as everyone else but he's not just taking shots at the pirates;
rather, he's slamming Nollywood film makers for being
'intellectual imbeciles.' With the outcry following the sales
of pirated copies of Kunle Afolayan's award winning film,
October 1, Ali Baba took to his Facebook page this morning
to write about the increasing rate of piracy in the country.
Read below…
When I raised this issue, at critical meetings, I was asked,
ARE YOU AN ACTOR?… The results are out… There is a
popular African saying about throwing stones in the market
place… Let me repeat (paraphrase more like) what some
stakeholders told me. 'Ali Baba, you don't know our business
more than us. We need funding.
Once we get funded, we will
create distribution channels. We will engage in capacity
building. We will build more film villages. We will improve
the quality of our movies. We will encrypt our DVDs. We can
beat the Pirates at their game.' I am sure Amaka Igwe will be
laughing right now like I am laughing. Intellectual
imbeciles!! My brother I like your resolve. Sadly, the people
you are fighting for, still don't get it. Na who wear the shoes
know where e dey pinch am.
Interestingly, some of the actors who get paid for their roles,
only see up to that point: it's a paid for job, onto the next.
The producers and executive producers are the ones who dole
out money to pay for the movies that get pirated. Na them this
thing go pain. In case you don't know, some people are in the
movie industry for the popularity.
They did not join the
industry, if I may call it that, to make money or secure their
future. So, when you are talking about stopping them before
they stop us, you may actually be stepping on toes of some
actors. Because for them, the more people who see the
movies, the better for them. They want to be seen anyway.
These same people would act for free. Because all they want
is to be seen.
They want to be recognized as stars. Get popular enough to
be considered for brand endorsements. Pull enough weight to
be paid appearance fee upon sighting at events. Amass
enough followers to be considered as an A-Lister. It is just
enough for them to be craved by sex crazy men and women
who drool over screen idols. They want their faces plastered
in magazines and as recurrent decimals in gossip columns of
junk journalism. That's all. In the light of the above
paragraph, what 'CONSIGNS' them with piracy, arrest,
prosecution, compensation, or even strategies to reduce the
effects of the trade? When it brings them the desired fame?
Naaaa. You did not hear that one Nollywood actor asked AY
what was he still fighting pirates for… The one you make for
Cinema never do you?
Better put, there are people in this industry that you are
sticking your neck out for, who will put their STOMACH 1ST,
before they think of OCTOBER 1ST. So, much as I applaud
your resolve, I know the people you are fighting for will not
appreciate it. They can't. It's a mindset thing. In fact, after
that Showbiz encounter with the president, one person called
me to say, it was my useless question that made GEJ not drop
money like he should have dropped.
So my assumption, not
confirmed, is that he dropped but not like he should have
dropped….
Egbon mi, Yemi Shodimu do you think these people I
described feel the pains of Tunde Kelani, or the struggles of
Mahmood Ali-Balogun, the bitterness of Tade Ogidan,
frustration of Baba SALA or the sorrows of Kunle Afolayan?
Naaaa… They just want to be in your movie and
Bloooooooooooow. Whether you make your money back is
your Wahala. Just give them a script for the next movie. What
do I know SEF? SHEBI I am just a comedian.
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