Njoku Movie buffs in Nigeria are looking forward to the
premiere of a game-changing film rooted in the events of the botched 1976 coup.
One of the most arduous tasks in the production of the
movie, according to its Executive Director, Prince Tonye Princewill, was the
effort to secure a working relationship with the Nigerian Army.
*Rita Dominic
and Ramsey Nouah on set *Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah on set Meticulously
executed, the pre-production period took two years including eight months of trying
to secure all necessary permission from the Nigerian Army and seven months of
shooting. The script was scrutinised and an officer appointed to supervise and
monitor each step of the filming process, from beginning to the end. The movie
survived three Chiefs of Army Staff. Fortunately, each one of them who took
over sustained interest in the film.
Determined to make it work, the production
crew and cast patiently followed every instruction and met every demand from
the military authorities. A letter from the Headquarters, Nigeria Army,
Department of Civil-Military Affairs signed by Major General R. I. Nicholas for
the Chief of Army Staff disclosed why the military institution desires a
collaboration with the creative industry. “This is in furtherance to a need to
build a collaborative relationship between the Nigeria Army and the movie
industry. We believe that the movie will assist in shaping the current effort
at improving the civil-military relations and also educate our people on some
of the historic values of the Nigeria Army.”
A large part of the action was
shot at the Mokola Barracks in Ibadan, Oyo State. As the 200-member cast and
crew stayed together for about seven months, bonding as a family was
inevitable. Some of the striking human interest events that happened in the
course of production were birthdays, weddings and passages. Chidi Mokeme and
Debo Oguns, literarily got married on set (they just excused themselves for the
weekend of their marriage and came right back to work, after the ceremony).
Princewill thinks ’76 is watershed of sorts in Nollywood, being the first time
the Nigerian Army would encourage that level of involvement in a movie that
comments on military history and an epoch in the Nigerian Army. Having opened
the door, he is sure the imagination of other movie makers would be fired to
follow the precedence of ’76.
The movie was shot at Mokola Barracks in Ibadan
and the story of how the actors were made to fit into the environment should be
reserved for another day. The big budget movie which costs about N100 million
promises to earn more accolades for Izu Ojukwu as director. The award-winning
director is known for his work in flicks like ‘Mirror Boy’ and ‘Last Flight to
Abuja.’
source
source
By Benjamin Njoku
Movie buffs in Nigeria are looking forward to the premiere of a
game-changing film rooted in the events of the botched 1976 coup.
One of the most arduous tasks in the production of the movie, according
to its Executive Director, Prince Tonye Princewill, was the effort to
secure a working relationship with the Nigerian Army.
*Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah on set
*Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah on set
Meticulously executed, the pre-production period took two years
including eight months of trying to secure all necessary permission from
the Nigerian Army and seven months of shooting.
The script was scrutinised and an officer appointed to supervise and
monitor each step of the filming process, from beginning to the end.
The movie survived three Chiefs of Army Staff. Fortunately, each one of
them who took over sustained interest in the film. Determined to make it
work, the production crew and cast patiently followed every instruction
and met every demand from the military authorities.
A letter from the Headquarters, Nigeria Army, Department of
Civil-Military Affairs signed by Major General R. I. Nicholas for the
Chief of Army Staff disclosed why the military institution desires a
collaboration with the creative industry. “This is in furtherance to a
need to build a collaborative relationship between the Nigeria Army and
the movie industry. We believe that the movie will assist in shaping the
current effort at improving the civil-military relations and also
educate our people on some of the historic values of the Nigeria Army.”
A large part of the action was shot at the Mokola Barracks in Ibadan,
Oyo State. As the 200-member cast and crew stayed together for about
seven months, bonding as a family was inevitable. Some of the striking
human interest events that happened in the course of production were
birthdays, weddings and passages. Chidi Mokeme and Debo Oguns,
literarily got married on set (they just excused themselves for the
weekend of their marriage and came right back to work, after the
ceremony).
Princewill thinks ’76 is watershed of sorts in Nollywood, being the
first time the Nigerian Army would encourage that level of involvement
in a movie that comments on military history and an epoch in the
Nigerian Army. Having opened the door, he is sure the imagination of
other movie makers would be fired to follow the precedence of ’76. The
movie was shot at Mokola Barracks in Ibadan and the story of how the
actors were made to fit into the environment should be reserved for
another day. The big budget movie which costs about N100 million
promises to earn more accolades for Izu Ojukwu as director. The
award-winning director is known for his work in flicks like ‘Mirror Boy’
and ‘Last Flight to Abuja.’
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/nigerian-army-desires-partnership-nollywood/
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/nigerian-army-desires-partnership-nollywood/
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