Nollywood actor cum filmmaker Tijesunimi Isaac Davies opened up in an interview with eelive.ng, discussing various aspects of his filmmaking journey. He shared his experiences as an actor in Nollywood, his work with fellow talents in the industry, and his contributions to Nigerian cinema. Additionally, he talked about his inspiration for filmmaking and other developments, excerpts.
Hear him:
What first inspired your journey into filmmaking, and have you ever had moments when you questioned that decision?
There was a lot of things I wanted to do and try out growing up and film making gives me the stage and allows me to explore and wear different skins, have played so many different roles in careers have never actually experienced but I got a chance to be a doctor twice and I could never actually be a doctor in real life (with my phobia for blood ) but I could act it .
Have you worked with any top actors or actresses in the industry? If so, what was that experience like, collaborating with such prominent personalities?
Have had the opportunity to co star with some of the most amazing, talented and biggest celebrities in the industry and its interesting the littles you get to know about them up close, talking about how the experience was for me I would say it was challenging how good and easy entering into character was for them, I remember watching Baba rex get into an emotional state for a crying scene and it took him a minute or two watching them showcase their craft up close allow you understand why alot of them are the top stars.
What drives your passion for storytelling, and how do you consistently create narratives that resonate so deeply with audiences?
My personal experience and interaction with people, they say every music, movie or artistic piece always carry an imprint of the artist and I believe thats absolutely true, it could be inspired of nostalgia, history or other peoples story we got a front view in that kinda resonate with my own artist nature and I end up diving deeper into that gateway to generate a story that’s both authentic and unique to itself but inspired by segment of actual reality and even if most people will never live my own life or walk my own journey watching my stories can allow them get a lottle glimpse into the things I have seen and experienced.
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What advice would you give to young African filmmakers who aspire to make a meaningful impact, especially those you’ve inspired or mentored?
I would always tell people that they can do anything because they really can and because of my experience in the industry I would also encourage and do encourage people interested in this line to make they an hustle or source of income because it’s not impossible however it’s going to be in alot of cases be almost impossible to just get that one role that opens fame and wealth, you are going have to grind for role after and role and no one can tell you which movie will be your own far from home or to kill a monkey, everyone’s time is different.
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Are there any exciting new projects you’re currently working on? If yes, could you share a bit about them?
Absolutely ground zero productions is looking to revamp social experiment and next year we would be looking to produce a movie titled ‘Bruised’ that talk about the trauma of culture norms and how some cultures can be devastating to mental health and safety and finally, I just started a business called king yogurt Global venture which I am absolutely excited about and you just know our casts are going to be doing product placement in future projects real soon.
What major challenges have you encountered on your filmmaking journey, and how did you navigate or overcome them?
Every Junction comes with his own challenges, from finances, to bad planning, working with people that don’t share the vision or capture it, sometimes you can have the right idea and not be able to bring it out the way you perceive it because of mis matched casting sometimes, complicated drama with Dops, directors and even crew members.
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Navigate all that is just an absolute resolve mentality not to give up or give in and keep pushing. Maxwell said failing is not trying, you can always learn from your failure but you can’t learn from doing nothing.
Looking back, what key milestones or accomplishments stand out to you in your career so far?
There is actually a lot have gotten to act along side celebrities have admired at different points of my life and it would be unfair to match one without the other, if I absolutely have to pick a milestone; I would say it was when I finally posted myself to make my own movie, it was scary and at the time I didn’t even have up to ten thousand naira and the movie budget was about a million but I wrote the script, did the casting, spoke to some people and the movie finally came out. It might not be the biggest movie have had to work on but it’s the proudest project I have had so far ” saved in the abyss” and I would like to use this opportunity to appreciate everyone that helped make that dream a reality, cheers.
In your view, how has your work contributed to the growth or transformation of the filmmaking industry over the years?
Well, I would say I had reached the influence level to make enough splash however I am lucky to have inspired a couple of people to pursue and actualise their own dreams just by refusing to give up on mine.
Do you feel that your career has helped shape or redefine the filmmaking landscape in any significant way?
I really can’t say, however I can absolutely sure that when ground zero production does manifest its full potential, it’s going to be one of the most impactful and thought provoking company in Nigeria and Africa, till then we celebrate the little ripple we create in our current reach.
As a filmmaker, how do you personally define success?
For me success as a film maker is replicating with excellence an idea on the screen with highest quality and reaching the people that need it.
