In his new film, Invasion 1897, Nollywood producer, Lancelot Imasuen, celebrates his Bini heritage, writes AKEEM LASISI
For celebrated producer, Lancelot Imasuen, 2014 comes with a good omen. He is opening the year with tripple goodies, one of which particularly represents a turning point in his career.
At a time when many of his colleagues are still stuck in the lull the industry has experienced in recent years, he has just bought a new Toyota Camry 2013 model, opened a new office in Surulere Lagos and is out with the trailer of his new film, ‘Invasion 1897’, on which he had been working since 2010.
He thus felt like a king last Tuesday when he showed the trailer of the film to stakeholders at the new office. Although the work is about his 21st movie, the fact that it dwells on his Bini roots makes it very symbolic to him. Invasion 1897 recaptures the life and time of controversial Bini king, Ovonranwen Nogbaisi.
Lancelot enthused, “Today is January 14, 2014. Today makes it exactly 100 years that the principal character in this epic called Oba Ovonramwen died in Calabar. Last November, I visited the house where he lived and died in Calabar. It has not been an easy project but it shows that when we set out to do a film, by the grace of God, we would get it accomplished.
“As a Bini man, I will not die if I don’t make three movies. One is the story of Oba Ovonramwen; I have read all the versions of stories that have been written about him, how the invasion changed the Benin Kingdom and I say till today Benin has not recovered from the incident.
“Professor Ola Rotimi wrote about Oba Ovonramwen, Professor Ahmed Yerima also wrote his version but nobody has had the gut to say let’s put this in motion picture to preserve it eternally. So, I told myself I would not die if I do not do a film on Oba Ovonramwen; the entire story cumulating in his exile from Benin.”
He added that the next project is Fire in his Bones’ which is about the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa.
“I believe that if Nigeria will work as a federating unit, there’s need for the smaller tribes to celebrate ourselves first so that the scramble for Abuja will be less. I have the permission of Bishop Idahosa’s family to make Fire in His Bones and the last is a movie about the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion although some people have gone ahead to make one on him. These are great icons from my place that I need to celebrate so I am also calling on people from other places to look for men that will inspire; that will motivate the young for greatness,” he explained.
Invasion 1897 stars Segun Arinze, Paul Obazele, Charles Enogie, the late Justus Esiri, Briton Rudolph Walker and the British-born Nigerian, Charles Venn, who, the producer said, all justified the choices he made about them.
On some of the challenges he encountered in the course of production, he recalled that funding and logistics were major issues because the international nature of the story particularly made the budget to be big. Also, he ran into some road blocks during his search for locations.
Imasuen noted, “We had hiccups, including being denied access to some places where we wanted to shoot in the UK. They were not going to allow us into the British Museum.
“So we needed to create a place that looked like the museum. We even had the effrontery to pay for locations that we wanted to use over there. Sometimes as we were filming I would pinch myself to make sure it was true. But to God be the glory, everything went fine.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com