What I have lost to piracy —Tunde Kelani

The renowned cinematographer recalls what he has lost to piracy and why a collective effort is required to tackle it

HAVING lost substantial revenue to pirates who had a field day with his works, renowned cinematographer, Tunde Kelani, has said that combating the menace should not be left to government alone.  Rather, it is a collaborative battle that should involve both government and citizens.

These were parts of the submissions of the founder of Mainframe Productions at the June edition of the cultural renaissance show, Yoruba Lakotun, held last Sunday at Ethnic Heritage Centre, Ikoyi.

Speaking at the event dedicated to him to mark his 70th birthday celebrated earlier in the year, the Chair, National Film and Video Censors Board, disclosed how badly pirates had hurt him and how pervasive their activities had become in the creative sector.

He said: “There was one of the movies of Mainframe Productions that had up to five pirated versions, found across major cities in Nigeria. In fact, some of the versions did not give appropriate credit to Mainframe Productions. It is our collective responsibility to fight piracy because it has eaten deep into the creative industry. Many producers have gone bankrupt as a result of this menace.

“We have a movie made in 2014 but we have not been able to release till date due to the fear of piracy.  Tackling the menace is a collective responsibility that also involves behavioural changes amongst people. Nigerians should desist from purchasing pirated copies of creative works but purchase original works from credible outlets instead. This will be a great boost for the creative industry.”

The producer of movies including Arugba, Saworo Ide, Ole Ku and Campus Queen amongst others also enjoined Nigerians to be proud of their culture. He said that he had continued to benefit from early exposure to Yoruba culture while growing up in Abeokuta.

“My upbringing as a child in Abeokuta, Ogun State, empowered me to have a different worldview through the camera lens that is currently being celebrated across the globe. Our culture is beautiful and this is what we can sell to the world. It is ours; we should take pride in that, and our ingenuity would make the world celebrate us.  Our devotion to research and untiring desire for excellence are what have set Mainframe Productions apart from the crowd,” he said.

It will be recalled that almost all players in the creative industry have suffered from piracy. One of the most saddening cases is that of the veteran comedian, Moses Olaiya Adejumo, popularly known as Baba Sala, who pirates totally bankrupted by selling copies of his ‘OrunMooru.’

Filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan; movie distributor, IgweGabosky and journalist, Olusegun Adeniyi are amongst those who have suffered in recent times.

Fittingly, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and the police had started collaborating to tackle the menace.  Stakeholders, who were the ones feeling the pinch, would, however, appreciate more coordinated efforts to tackle the issue.