it. To confirm my statement anyone interested
can read the critique by Daiel Ayuba and Jacob Onoja (2014). Their article is titled: The
Aesthetics of space as a design element in stage production: A case study of Esiaba Irobi’s
Cemetery Road production”
Before we continue this interview, let me share with you a few email exchanges
between Rejoice and yours sincerely. This is to present her views on some issues
This was the random thought I sent to her around June 20th 2020.
“Nollywood movies detain my interest anywhere I can watch them all day long. On the
way back on Virgin Atlantic I made sure, I watched as many Nollywood offering they
had. I can never tell how many of the 252 passengers on the flight bothered to watch
any movie produced by non-Western nations. I hope my little support will keep the
movies on Virgin Atlanta’s list.
Yes, I did watch but I am sad to report that I thoroughly wasted my time. I am ashamed
I clicked on the two movies I bothered to show solidarity for. How would I know they
were “dressed up with nowhere to go” The movies as usual had nice actors, nice sets
and nice…..I beg na nice I go chop?
Opa Williams, the producer of one of the movies, is a very old hand in the game and he
even got support from The Bank of Industry to work very hard without making an
impact. I still want to believe that I missed the import of that movie and I am using this
medium to call for assistance. If you have seen it and you understand the deeper
meanings or connotation of this very work please help me.
The Wedding Party
The female director of the Adetiba family (Kẹmi) had all she could dream of, to make a
great movie but as usual, my inability to fully come to terms with what the movie set
out to do makes me want to cry all the way to Mo Abudu, the executive Producer who
has listening ears. Could this movie be about what it feels to be poor, powerless and a
criminal too. Please someone help me understand what Nigerians enjoyed in the movie,
to the extent that it became a blockbuster and Sola Sobowale became an instant
celebrity? If you think my understanding of cinema is weak or non-existent, I will plead
guilty as charged and from today apply myself to further education. I promise to lower
my expectation too if that will help!!
The third Nollywood movie I tortured myself to watch on the flight from Atlanta to
Orlando was entitled “You, Me, and The Guys”. On the Internet, you will find the most
memorable line as ‘You look like Rice…I mean I want to eat you.’
Now read me from this part and get confused with my mixed reactions.
What should a movie do for a viewer like me who wants something profound for time
spent?
What are my expectations when I leave a movie screen/theater?
What did I not like in 3 retired old men re-starting their lives?
What did I learn about growing old and how freedom is the beginning of every evil?
Can you imagine that the third man had his integrity compromised by his two friends?
Why do most movies start with marriage and marital challenges? Wedding party is
about…you got it right what goes on in the household of elites and the lives of their
children too.
Thank God, I made up for time lost by watching and learning about that Julius Caeser
the “one-man ruler of Rome” How come things that happened before Christ was born
into the consciousness of the world are repeating themselves again in 2018. Mary Beard
the presenter even made fun of herself. She referred to herself as a scruffy looking
professor of Classics. So much to (re)-learn from the life of one of the JCs
Rejoice Abutsa’s response is reproduced below;
“I have just read your article and it has left me thinking about the quality of films that
are shared beyond the borders of Nigeria. Recently, on Twitter, there was an outcry by
Nigerians denouncing the quality of Nollywood films on Netflix. Like you, many
people worry that the stories rely on weddings, without exploring other aspects of the
Nigerian life. They also seem to agree that the films on Netflix do not represent the best
work that Nigeria has made. I do agree. Films like Ojukokoro or 74 should have a wider
appeal – I believe they are stories that would be appreciated by Nigerians and those
that are new to our storytelling. I also observe that some of these stories never make it
to streaming sites because the filmmakers are small-scale filmmakers, who do not have
the best access to marketing, or they might have challenges reaching people that could
acquire their work for international spectatorship. I saw three Wise Men in 2017, I think it
was a story made when there was an obsession with comedies being box-office winners.
It is an example of how the industry limits itself by repeating dynamics that seem to
make the money. Twitter will agree with your point of view as much as I do. I enjoyed
reading this.” June 24 2020
With this little break in our conversation, what do you think Nollywood producers
can do better?
I think the world of film is becoming more accessible to peripheral filmmakers all across
the world and it makes it even more competitive to stand out. Innovative storytelling is
one way to ensure a wider reach since a good story can inspire word-of-mouth.
However, for a story to even inspire that sort of action or create loyalty amongst its
viewers, producers must also apply innovation to their strategy in distribution.
Distribution does not start and end when a global platform like Netflix may have
acquired a film. It requires a persistent push to crack through audiences and ensure that
they are seeing the story.
I remember how I came to know about Emily in Paris, despite the good that have been
said on one part, and the bad on the other. What led me to the show was not Netflix
listing it as what is new, it was that close friends were using quotes from the film, and
living through Emily on social media. Of course, producers thought this would happen
while reviewing drafts of scripts. That in itself is a strategy in distribution.
It is the same way I remember non-Anglophone films I have found and enjoyed on
Netflix. I woke up one morning and every mutual friend was sharing how they’d cried
after watching the Turkish, Miracle in Cell 7. I clicked on it to see how much it would
make me cry and thought what a good story. Same way I found the Iranian-Australia,
Wedding of Ali. We can also think of how the success of South Korea’s Parasite was
triggered by some bits that made a film that looked perfect.
The development of a good story with bits that drive people to action is an act of
thoughtfulness in distribution. It is the same consciousness that Nollywood requires if it
were to have a theatrical or digital release on Netflix. A good film is great, but good
films are tricky, so producers have to be ready to sort out these tricks at production.
I will like to know about your sojourn in the United Kingdom
As I hinted at the beginning of our interview, I moved to the United Kingdom after
winning a fully funded Chevening scholarship to study for a Master’s degree at the
University College London.
My interest to study in London has a lot to do with my early interest in Literature.
Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist is one of my favorite works of literature and I feel a
certain connection to how he writes the location of London, as part of what builds
Oliver from poverty, to an improved life. There is also the diverse art that I have
explored from afar. I have also always been intrigued by the UK as a location with deep
historical ties with Nigeria. I pay attention to history and I thought it would be
interesting to learn about its old and current ties with Nigeria by studying here.
I wanted to explore the life here, as well as gain a postgraduate education at a highly
respected institution.
My time at University College London (UCL) founded in 1826 was interesting. You may
not know that UCL was founded as a secular alternative to Oxford and Cambridge by
prominent intellectuals such as James Mill and Henry Brougham. UCL was the first
university to be established in London, and the first entirely secular university to admit
students regardless of religion. To me it was not about religious liberty but the
opportunity to organise events and contribute my voice to structures that I thought
needed improvement. It was great to have that liberty.
I think immediately after I arrived, I fell in love with London but it took time to get
attached to it. It grew on me in a very special way. The more I learned about the city,
the more I was interested in its ability to conjure and combine the multicultural aspects
of its people, to form a creative society. Of course, there are challenges of living in a city
like this. While it may feel like home for some, there are days that you would meet
people with a discomfort for sharing their city.
There is also the challenges of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I
hate math but my brain is on a constant calculation spree. I may be at the counter
buying a drink for £10, but my Nigerian brain calculates how much the money would
translate to, in the Nigerian currency.
The pounds is much more expensive than the Naira and one of the easiest ways to set
yourself for a heart attack is to make those calculations before a purchase. I really
thought that the more I stayed in London, the lesser I will make of the exchange rates
but it has become a habit.
But London is fun.
I have also moved around the UK a lot and as similar as the cities look, they also have
their distinct personality.
I was in Scotland a few weeks ago and while moving around Edinburgh, I felt like the
city had an old soul that I really liked. I moved to Glasgow and thought the life there
was much more hip, young and pop, but I couldn’t fit in as much as I did in Edinburgh
or London.
Did the thought that Britain was Nigeria’s former colonial ‘master’ ever get in the
way you lived in London?
I would say more than I thought it would. My visit to certain museums in London and
at Oxford, exploring artifacts, then going back to do my research on how they got into
the UK was hurtful to say the least. Some buildings and names across the cities were
more than names, they told stories about these colonial relationship. Understanding
history naturally pulls you to defensive side.
Furthermore, I would come to learn a whole more about this history, from my thesis
which used a postcolonial critique of the UK and Nigeria to understand their cultural
relationship. I developed a deeper insight into the systematic development that has
improved one nation, and crippled the other, in some ways.
So how did all the postcolonial stuff creep into your studies?
I think that film research requires a multi-pronged approach, especially for developing
creative industries such as Nigeria’s. To understand how film came to be in Nigeria, the
structural history of its making becomes necessary for interrogation. The history of film
in Nigeria, and even some of its current realities are tied to the colonial history between
Nigeria and the UK.
My research paid attention to transnational distribution of neo-Nollywood in the UK,
but because history always plays a role in the present, it was important that I looked at
the relationship between Nigeria and Britain from a postcolonial lens.
Perhaps, if I were studying the distribution relationship between Nigeria and another
country, the postcolonial discourse will not play such a crucial role, but this particularly
task necessitated the focus.
Conclusion
As a volunteer at a TV station she was exposed to the challenges street children,
especially the young girls face. By the end of her year as a volunteer she started
nurturing a creative platform that provided others with opportunities to express
themselves. If she has any suggestion for aspiring storytellers it will be that fieldwork
improves ones capacity to tell better and connected stories.
When a scholar combines distinction in academics with social consciousness, the
expectation that the sky is just a reference point is not a cliché, it is a statement of fact.
2 comments
Moving from one city to another and learning all she could in the process, Rejoice Abutsa isn’t just obsessed with learning but growth and development also. One could draw from her experiences and Ideas about where she’s lived in and somehow in their minds, establish a picture and try to live in her reality. This scholar isn’t just working to be the best but to give her best, as she shares her knowledge and contributes to the development of her country, especially the Nollywood industry. You can’t read her works and not gain new knowledge and ideological growth.
I am proud of her and she happens to be my best friend ♥️.
It is always refreshing and a pleasure to read the scholerly works of Rejoice Abutsa. She presents the actual picture of the true narrative surrounding the Nigerian film industries. I look forward to reading more from her.