INTERVIEW
A day in the life of…
27
Anthony Monjaro A typical day, whoa! Well, I start with my prayers for guidance first thing when I wake up. Then I like to listen to motivational audio in the morning; Les Brown, Tony Robins and the late Zig Ziglar. My favourite will have to be As A Man Thinketh by James T. Allen. I think everyone should either read the book or listen to the audio; it is powerful. I could listen to it everyday for weeks because every time I listen to it, it inspires something new in me. Now depending on if I am working on a TV/film project, then I tend to focus on either my character at the time and master my dialogue and scene breakdown. If I am not working, I am busy working on the plan for my new company that I hope to start pretty soon. I will say I am always doing something but one or the other will be a typical day. STORY: ISABELLA AKINSEYE PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANTHONY MONJARO
“Nollywood is big“ Marc-André Schmachtel BY OLUWAYOMI OLUSHOLA Afro beat, suya and sun were the three words Marc-Andre Schmachtel, the director of Goethe-Institut Nigeria chose to describe himself in Nigeria. But his sojourn in Nigeria has not been only about enjoying the sun in the daytime and eating suya at night while enjoying the groovy rhythm of afro beat, his job in Nigeria involves promoting German culture which sometimes, is through film screenings. According to Schmachtel, film screening is an easy medium that is easily set up and only requires the audience to react. He further adds that the Goethe-Institut’s interest in music and film in Nigeria is a way to create platforms which encourage inclusive dialogue. “We engage the audience by translating the German culture on screen,” he says. “But it is not only German culture, we always strive for a collaboration with the host country. So we have films from Nigerians as well as Germans screened.” For Goethe-Institut, film screenings especially documentary have always provided opportunities to discuss issues in society. By screening Nigerian and German films, everyone who attends has the opportunity to take a peek under the hood and discuss the two societies individually and in comparison. People can also share skills and learn from each other’s work. Furthermore, Goethe-Institut is supporting Lagos Film Society which aims to screen independent films which might not have a chance at the box office. The society will also serveas an informal filmmaking forum. Schmachtel believes Nollywood is big and wants to engage the industry, just as he has the hopes that in the nearest future there would be an art-house which would screen independent and artistic films. In earnest, Goethe-Institut regularly organises workshops for performance artistes, filmmakers and writers. “A mini ARV workshop which lasted one week was organised last year in April for eight Nollywood producers. The workshop proved beneficial and intense for the participants who had to attend by 9am every day and leave by 8pm. Despite all the traffic, nobody turned up late or left early. It shows that we are definitely filling a gap. We intend to organise another workshop next year.” Another intiative of Goethe-Institut is the Moving Africa mobility programme. Under this programme, Goethe-Institut has proposed to send a Nigerian filmmaker to Dakar. In addition, the organisation also hopes to introduce a quarterly cultural review magazine – digital and print. It will feature short stories, poems, intellectual content, film reviews and music reviews with a strong focus on Nigeria. This magazine would be targeted at readers in Lagos and Abuja primarily but the digital version will be accessible by a global audience. In preparation for the launche, a training will be organised to put together the team who will run the magazine independently. For this lover of egwusi and garri who has worked in Nigeria for almost four years, “the endless possibilities of cultural work in Nigeria is endearing and enjoyable” enough to spur him to stay on forever. He is fascinated to see how all the different Nigerian cultures work as a whole. He also admits “a deep respect for Nigerian artistry.“ Beyond the call of duty at the office, Schmachtel enjoys reading and listening to music. He also still finds time to go out and do a bit of sports for recreation. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARC-ANDRÉ SCHMACHTEL