Eric Aghimien has disclosed that he made A Mile from Home with very little expectation, as nobody thought the movie would be any pole near greatness.
Aghimien, who runs Hills Pictures and is responsible for the award-winning A Mile from Home, told TheNiche that the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, is growing considering the quality of movies coming out from there lately.
Just back from the Berlinale Talents, a sort of training for people in film at the Berlin International Film Festival, Aghimien argues that Nollywood is really taking advantage of the digital age.
Although, the filmmaker confesses that there is still a long way to go in terms of technicality and the way we tell our stories, he agrees that Nigeria is not there yet. He however believes the industry is taking the right steps.
“I made A Mile from Home with a very little expectation, but at the same time paying attention to details. Nobody ever thought the movie will be this great, considering the budget I had at my disposal. There was a time on set when we ran out of money and some members of our team stopped believing in the project, making the production more difficult. At this time, I had to depend on my instinct, my passion and God. And God’s grace saw it through,” he said while speaking about his now very successful feature film, A Mile from Home.
The story of the filmmaker, who made his first short film, Hecktor, in 2011 and his first feature in 2013, is an interesting and unique one that could have gone sideways. No doubt he credits God’s grace for the success. But Aghimien does not hesitate to describe himself as one of the fastest-growing filmmakers in the country. And before one concludes that this is immodest, he adds that he is the most privileged as well.
But didn’t someone say that there is a thin line between hard work and privilege? Aghimien, unlike some of his colleagues in Nollywood, is not resting on his laurels, since at the time A Mile from Home is winning awards and also getting acclaimed by critics, he decided to go for more training.
“Berlinale Talents was such an awesome experience I will never forget. I learnt a lot, but to mention a few as a director, I would say I learnt how to help actors and get the best out of them, how to create worlds that do not exist from space and how to engage your audience. Also, I met prospective collaborators for future projects and I think this is great for Nollywood too,” he said of his experience in Berlin last month.
This is the mark of someone who would go places, for training, no matter how minuscule, goes a long way. What is more, he wants other Nigerian filmmakers to apply and be part of the great experience.
“It is an experience no film professional should miss, although very competitive; 300 participants selected from over 2,500 applications. For this year’s, 300 people were selected from 70 countries all over the world,” he stated.
Did he always want to be a filmmaker? The answer is a resounding no.
“At a time, I wanted to become a medical doctor because of where I grew up. People made me believe that you have to be a doctor or lawyer to be successful. But my late uncle, Imuetinyan Osaghae, helped me discover the right path to take and I have never regretted it. Now, I can truly say that I am on the right path to achieving my dreams,” explained Aghimien, who does not like the tag of ‘action film director’ some journalists have since placed on him.
He is particularly conscious of this tag because he likes to refer to himself as a storyteller. Right now, he has a couple of stories he would love to tell, but is not decided yet on the one to bring forward as his next project.
“I can tell any kind of story; it doesn’t have to be action. But I know I have carved a niche for myself in action and I may or will always put a little action in my stories for my fans where and when necessary. What I am working on now is very different from A Mile from Home and I will rather not say anything about it, I will like to make it a surprise,” he added.
