She is a household name in the movie business in northern Nigeria. Renown actress, producer and one of the very few female movie directors, Hauwa Maina is the Secretary-General of the Hausa Films Women Producers Association of Nigeria. Recently, she finished shooting another movie of her own titled ‘Rai Da So’, i.e. Life and Love. Last week, she discussed the movie, the industry and her yearnings with Blueprint’s SAMUEL ARUWAN in Kaduna, her home base.
As a leading actress, can you tell us a little about the progress the Hausa film industry has made in recent years in terms of quality of story lines and recording equipment? It seems that the pictures and sound are better than they used to be, yet many viewers are still complaining.
The truth is that there is tremendous improvement in the production of Hausa movies in terms of quality and pictures and, most importantly training. The industry has been engaging over time, and with the help of Project Nollywood and also trainings at both local and international levels, we are making progress but still yearning for more.
The producers have also helped the industry to move forward. They have been going to schools and other film-related institutions to learn techniques of production and are highly knowledgeable on quality production. Again, we have new equipment and editing is also on the high pedestal of what a quality movie entails. So, with all this latest technology we must have good pictures and the other innovations you see in the movies.
When people are complaining, I think it is not based on the movies we now produce out of these superior equipments but maybe the old ones. Above all, with time when all those low quality movies would be phased out, and you will be seeing mainly qualitative movies. Lastly, the little intervention of government and some investors has tremendously helped our progress in the industry.
As a producer, how many movies have you produced so far?
By the grace and support of Allah, I have produced six movies of my own; if you want to know, I have ‘Kawa Zuci’, ‘Kowa Ya Yi Da Kyau’, ‘Zaman Lafiya Ya Fi Zama Dan Sarki’ and Amurullah, which is my project in the movie academy in New York, as well as ‘Rai Da So’, the one I produced recently.
You also trained as a movie director some years back, making you the first female director in the industry. Have you ever used the experience to shoot a whole movie? If so, which movie?
Well if you say I am the first female director, I would say no, because we have female directors previously before me. I met the first female director in Kano while she was directing a movie. I used to call her Mama, and so I cannot claim to be the first female director. I may be second or third but I cannot really claim to be the first.
I directed ‘Kowa Ya Yi Da Kyau’, ‘Zaman Lafiya Ya Fi Zaman Dan Sarki’, I directed Amurullah, the one I did in New York. I also co-directed ‘Rai Da So’.
Why did you decide to learn directing, which is seen as an area for men only?
Actually, men might think it is exclusively theirs but I don’t think so. Since producing is not for men only why should directing be for men only? As a woman, since I can act, produce, added with experiences of all these I don’t think directing is so difficult a case that one will say it is exclusively for men. And I can assure you that when we talk of directing, it doesn’t require going to school if one has a thorough experience, coupled with training. I went into directing because I have the skills and all it takes to direct, and I am learning and also doing it aside the fact that it is part and parcel of the industry.
Recently, you finished shooting your new movie, ‘Rai Da So,’ and it is already the talk of the town even before it is released. In brief, what is it about?
The movie ‘Rai Da So,’ which is mine, is about a true life story of a lady who married a man she never loved in order to please her father. They were married for twenty or more years and the man thought she loved him. In those twenty-five years she was kind and loving and never hurt him, and he was happy and proud of her and almost fainted on knowing her real mind one day. He asks her to tell him what she wants and that he will do anything to make her happy. Suddenly she says it is divorce that she wants. So you can see that it is a heart-breaking movie from the storyline.
Hausa movies are criticised for copying Indian and other foreign films. How can they change and become original?
Well, when you say in Hausa movies we are copying Indian movies, it is really not absolute and maybe it is because of the culture and I think we are evolving in tracing our own identity, with all sense of sincerity. You know, there are some similarities in human stories which form the basis of movies and people usually make outright generalisation.
On the second issue, we are working hard day and night to create our own identity in the movies. We have many historical events that we can harness to tell our stories and most importantly preserve our own rich historical heritage and weave a better society in view of the challenges before us. I agree we must trace our originality and I can tell you that we are doing that.
Another criticism is that the theme of the films is largely boy-girl romance and marital issues. Why is that so? And is ‘Rai Da So’ any different?
The differences between ‘Rai Da So’ and other movies are the quality, innovation and the storylines that people will see themselves when the movie is out that will differentiate it from the usual boy and girl romantic affair you did mention.
I can assure people that love is the main issue in everything we do; there is nothing you can do without love, even your job, you must love it and cherish it first before you can succeed in it.
Look at the problems we are facing today; it is only love that will bring about tolerance so that we can overcome them.
We must show love in all we do and so you must show love to succeed. But then let us be patient and watch the movie when it is out and it will show exactly what we are talking about.
The movie market is still restricted to the Kano-Kaduna-Jos axis, leading to saturation. Don’t you want to expand it beyond these cities?
It is a big challenge for us. There was a time we went to Enugu to discuss the future of the movie industry in Nigeria from the marketing perspective, and we all expressed concern and really reiterated that there is the need to work out strategies to boost marketing. The meeting was at the instance of the Nigeria Censors Board. The then Director General is no longer there but I hope his successor will continue from there.
Anyway, I was not into marketing that much but now being a producer has made one a part and parcel of it; we will revive the matter and ensure that the market goes beyond the axis you mentioned.
Piracy is a big problem and you cannot do away with it. But the marketing must be strengthened so that it gets a foundation and pirates, no matter their zest, could not bring down the market.
How would you want the government and big investors to support the Hausa movie industry? And is the support you are getting so far enough to help the industry’s growth?
You see, the issue of marketing is sensitive. If the marketing is good and profiting, people would come in and invest, but if the business is only circulating around the areas you mentioned, the investors will not come.
We would like government to come in with funds and sponsor movies towards national integration, peace and development. Imagine where government at all levels would approach movie-makers with proposals of films that will enhance togetherness, peace and national integration. It will create employment opportunities and the society will have a direction from movies being produced, all aimed at having a better society and by extension the nation.
There is need for us to have an easy inflow of modern equipments and facilities. It will help the industry and increase the level of quality creativity and innovation as it is in other parts of the world.
Like Oliver Twist, we are still asking for more, because the support we are getting is not enough in view of the challenges in the industry. The government and the private sector should make our services part of their service delivery unlike the slow pace of partnership we are having presently. There is need for more. They should help us in taking the movies out of the country at free cost all in the spirit of strengthening the sector.
We appreciate the government’s efforts, but we still need more support.
Who is your role model in Kannywood and generally in the movie world?
In Kannywood, my role model is Mairo Adamu. She is my role model. In the movie world generally it is Omotola Jalade.
