(From Google Doodle) - Amaka Igwe’s 57th Birthday
"I will give
you all I have, so you can add it to what you have and be better than me."
–Amaka Igwe
Today’s Doodle,
illustrated by Nigerian-raised, Brooklyn-based guest artist Data Oruwari, celebrates award-winning
Nigerian writer, director, entrepreneur, and producer Amaka Igwe on her 57th
birthday. Igwe helped transform the Nigerian film industry and built a media
empire from the ground up.
Uzoamaka ‘Amaka’
Audrey Igwe was born on this day in 1963 in Port harcourt, Rivers State,
Nigeria. At an early age, Amaka showed deep interest in the performing arts, as
she organized her school's variety shows, taught performance dance, as well as
wrote, acted, and directed plays.
During her postgraduate
studies, Igwe started focusing on theater and what she considered to be her
first gift: writing. She developed her first television series screenplay, Checkmate, widely
considered the best Nigerian soap opera of the 1990s.
This led to her
directorial debut in the feature film Rattlesnake (1995 for Crystal Gold Limited), a smash hit in her home
country, followed by films like Violated (1995 for Crystal Gold Limited) and A Barber's Wisdom (2001 for Mnet), which helped set a higher production standard
for “Nollywood” at the time. She wrote and directed the phenomenally successful Fuji House of Commotion (2001-2012 for Crystal Gold Limited), which gave her dominance
of the national television series industry.
Passionate about growing
the local industry, Igwe also helped organize the guild system that served the
executive boards of the Association of Movie Producers, and was also a patron
of the National Association of Cinematographers, the Screenwriters Guild and
the Guild of Movie Editors.
As a champion of
efficient local distribution as the basis for Nollywood’s growth, Igwe and her
business partner also organized an enhanced market distribution system and
helped improve quality and fairness in the industry.
On an international level,
Igwe led delegations to South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and France,
among other countries, to present the unique Nigerian approach to visual
storytelling, propogating global awareness of Nollywood.
She also co-founded the
African Film and Media Content Expo, entitled BOBTV, with Big Picture Limited,
with the aim of providing a global platform for Nigeria’s creative industries.
For 11 years, they presented BOBTV to the world, engaging more than 400
departments from 104 Nigerian universities, as well as the Motion Picture
Industry Practitioners and the Nigeria Government through its agencies.
Cementing herself as a
matriarch of Nollywood, Igwe evolved a media empire by co-founding a production
company, radio station, and TV network. Amaka Igwe shall be remembered as a
gifted storyteller, producer, director, pioneer of Nollywood, wife, and mother
of three.
In 2011, she was
announced as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR), an
award that honors Nigerians who made significant contributions to the nation.
Here’s to Amaka Igwe, a
true pioneer of Nigerian entertainment.
Guest Artist Q&A with Data Oruwari
Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Nigerian-raised,
Brooklyn-based guest artist Data Oruwari. Below,
she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:
Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?
A: This topic was
very special to me because I grew up watching TV shows and movies that Amaka
produced. My personal favorite was “Fuji House of Commotion” with the diversity
of its characters, original storytelling, and how refreshingly funny it was.
Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about
the project?
A: I felt honored to
be able to immortalize such an iconic woman and was immediately occupied with
thoughts of how best I could translate Amaka's visionary and creative essence.
Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this
Doodle?
A: This Doodle was
inspired by Amaka's vision for the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) and some
of the tools she used to bring these visions to life. When researching about
her, I came across articles and quotes that eluded to how she saw the big
picture when it came to the quality and type of films she chose to make. Her
belief was that Nollywood had the potential to put Nigeria on a global platform
and a need for more women to bridge the gap in a male-dominated industry. She
left behind a legacy of entertaining movies, TV shows, and a production company
that propelled this vision into existence; and also paved the way for more
female filmmakers.
Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?
A: I hope they will
be inspired to dream big and be daring enough to challenge the status quo.
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