To be sincere with you everyone in the movie died – Nollywood director Saint Joseph Ovensehi tells Nollywoodgossip

 

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

• Saint Joseph  Ovensehi is a Nigerian movie director from Benin, Edo State.

• He tells Nollywoodgossip: “I got into producing and directing fully last year.”

• He says: “I’ve done three major movies and two TV dramas; they’re Alta vs Altars, Trials of Destiny, Mission to Death, My Trials, and Elixir in Spartacus.”

• He says some of the stars he has worked with include: Oge Okoye, Jibola Dabo, Tonto Dikeh, Waltar Angar, Fred Ariko, Titi Edo, and Ugwu Lota ELIXIR.

• He says his new movie Elixir is a controversial flick that circles around the life of a celebrity who believes that with a snap of his finger he can get any female folk into his bed.

• He says: “The celebrity ended up raping his foster sister to death. And she happened to place a curse on him before she died that he will meet his death in between the legs of a woman.”

• “He ended up raping all his sisters and raped his mother and was stabbed to death by his mother.”

• He says: “Directing is more challenging than producing, because as a director you are still the overseer of the entire production and whatever mistake anyone makes is your mistake.”

• He says: “Yes, I have acted. I played Oge Okoye’s boyfriend in altar vs altars, but I don’t think I will like to act again, because I don’t really enjoy watching myself on screen.”

• “Though I don’t really have free time, but most times when I am less busy I read Islamic books and play video games.”

• “I am a Christian but I am a lover of Islamic religion, sometimes I wish I was a Muslim.”

By Delia Innoma (Live Online with Delia).
Please tell our readers a bit about you.
I am Saint Joseph Ovensehi, from Edo state, a native of Benin, though I don’t speak any native languages. I only speak English and Arabic.
How long have you been into movie making?
Let’s say for two years now, though I have been writing scripts since I was 13, but I got into producing and directing fully last year.
How many movies have you directed so far?
Three major movies and two TV dramas, they’re Alta vs Altars, Trials of Destiny, Mission to Death, My Trials, and Elixir in Spartacus.
Which known artists have you worked with?
Oge Okoye, Jibola Dabo, Tonto Dikeh, Waltar Angar, Fred Ariko, Titi Edo, and Ugwu Lota ELIXIR all starred in my movies
Tell us about your new movie?
Elixir is a controversial movie that circles around the life of a celebrity who believes that with a snap of his finger he can get any female folk to his bed and same time, he was a junky, and he slept with every female in site and ended up raping his foster sister to death. And she happened to place a curse on him before she died that he will meet his death in between the legs of a woman. He ended up raping all his sisters and raped his mother and was stabbed to death by his mother. To be sincere with you everyone in the movie died. It’s a tragic flick.
Which artists are you working with?
So far I’ve featured Uche Ogbodo, Bisping Okpoya, Tonto Dikeh, and Ugwu Lota Elixir. We are recording the three and four next month.
How was it like working with Tonto Dikeh and Uche Ogbodo?
Both of them never met on set. We will be recording Tonto’s bit next month. Uche was easy for me working with and everyone on set liked the story, so it was fun doing the movie.
Have you ever premiered your film?
Yes I have. I premiered Altat vs Altars. It was first premiered on April 27^th 2012 and we’ll be premiering in other states and country soon.
Why are most people now premiering their movies? Is it to curb piracy?
Not really, to me it only helps you recover most of your income from ticket sales before it gets into the market and eventually ends up in the hands of pirates. And in most cases, it makes dignitaries to recognize your movie.
Which is more challenging, producing or directing?
I will say directing because as a director you are still the overseer of the entire production and whatever mistake anyone makes is your mistake.
Many directors act too, do you act?
Yes, I have acted. I played Oge Okoye’s boyfriend in altar vs altars, but I don’t think I will like to act again, because I don’t really enjoy watching myself on screen (laughs).
How do you spend your free time?
Though I don’t really have free time, but most times when I am less busy I read Islamic books and play video games.
Are you Muslim?
I am a Christian but I am a lover of Islamic religion, sometimes I wish I was a Muslim.
What do you think is needed in Nollywood?
Revolution is what we need in Nollywood (laughs). We need to change our marketing strategies. It’s so strange how the Alaba market has turn into, you do a film for N2m and a marketer tells you he’ll pay you N1m, because there is no more market in sales of CDs. I think first we have to stop the DSTV right thing. Because those are some of the things that has killed our market
and secondly, we need to come up with creative stories and better interpretations for our stories.
Are you married?
No, but I swear I am ready if she shows up (laughs).
What are you looking for in a woman?
If you want me to be sincere, she has to be beautiful and a good cook. We can work on the attitude later (laughs).
What will you advice anyone who wants to enter into the film industry now?
Who so ever wants to go into film making should first look out for unique and creative stories, and as well target the cinemas.
Anything else you want to add?
You actually missed out one thing, my role models and the people I look up to in the industry.
Frank Rajah Arase is my no. 1 source of inspiration, his method of interpreting stories keeps me glued to my seat, not the stories really. I love Raja and I can boldly say he is my mentor. And I will forever be grateful to Zeb Ejiro who gave me formal training in directing, and Lancelot the governor, I look up to him, and to all students of my film school steward resources films limited, I look up to all these people.
Any words to your fans?
My fans out there should watch out for more great and creative jobs from me. With God by my side we will make a positive change in the industry.
Nollywoodgossip wishes you the best.
Thanks for having me.
Joseph Saint Ovensehi Joseph Saint Ovensehi

ELIXIR IN SPARTACUS. coming soon