Illiteracy, carelessness responsible for poor subtitles in Yoruba movies —Temiloluwa Fosudo

Temiloluwa Fosudo, a filmmaker, is the son of veteran actor, Sola Fosudo. In this interview by ADEOLA OTEMADE, he discusses the challenges filmmakers often encounter, ranging from distribution and marketing to securing reputable platforms to exhibit their works, amid the interference of thugs and unemployed youth causing chaos in the movie industry. Excerpts:

 

Nollywood as an industry seems not to have been able to step up its game in terms of subtitling. Most homemade movies are badly subtitled, even though displeasure has been expressed in this regard. What would you say is responsible for errors in subtitling?

This problem of poor subtitling mostly occurs in Yoruba films and this happens because the individuals who do the subtitling, the producers, directors and editors are mostly illiterates or just plain careless. When I say illiterate, I don’t mean they are dumb as many people tend to interpret the word, I mean they do not know how to read or write the English language properly. And this perhaps is not the problem in itself since the common excuse of ‘English no be my papa language’ can be waved around in the face of criticism. The problem is that the point of subtitling movies in English which is Nigeria’s official language by the way would then be defeated when it is done poorly. This is where the point of carelessness comes in. There is no effort to hire someone who can transcribe Yoruba to English appropriately and I think it is some sort of absurd arrogance on the part of these filmmakers to think that they can be so careless with their art and be confident that the audience will consume it anyhow they present it to them.

 

 Is it correct to say the inability of a director to see a movie through affects what they put out there in terms of content?

The director should be the leader of the creative pack. The total vision of the film should be from his mind, a vision that he should be able to share perfectly and creating a mental and clear picture in the mind of the other artists. If the leader of the pack cannot see the vision to the end, the vision is most likely going to be distorted.

 

As a professional, how would say you have developed over the years?

The thing about developing as a creative artist is that you don’t know when the growth happens; it is a seamless process, as there is no definitive sign. The only thing I can say is that after a few years of practice, of successes and failures, you attain a level of confidence in yourself as an artist, you trust yourself a little bit more, the more you take up new challenges, the more you develop, your work speaks for you out there, your name becomes more popular than your face. So, for me, I would say I developed over the years due to consistency and a steady practice of what I do. There is a popular English proverb that says: “practice makes perfection”. So, doing what you love doing over the years, makes you horn your skills, know your onions and you become a master of your craft.

 

 As a filmmaker, what would you say are the challenges that often pose as threats?

The major obstacle for me as an independent filmmaker is the issue of distribution. For a non-mainstream filmmaker, who doesn’t have the budget or perhaps the interest in hiring big names in an obvious way that is tailored to attract financial reward more than it is tailored to reward the story, securing reputable platforms to exhibit my work can be difficult. I have made one feature film, titled ‘In Ibadan’ which was directed by Taiwo Egunjobi and our film was accepted by a couple of streaming platforms which are actually solid platforms, so that was great.

 

What changes would you like to see in the movie industry?

I would like to work in an industry with a better structure, a structure that gives more room for serious low budget and non-mainstream filmmakers. I understand that the conditions under which we make our films are often difficult. However, I would like our producers to pay more attention to story building. Even more to the point, I think producers should allow writers to create stories instead of imposing their ideas on them. I also think the players in the industry need to seize the initiative and create stories outside what they assume the audience wants to see. We surely need to churn out more nuanced stories with more complex characters, situations and deeper dramatic questions etc. When I say complex, I don›t say confusing or difficult to understand, I mean true to life. And I think you would agree with me that life can be quite complex and human beings multi-dimensional. Besides, filmmaking is an art, a sort of visual literature. It is meant to be elevated and elevating.

There is also the issue of thugs and unemployed youths interfering with filming, especially in the rundown parts of town. The clashes between these boys and film crews are a serious issue that sometimes leads to the destruction of equipment or bodily injuries. There has to be a solution. I don›t subscribe to paying them off or wooing them. In fact, I detest it.

 

Who is Temiloluwa Fosudo?

Temiloluwa Fosudo is a creative artist, playwright, screenwriter, actor, producer and budding director. I love storytelling, especially through the mediums of film and theatre. Beyond my creative life, I prefer not to speak for myself.

 

Are there other filmmakers that you look up to and you would love to work with? Can you mention names?

In Nigeria, I look up to my friends and I respect the other filmmakers who put in ample effort to be good at their craft and are not just looking to milk the fat cow. Outside Nigeria, I look up to too many filmmakers like Pawel Pawlikowski, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Asghar Farhadi, Werner Herzog, Alfred Hitchcock etc.

 

 Why filmmaking for you, why not something else?

I love story telling. I was introduced to the theatre and film industry quite early because of my parents, so I grew up with a subconscious attraction to drama and entertainment.

 

What is the general challenges filmmakers face in Nigeria?

A lot. Lack of structure is the all-encompassing thing. Like I said earlier, I would like to work in an industry with a better structure, a structure that gives more room for serious low budget and non-mainstream filmmakers. There are many challenges quite alright, ranging from distribution, to securing a reputable platform to exhibit our works.  But the lack of structure is all-encompassing.

 

 How was growing up like for you?

I grew up like every other kid in the neighbourhood, it was the normal regular thing, you know, ‹don›t talk to strangers and all that’. Although, I was introduced to theatre earlier than most people and I watched quite a good number of films as a teenager, which in a way influenced my passion and love for movies

 

 Any major project you working on?

Yes, I’m working on another feature film. That›s all I can say for now.

 

 How do you feel being behind the scenes?

I prefer being behind the scenes, to be honest; I like being involved in creating the final product and that happens behind the scenes. Being behind the scene is a different world on its own. It feels like home to me, seeing the whole thing from a diverse point of view. It feels like chasing a stubborn dog to its cage.

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