UNITED KINGDOM: Nigeria's first major international feature film, 'The Amazing Grace' to be released in USA and UK

Record ID: 310285

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Nigeria's first major international feature film, 'The Amazing Grace' to be released in USA and UK
  • Date: 18th May 2007
  • Summary: (AD1) LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 14, 2007) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JETA AMATA, DIRECTOR SAYING: "There was always this desire for it, but I never thought I would do it because I was a science major and I wanted to study aeronautics. Along the line it just changed overnight, that was it. I wanted to create, I wanted to be a filmmaker."
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA1QKWSJKZFL577BIKSVYGMB6CX
  • Story Text: 'The Amazing Grace', is one of Nigeria's first major international feature films to emerge from Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry.
    It is a story about the British slave trader John Newton's voyage to Nigeria in 1748 and his experiences which led him to renounce the slave trade and write the well known hymn, 'Amazing Grace' which is drawn from a Nigerian song.
    Jeta Amata, the director, comes from a theatrical family, his grandfather, John Amata was a Nigerian playwright and acted in the film 'Freedom'.
    "There was always this desire for it, but I never thought I would do it because I was a science major and I wanted to study aeronautics. Along the line it just changed overnight, that was it. I wanted to create, I wanted to be a filmmaker," he said.
    Amata collaborated with Amazing Grace Films a British production company to make this film. He said his motivation lay in his desire not only to make a film that he could distribute internationally but also to explain the origin of one of the world's most popular hymns.
    "First of all I would say I wanted to make a film I could distribute internationally. Now I needed a story I could tell to the world and there was nothing more important than realising the that song, Amazing Grace, which is the most popular and song hymn in the world comes from my people. Now that is international export. There was nothing better than to tell the world about the origin of the song and also to give an insight to slavery from the African point of view," he said.
    Speaking about the Nigerian film industry Amata said there was currently approximately 570 billion Naira (4.4 billion US dollars) invested in the Nigerian industry producing around 1200 films a year.
    The Amazing Grace stands apart from other Nigerian films in that it boasts an international cast and was was shot on 35mm. This raised production quality is what enabled Amata to enter it into the Cannes film festival and onto the international arena.
    Looking ahead, Amata said he sees Nollywood's continual growth and capturing of the international market without forgetting the African market.
    "We have 1200 films done of video, low quality, yes we agree but now with the equipment we have now if we can make at least, which we will be able to do, two major films every month, not a year, two major films every month, 35(mm) or 16(mm) or on the best of high definition then we would have twenty-four films for international consumption, every year. That doesn't mean we will forget the making of our videos which has brought us to this level, we will continue all that. But we will know we have the African market and we want to catch the world," he added.
    Mbong Odungide is one of the actresses in 'The Amazing Grace'. She stars alongside Nick Moran, from 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', as Ansa, a slave girl.
    Odungide said her greatest challenge was overcoming her fear of water during filming.
    "My greatest challenge, if you've seen the movie, was the storm scene. I must tell you I am aquaphobic. I had a serious nervous breakdown that day that we were going to film that particular scene because had water all over me my face and all of that. It was, I don't want to do that again," she said.
    'The Amazing Grace' is not to be confused with the film 'Amazing Grace' which addresses a similar subject matter. Amata said when he had finished production in 2004, 'Amazing Grace' director Michael Apted had not started shooting. Amata said he did not feel discouraged on finding out a major, big budget film would be made with an almost identical name rather explained he was not competing with them but wanted to give audiences an opportunity to view his film.
    'The Amazing Grace' is due to hit cinemas in the USA in July, and Amata who is currently in talks to distribute his film in the UK, hopes it will be released later this year.
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