In the last decade, CJ Obasi has been one of the most ambitious filmmakers out of Nigeria. He burst onto the scene in 2014 with the zombie thriller Ojuju. He has since gone on to direct O-Town and worked on the script for Genevieve Nnaji’s film Lionheart

Together with Michael Omonua and Abba T. Makama he formed the S16 Collective, under which they launched the S16 Film Festival, a curated art house film festival for African indie filmmakers.

His 2023 black-and-white feature Mami Wata (now in Blu-ray) was Nigeria’s official Oscar selection last year.

In this week’s #MadeinNigeria, he pulls no punches on his thoughts on Nollywood, making ambitious films and the S16 Film Festival.

Photo by Emily Assiran/Contour by Getty Images for Stacy’s Pita Chips

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I never really had any particular or stand-out moment in memory where I can say I became inspired to make films. It was just always something that was ever present with me as far back as I can remember. For me, there was never really any other thing I was going to do with my life, other than make films. So, when it didn’t work out initially, and I ended up in a 9-5, I was miserable beyond words. As Igbo, we believe in the chi and being aligned with one’s purpose. In my case, I always thought my chi was a guy with a camera calling out to me, “Come over here, let’s make movies!”

How did you get your start in Nollywood?

Have I started? The truth is I don’t consider myself a Nollywood filmmaker. This has always been my view from the onset of my career and believe me, I got a lot of backlash for it. But it was never personal. I have great respect and admiration for what Nollywood has achieved, and I hope and believe that it’ll continue to scale and grow monumentally. But what I have championed (especially with our collective) is a Nigerian cinema that takes a different path, as far as storytelling, style, tone and aesthetics. I believe that, as a country, we are just as creatively diverse as others, and we are able to offer different palettes of filmmaking. Every country that has a serious film industry offers this – why should we be any different? For some reason, every time I say this people want to pull their hair. Why do we want to box ourselves into one thing? Just never made any sense to me. Still doesn’t.

Your debut film, Ojuju, was a very ambitious breakout success. What challenges did you face while making it, and how did it shape your career?

Ojuju shaped my career in so many ways—and still does. I was blessed that my first film was such a success, especially considering that it was a zero-budget film. Ojuju launched me into the film festival world and opened so many doors that I’m still enjoying to this day. And as far as challenges go, it took everything from us—literally everything. But as it took everything, so did it give back everything.

How did you learn to make films (that goes against the trends in Nollywood) the way you do?

I didn’t “learn” to do that, because my intention was never to go against the so-called trends of Nollywood. At least, never intentionally. That wasn’t the point. The point was and has always been to say, “I’m a Nigerian, and I have a particular thing to say, as well as a particular way of saying it, and I think it’s valid.” But then people and so-called gatekeepers came out and said, “No way, you can’t do that. You can’t do it that way.” So I said ‘Really?” and did the most logical thing I could think of. I doubled down.

How do you typically approach storytelling?

There’s no one way. Some days, you get a story, and it’s almost fully formed. You just kind of dive in and then figure out its mechanics and bones. Other days, something comes and sparks something, and then it builds and develops over time. You leave it in storage for a while, and when you return to it, you find it has grown into something new. So you poke at it, sieve it some more, and then leave it to bake for a little longer in your subconscious. And one day, voila – you have it.

Your films often have a distinct visual style. How do you achieve this?

Style is something I have always believed to be the bedrock of filmmaking. All my favourite filmmakers throughout history have this thing where they direct. I mean, they actually direct their films. You watch their films and you feel an actual director doing their thing, and that has always been attractive to me.  I don’t know if I have a particular answer for how I achieve my visual style, other than just being true to my instincts. I think every artist has those. What happens, though, is that as you refine your craft through life experience, reading, watching films (a lot of films), music, travelling and research – you become more in tune with those base instincts and what moves you. The images and sounds that activate things within you, and you become more efficient in tuning into those base instincts, which results in becoming better technically equipped on what and how to channel them into your directorial choices. 

What role do music and sound design play in your films, especially in creating atmosphere and tension?

Music and sound design play a tremendous role in my films. There are many levels in a film’s storytelling, such as the acting or performance, the cinematography, and the editing. Music and sound design is another level of storytelling. You can center the narrative of your film as effectively with the sound, as you can with the visuals. If you know what you’re doing, and if you’re in touch with the humanity of sounds, and how they can elicit emotion and feeling. I’m a cinema guy, and because cinema for me is the whole experience, I tend not to see any other way of making films, except to create a fully immersive atmosphere of sound and visuals. 

How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while also considering the commercial aspects of filmmaking?

I think I’ve been hugely blessed in my career, in the sense that I’ve never had to worry about my artistic vision versus commercial success. Not because I don’t think of commercial success, but more so, because I’ve never separated the two. I always believe and still believe that I can do both, and that has worked for me. I don’t know any other way of making cinema, and kudos to those who do. However, for me, the commercial viability of a film is not separate from the artistic vision of the filmmaker. We are the tastemakers.

Photo by Emily Assiran/Contour by Getty Images for Stacy’s Pita Chips

Nollywood has grown significantly in recent years. How do you see the industry evolving, and what role do you expect it to play on the global stage?

As I said, I hope and believe Nollywood will continue to grow in leaps and bounds, and it will. It must. And as for my role on the global stage, I’m just more focused on doing what I’ve been doing, and growing better at my craft.

What do you think a world in which Nollywood and Hollywood collaborate looks like?

I don’t think about it. But it will happen. This is inevitable.

Do you think Nollywood is getting the international recognition it deserves, or is there still work to be done?

The answer is obvious. Nollywood still has a long way to go. And there’s a whole lot of work to be done. And that’s putting it mildly.

Can you tell us about the Surreal16 Collective? What inspired its formation, and what is its mission?

The collective was formed out of a simple desire to see and make other kinds of cinema from Nigeria. It really was that simple. But we quickly realized we would get a lot of pushback, so in order to double down on this mission, we came up with a manifesto, inspired by the Dogme 95 Vow of Chastity. 

Surreal16 has been described as a movement pushing the boundaries of Nigerian cinema. How do you and the collective aim to achieve this?

By making such films, as we have made and will continue to make. The S16 Film Festival platforms filmmakers making work outside the Nollywood box, as well as introduces our audience to films from the African diaspora and World cinema that they would otherwise never see in a Nigerian cinema.

The Surreal16 Film Festival is gaining traction. What kind of stories or filmmakers are you looking to showcase, and how does it differ from other festivals?

It just is. There’s no film festival like ours in the country. We showcase some of the most interesting films and filmmakers coming out of the country. A lot of them are the future, I can tell you. We show only exclusively Nigerian premieres, sometimes World or African premieres. But minimally Nigerian premieres. Meaning, if you’re watching it at S16, it’s the first place it’s being shown in the country. We also pay our filmmakers a screening fee, which is not very common with Nigerian film festivals. And lastly, It’s just such a cool festival.

Why is the festival important for Nollywood?

It’s important for Nigeria, not Nollywood. I think Nollywood does its thing, and we do our thing. We do have collaborations and interchange of ideas because we are still fans of Nollywood, especially Old Nollywood. Our 3rd edition was themed “To God Be the Glory” and this was of course a direct homage to the Golden age of Nollywood. I think the beauty of our festival is in its ability to embrace new expressions, while paying homage to what existed before.

Your film Mami Wata was Nigeria’s official selection for the 2024 Oscars. What does this recognition mean to you and the Nigerian film industry?

I mean, it felt great to be selected by the committee and it was such an honour. But there was barely any support on a national level, but this cuts across everything. It’s a national problem. We just don’t take the arts seriously or even national pride. Because if we did, every year, we would champion and rally behind whatever film is selected as our Oscar submission. You know, the way other serious countries do.

What challenges did you face while making Mami Wata, and how did you overcome them?

My producer is better positioned to speak on this, but let me say—making MAMI WATA was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. It was a film that was not supposed to exist. Several people, including so-called friends and partners, tried their best to ensure this, but we had higher powers on our side, who decided the film must exist.

How do you feel about the global reception of Mami Wata?

It’s what you dream to happen for your film. And when it does, you feel like you’ve aligned with your purpose, your calling even. I certainly felt that way about MAMI WATA, and I kind of knew it would happen.

What’s your take on the representation of African stories in global cinema? Do you think they’re being told authentically?

Of course not. But what do you expect when you have outsiders telling our stories? And this has nothing to do with skill or experience. Knowing and being something adds an extra level of authenticity to a film. But in the world of commercial filmmaking, authenticity is only used as a placeholder to sell the product, not as the actual quality or ingredient of the product. Search me.

What advice would you give young filmmakers trying to break into Nollywood or the global film industry?

None. But if anyone really and truly wants to make films because they would rather not do anything with their lives, then my advice is—be strong and courageous for the hunger strikes, for they shall be many.

Where do you see yourself and your work in the next 5 years?

Everywhere and anywhere imaginable, really.

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