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The Persistent Voice in Taiwo Egunjobi’s Films

NigeriaNovember/December 2024
Taiwo Egunjobi

Nigerian filmmaker, Taiwo Egunjobi. Collage by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC. Ref: IMDB.

THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / FILM DEPT.

The Persistent Voice in Taiwo Egunjobi’s Films

As he speaks, the commanding ease in Taiwo Egunjobi’s words and manner pitches him as an important custodian of knowledge and insight about Nigerian and world cinema. Egunjobi’s films always cast a permanent residence on viewers’ minds.
Taiwo Egunjobi

Nigerian filmmaker, Taiwo Egunjobi. Collage by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC. Ref: IMDB.

THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / FILM DEPT.

The Persistent Voice in Taiwo Egunjobi’s Films

As he speaks, the commanding ease in Taiwo Egunjobi’s words and manner pitches him as an important custodian of knowledge and insight about Nigerian and world cinema. Egunjobi’s films always cast a permanent residence on viewers’ minds.

By the time we, I and Taiwo Egunjobi, one of Nigeria’s foremost indie filmmakers, would utter our first sentence, the residue of sleep layered on our eyes had vanished. We had both used the night doing different activities: Retracing my nocturnal lifestyle, I watched, overnight, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Hail, Ceasar!, a satirical comedy about an unspecified period in Hollywood history between the end of The Second World War and before 1960. For Egunjobi, the night was used trying to regain access to FilmKaku—a digital platform that archives film reviews, essays, and interviews with Nollywood filmmakers. Thus, when the filmmaker got on a call with me, with his signature Newsboy cap adorning his head, we started our conversation reiterating what we did overnight. 

Fittingly, the Coen brothers‘ Hail, Caesar! set the tone of our conversation. Reflecting on hindsight, what I noticed watching the Coen brothers’ masterpiece—the story of Eddie Mannix (played with remarkable gusto by Josh Brolin) layered with Hollywood’s backstage history (the numerous buried scandalous stories, the signing of shoddy deals, and the domineering posture of studio executives), I casually referenced how Hollywood’s history is similar to Nollywood’s. With a fierce and lucid tone that, throughout our hour-long conversation, constantly carries his precise opinions, Egunjobi was quick to make a few remarks about how distinct both industries are. The filmmaker told me that it’s a miracle that the Nigerian film industry exists. One familiar with the industry’s history will see this statement not as an affront but as a well-documented truth. As the director told me, the Nigerian film industry exists due to the relentless efforts of individual film marketers who promoted the birth of the film industry. It wasn’t the pressing demands and desire of film-school-trained filmmakers wanting to make artistic and creative statements with their stories that birthed Nollywood. Thus, in conclusion, the filmmaker mentioned that Hollywood, with its trained filmmakers, structured industry, and the existence of various unions, isn’t a fitting comparison for the Nigerian film industry. 

Reiterating his point, Egunjobi mentioned how pioneering filmmakers were required to adopt models and subject matters dictated by film marketers and distributors. With their large distribution networks in Ebinpejo Lane in Lagos, Iweka Road in Onitsha, and Pound Road in Aba, where film distributors selected films to take to video clubs and markets across the country, early filmmakers had to conform to a supposed ‘winning’ formula. This early restriction has affected us in many ways to date. Although still young, the film industry doesn’t have an organized structure for doing things. There are no unions. Rather than a unified attempt at building, the new crop of filmmakers, quite similar to their predecessors, are adopting the individualist approach. Filmmakers and film critics are struggling to develop their craft individually in the absence of structural and institutional support. ‘In this way, Nollywood is unique. But, for it to continually thrive, it needs to improve itself,’ he said in a self-assured tone. 

Despite the innate failures that have characterized Nollywood’s history up to this point, it is impressive that the Nigerian film industry still exists. Compared to neighbouring African countries, Nollywood enjoys the availability of thriving profit–driven studios and distribution companies. Films are constantly and relentlessly being churned out in the cinema and streaming platforms. In neighbouring Lesotho, according to Phillip Leteka, a Lesotho–based filmmaker, there are no cinemas, and there are a meagre number of non-Nigerian and non-South African films on streaming platforms (Netflix and Prime Video); Nigeria, on the other hand, boasts about 300 cinema screens out of the 1,651 screens across the continent and an extensive archive of films on Netflix and Prime Video.

Additionally, Egunjobi notes that the reason neighbouring African countries mightn’t compete fairly, commercially, with Nigeria is that they don’t have the entrepreneurial drive inherent in Nigerians. French–colonized countries, Senegal and Mali, for instance, relied on the Germans and French to build their distribution model when Nigeria already had its from the late 80s.In Egunjobi’s opinion, this entrepreneurial drive and the creation of a distribution channel gave Nigeria leverage over other African countries. ‘Nigerians aren’t idle people who wait for a miracle to happen; we are proactive. And that entrepreneurial staunch is one of the admirable things about Nigeria’s personality,’ he told me. Despite this progress, the director said to correctly position the industry for growth, filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and critics need to be fierce in their critique. This means accepting that despite the commendable feat the industry has achieved, the film industry, as much as Nigeria itself, hasn’t been organized since the early sixties. ‘We don’t organize art, education, politics, art or anything at all, and that Nigeria exists is amazing,’ he concluded.

 

GROWING UP IN IBADAN AND ITS INFLUENCE ON HIS FILMS

Egunjobi grew up in a family that encouraged reading and extracurricular activities. His late father was a professor. Thus, in his formative years, from late 90s to 2000s, he swiftly developed a quick sense of introspection. As a student of Subuola Memorial Nursery and Primary school, which Egunjobi told me had a good library, he started reading relentlessly. From acting in church and school plays, writing poems, and drawing comics, young Egunjobi found creative mediums to express his artistic knack for storytelling. Spurred by his professor father who approved their academic interest in films, Egunjobi and his siblings watched a lot of films growing up. Upon watching Tunde Kelani‘s films, which the Edunjobi household religious watch, young Egunjobi knew he wanted to become a filmmaker and work with the veteran. 

Growing up in Ibadan, the city that gives Egunjobi his tranquil approach to looking at the world, it’s befitting that his films pay homage to the city. Each city has its innate pulse and tone. Ibadan, as described by the director, is a city of paradox. Although Ibadan accommodates modernity, the city still maintains, with zest, its old archaeological beauties and thriving ancient era. And what Ibadan does for Egunjobi is offer itself generously as the background for his projects. From In Ibadan, All Na Vibes, A Green Fever, and The Fire and The Moth, his new project in post-production, Ibadan, in its recessive burst of energy, is lurking behind the shadows of the stories being captured. The architecture, the landscape, the scenery, and the seemingly dull atmosphere and sensibility of Ibadan act as willing accomplices in Egunjobi’s work. Speaking about how Ibadan’s landscape affected his craft, he said:

For me, the architecture says a lot about the city. When planning to shoot In Ibadan, we took our time to look at different architecture. Architecture plays a huge part in the stories I tell. For All Na Vibes (his fitting coming-of-age Nigerian story) we tried to tell the story of people living in the crude side of Ibadan(represented by the old houses) and the rural area.

With most of his films situated in Ibadan, the director emphasized how important the city is as a background in the story being told. ‘The backdrop of a story is important as stories need to have a context. A scriptwriter should create a physical context in his or her work for the audience to be able to connect with what’s happening.’

Describing the filmmaker’s work, Kikachi Memeh, a Nigerian culture journalist, notes how Egunjobi’s work passively appropriates a documentary–esque style. Characters aren’t overly characterized, and his shot, mostly credited to Okwong Fadama, isn’t completely technical and relies on the visual frame to speak to his audiences. ‘Visually and character-wise, his films are stripped down to their natural pace for audience consumption,’ Memeh said. The culture journalist said Egunjobi belongs to the subset of Nigerian filmmakers who are driven by internal stories and the feeling their characters, stories, and locations invoke. With many of his films told through a nostalgic lens, Memeh commends the filmmaker for pursuing stories that resonate or matter to him. This, Memeh concludes, ‘is a firm of ownership of the medium.’

Tomide Marv, a culture writer for Zikoko, labeled Egunjobi as a firm believer in raging against mediocrity. The culture writer calls the filmmaker a brilliant and creative old soul. ‘A serious reader, learner, and observer of the world around him, Egunjobi hatched his observations about human society into films and productions,’ he said with admiration in his voice. 

Marv, as someone familiar with the filmmaker’s work for years, is impressed with his growth. From the days of shooting short films, covering events, and receiving recognition for his work in the industry to becoming one of the new voices in Nollywood, Marv termed the growth as beautiful and fitting. Memeh, on the other hand, is enthused with the growth too. She believes the filmmaker is gradually finding a balance between directing films that serve both himself and the audience. A Green Fever, Memeh shares, is a testament to this balance. 

 

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TALKING ABOUT THE NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRY

Randomly, my conversation with Egunjobi strayed into industry-related topics: the supposed ‘hostility‘ of the Nigerian audiences for ‘artsy‘ films and the place of budget in the Nigerian film industry. Overtime, Nigerian producers and distributors have passively preach the trite gospel of action, romcom and comedy, being the most-watched genre in Nigerian theatres. Agreeably, there is data to back this claim. But, despite this, Egunjobi believes it’s arrogant of Nigerian filmmakers and distributors to assume it’s only one type of film that should be made. The director suggested that with films there isn’t a winning formula. Data from successful streaming platform films and theatrically released films might help film executives and producers make safe bets and decisions, but they don’t cement the possibility of attracting the audience. 

Referencing Hollywood, Egunjobi mentioned how A24, an independent American production and distribution company, disrupted the model–mindset filmmaking approach Hollywood film studios were getting comfortable with. Changing the narrative, A24 made unconventional mid-level budget films (Moonlight, Lady Bird, Ex Machina, Everything Everywhere All At Once) that resonated with different audiences. Hammering on his opinion, Egunjobi said A24’s success further shows how film is a bet, and there are no absolute models. Egunjobi believes filmmaking should be a blend of three things: thematically sound, visually appealing, and emotionally resonant. Individual films and filmmakers can tilt to being visually sound while others give attention to thematic and emotions. Conclusively, he believes that as filmmakers intent on advancing audience tastes and inspiring industry growth, the preceding filmmaking ‘models‘ are what Nigerian filmmakers should be aspiring towards. 

The increased investment in filmmaking and the perceived need to make ‘big films‘ have divided Nigerian film enthusiasts. Some cinephiles believe that what Nollywood needs to increase its storytelling excellence is more money and there are others with contrary opinions. Over time, investment in the Nigerian film industry has increased. With streaming platforms investment and venture capitalist investments, more mainstream filmmakers have had access to funds to tell stories on a big scale. But, as reviews have shown, besides merely advanced technical qualities, the films are still tacky and distasteful. Egunjobi opines that though money is important in filmmaking, it isn’t the most important. ‘It’s not really about budget. If as a filmmaker you don’t know the type of films to make, the right people to employ, the right tactics to ensure or apply, you won’t make substantial films.’ Egunjobi concludes that funding is required for building world–standard film schools that will advance the new crop of Nigerian talents. 

 

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EGUNJOBI AS A CONFLUENCE OF INFLUENCES

When I asked which films and filmmakers were like totems for his process, the responses weren’t anticipated yet illuminating. Egunjobi’s education in film is influenced by watching Kelani who uses his projects to speak truth to power. Egunjobi reveres Kelani not because he is a veteran filmmaker or because he worked with him for about four years. Egunjobi’s admiration for Kelani lies in the veteran’s incredible bravery in telling conscious, artistic, thoughtful, cultural, and intelligent films during the military era. Guided by Kelani’s filmography, Egunjobi knew he wouldn’t be able to make a film without commenting on society and politics. He holds unpopular perspectives and asks unconventional questions. And as an artist, he uses his films to ask obscure questions. 

Egunjobi is a meditative filmmaker and his films are rife with the theme of longing. ‘There is that theme of longing which he often returns to in his works. There is a sense of longing between the characters in his films and Ibadan. There is an overall sense of longing for the city and this shows his sensibilities towards Ibadan,’ Memeh said. In Ibadan and Crushed Roses (which Egunjobi told me is his favourite project), between the characters, Zainab and Wale and Obafemi and Ewa, there is a palpable sense of yearning for each other. Not a romantic, his films often cut between two humans, a man and a woman, who are longing for each other. ‘I have an interest in watching people, and maybe this qualifies me as a romantic, but when it comes to the romance genre, I don’t like it. Maybe my films often fall into this mould because of my invested interest in human relationships,’ he explained. 

Appearing unannounced in 2005, Egunjobi and his lifelong creative partners, Isaac Ayodeji, scriptwriter, and Fadama, his cinematographer, quickly established themselves without hesitation as the new voice from Ibadan. Over the years, the trio, in creative partnership with other filmmakers have produced Don’t Be A Nollywood Stereotype, Amope, Kalika, In Ibadan, Crushed Roses, All Na Vibes, A Green Fever, and The Fire and The Moth. What these early titles do is introduce filmmakers learning to listen to their inner creative voices. Not baited by the superficialness in mainstream Nollywood, the filmmaker’s films are set in Ibadan, adopt a love story, have a muted but present philosophical and political tone, and feature frequent collaborators. Unlike Kelani with a much-pronounced satirical tone, Egunjobi’s films, from In Ibadan to A Green Fever, tend to mute the cerebral nature of his works. Due to how dialogue-driven his films tend to be, a casual viewer, without attention to the politically–inconspicuous dialogue, can lose sight of its cerebral nature. In his films, there’s always a moving and intimate love affair and a much-understated political undertone. 

 

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THE NIGERIAN NEW WAVE AND THE FUTURE OF THE NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRY

Describing the Nigerian New Wave Cinema, Assumpta Audu, a Nigerian filmmaker and an entertainment intelligence analyst, wrote:  

While Nollywood fans and scholars may be used to Kunle Afolayan’s New Nollywood, a fresh set of younger filmmakers are emerging in Nollywood’s New Wave cinema. Where New Nollywood Cinema focused on better production quality and less machina-style storytelling, the New Wave goes beyond ‘look’ and builds the metaphysical world of the film to be just as important as the mise en scene. 

Slowly infiltrating the mainstream and building an audience base who have a deep appreciation for alternative storytelling and creative direction are films like Mami Wata, All The Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, Eyimofe, For Maria: Ebun Pataki, and an inexhaustible list of other films and filmmakers which Egunjobi is a proud part of. In 2016, CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi, Abba T. Makama, and Mike Omonua, three filmmakers challenging visual stereotypes of Nigerian cinema through their stories, formed Surreal 16 Collective. From the trio, Juju Stories, Mami Wata, The Lost Okoroshi, Rehearsal, and many more productions have been made, allowing Nigerians and a global audience to experience samples of auteur cinema and well-crafted plotlines. Notably, Obasi’s Mami Wata won the Special Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Competition for its cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, won three awards at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival in 2023, and was Nigeria’s official section for the 2024 Oscars. The trio has also been instrumental in giving platforms for indie filmmakers making unconventional films. Aside from making internationally successful films, Nigerian indie filmmakers are building a community and structure for filmmakers and cinephiles wanting to explore alternative storytelling. The Film Rats Club, The Ibadan Indie Awards, and the British Council’s FilmLab Africa are samples of structures and communities pushing Nigerian indie filmmakers.  

In Nollywood, which is a highly commercialized industry, Memeh believes indie filmmakers are essential in showing us that filmmaking can maintain its craft and essence without being subjected to disingenuous embellishments that come from commercialization. Successful indie filmmakers enable emerging indie filmmakers to own their visual language and style without being pressured by making investors’ and producers’ returns. Generally, indie filmmaking builds a healthy culture where passion and art are the driving force. ‘All these allow filmmakers to grow, experiment, and explore stories that don’t necessarily resonate with mainstream audiences,’ the culture journalist concluded.  

Egunjobi believes the Nigerian New Wave is necessary for Nollywood’s growth and expansion. Not only has the Nigerian New Wave or movement pushed and challenged the storytelling potential, but it has also laid and continually laid the background for pushing the limit of creative outputs from Nigeria. He concludes by saying, the Nigerian film industry needs as many cinematic movements and waves for its continuous survival.  

There are subtle indications of a desire for growth in the film industry. This implies the future is bright. The filmmaker recommends the need for filmmakers to pay attention to organizing themselves in the guilds and societies. More importantly, Egunjobi believed that the industry needs to seriously think about creating institutions that can train talents. A lot of funding conversation in the industry is centred around making films. As inspiring as this is, he doesn’t think that this is necessarily the right approach. For an industry that had bootstrapped itself and functioned with informally trained filmmakers, there is now a need to pay renewed attention to building and creating world-class film schools with world-class equipment and teachers. What these institutions will afford new talents is the ability to think not just in technical but in storytelling terms. Thus, giving every professional on a film set, the intellectual ability to offer informed analysis and opinions on a script. ‘I feel we should channel a lot of our resources to creating institutions and infrastructure for growth. Broadly speaking, we need to have at least 5 world–standard film schools in Nigeria with world-class facilities and teachers that will allow us to train talents at a global level. Unless we begin to improve the local talent, we will not attain that global standard,’ he concluded.  

As we’re concluding our conversation, the director mentioned that The Fire and The Moth is a continuation of a partnership with Nemsia Studios and Sable Production that started with A Green Fever. The crime thriller shot entirely in Ibadan stars Tayo Faniran, Ini Dima Okojie, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Amanda Ugoh, Ola Rotimi Fakunle, and William Benson. As our conversation trails to a close, I know that Egunjobi’s words and appearance, like his films, will cast a permanent residence on my mind⎈

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