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MAIN CHARACTER BIOS
LANCELOT ODUWA IMASUEN AKA ‘DA GUVERNOR’
As a young man, Lancelot wanted to be a preacher. But joining his church drama group at the age of nine exposed him to the whole new world of entertainment. This early connection between church and art would follow him throughout his career.
Lancelot’s rise to the top of Nollywood mirrors the story of the industry itself. As a young man, he came to Lagos with little experience and a big dream, determined to make something out of nothing. His first production gig was as a technician on a soap opera for the Nigerian Television Authority. He quickly rose through the ranks and within a couple of years was directing his own shows. Not satisfied with the toil of studio TV, Lancelot jumped into the fray of the burgeoning Nigerian video film industry (before it was even called Nollywood). As the industry exploded in popularity, Lancelot led the crop of young directors and became famous for his ability to bring out the best in his talented actors. He received his first nod as Best Director for Yesterday at Nollywood’s 1999 version of the Oscars. By 2001, he was crowned “da Guvernor,” directing 29 films that year, 26 of which were blockbusters.
Lancelot’s mission is simple: to bring the experience of everyday Nigerians to a global audience. Lancelot is a tireless ambassador of Nigerian culture and a stern advocate of mentoring those young Nigerians who idolize him.
Now 38, Lancelot has over 160 films under his belt.
HELEN UKPABIO
Helen Ukpabio is the head of Liberty Gospel Church, a popular evangelical organization with over 77 churches and 50,000 members. She is also one of the most successful producers in Nollywood. Liberty Films, the church’s movie studio, has produced some of the most popular Nollywood films to date, including End of the Wicked, one of the biggest selling Nollywood titles ever.
For Helen, making films is her number one evangelical tool. Her films are unique in that they feature the most vivid depictions of witchcraft rituals found in Nigeria. Helen believes that she alone possesses the power to rid people from the “shackles of witchcraft” and that people can be delivered from evil spirits simply by touching the screen while one of her films is on. She’s more than familiar with how witchcraft operates. As a young girl, she was kidnapped by a group of witchcraft devotees and, as she describes it, “engaged to be married to Lucifer, until one day Jesus came” and saved her. After that it became her lifelong mission to help others break free from the evil of witchcraft.
To keep costs low, she often uses members of her church as actors and crew. Through this network, Liberty has created its own dream factory, churning out dozens of films and selling them at churches across Nigeria and the globe. They are almost exclusively of the “voodoo horror” variety, and usually feature Ukpabio in the “saviour” role, allowing her to promote her cult persona and increase the size of her church exponentially.
But like most things in Nigeria, success comes with controversy. Her sermons, in which she exposes and exorcises “witches,” have been recently profiled in a BBC Channel 4 documentary, Saving Africa’s Witch Children. She was also taken to court by the Nigerian Video Film and Censors Board which tried to block the release of one of her films. Ultimately, Helen prevailed, and her church continues to grow and produce blockbuster movies.
AKI AND PAWPAW
Known simply as “the twins,” the pint-sized Aki (Chinedu Ikedieze) and Pawpaw (Osita Iheme) are two of Nollywood’s biggest stars. Their unique brand of comic interplay has proved a winning formula for the marketers of Nollywood. Whether playing rival gangsters in Jadon the Godfather or young hip hop stars spoiled by a trip west in Back From America, these little guys are a guaranteed draw. Neither can leave his house without being mobbed by legions of fans. The two actors met while auditioning for a film in 2000 when a director noticed their uncanny similarities and immediately wrote a script for them. The film Aki na Ukwa (Two Mischievous Kinds) was hugely successful and launched their careers and their nicknames. To date, they have co-starred in over 50 films.
ODIA OFEIMUN
Odia Ofeimun is one of Nigeria’s foremost poets and political commentators of the post Soyinka generation. The Poet Lied, his first major collection of poetry, created a political and cultural furor when it was released in the 1970s; ever since, his poignant analysis of all things Nigerian has been in high demand.
Ofeimun has also played a key role in Nigerian politics. He was personal secretary to the legendary Nigerian politician and chief Obafemi Awolowo and editor of a radical weekly newspaper, The News, which contributed to the downfall of Nigeria’s last dictatorship under Obasanjo.
ONOOKOME OKOME
Okome is a well-known scholar on Nollywood. He is Associate Professor of African Literature and Cinema in the Department of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton. As a research assistant, he taught in the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Ibadan from 1987 until he joined the Faculty of Arts of the University of Calabar in 1989, with a specialty in African literature and cinema. He is currently writing a book about Nollywood.
KENNETH OKONKWO
Okonkwo is a pioneer of the Nigerian movie industry. He starred in Nigeria’s first home video, Living in Bondage, and is one of the most respected actors in Nigeria.