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Director speak: Stephanie Linus --
Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:11
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Nigerian actress Stephanie Linus has featured in several movies and TV productions and has grown into a director, writer and producer. Her latest film Dry, which highlights Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) conditions and underage marriages in Africa, screened at the Africa in Motion Film Festival and has earned 12 nominations for the Best of Nollywood Awards 2015.
Why did you decide to become a director?
I got to a point in my career where I wanted to do more than just acting. I had, and still have, a number of stories to tell; stories that inspire me, stories that I feel need to be told. I wanted to be more versatile, have more control of the creative process and to show that we can really do quality movies in Nollywood despite all the challenges. Also, there are not many female directors in our industry so it is a way of encouraging women not to be afraid to go behind the cameras and tell their stories.
What was your most memorable moment on the set of Dry?
There are so many of them, really. It s hard to pick one. I think it s when I had the real women who are victims of fistula volunteering to be part of my cast. It was heart-warming to see the smiles on their faces, hearing that the movie is about the condition which they are going through and that we wanted to help create more awareness about it.
What are your top three African produced films and why?
Living in Bondage for kick starting what we know now as Nollywood
Tsotsi for winning an Oscar
The Gods Must Be Crazy I watched it while growing up and I don t mind watching it over and over again
What inspires you?
God! Real people, real stories. Everyday mysteries.
Which character from a film/show you have made has impacted you the most?
The characters of Dr Zara and Halima in Dry; and in my reality show Make me Fabulous, it s really impactful to see people s marriages and lives transformed just by a little kindness.
Do you feel film has the power to catalyse social change?
Oh yes, definitely. Films should always strive to ignite and open up social dialogue and that is exactly what I did with Dry on the issue of VVF and child marriage. The medium is powerful and can travel cutting across barriers of caste, religion and generation. Just one social film can create a huge difference and we as storytellers have a lot of power and responsibility. With the amplifying nature of media, we filmmakers have a big tool in our hands.
What does the future of film and TV in Africa look like to you?
It is promising because it s one of the key sectors that contribute to Africa s economic development through job creation, cultural development, tourism, information and much more. It will also help foster unity among various African countries. We just need to be sincere and collaborate more with one another; and work towards a unified goal and not just for personal gratification.
We are on the right path to a positive change. Although there are a lot of challenges like piracy, distribution, funding, training and unenforced copyright policies, but there are great opportunities with African cinema. There is an abundance of incredible stories and filmmaking from the continent. We also have an abundance of talent and I am truly thrilled to be part of it.
What is the hardest lesson you have had to learn in your profession?
Failures are lessons that should help us to do better in the future. Never regret anything that has happened in your life; it cannot be changed, undone or forgotten. Take it all as lessons learned and move on with grace.
What film would you make if you had an unlimited budget?
I would love to do an action movie.
If your life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?
It would be a song by Matthew West titled Grace Wins .
What are you working on at the moment?
Dry has screened at festivals across the world such as the Bentonville Film Festival, USA; Africa In Motion Film Festival, Scotland; St Louis International Film Festival, USA; Montreal International Black Film Festival, Canada; and a screening at Lancaster University, UK; which has kept me and my team busy. Next year, we would be proceeding on a tour of some African countries with the movie. We are also taking the message of Dry beyond the screens and are carrying out some free repair surgeries on women with VVF in partnership with some corporate organisations. We just signed a distribution deal and Dry has just been released in the USA.
Compiled by Carly Barnes
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