To be sincere with you everyone in the movie died – Nollywood director Saint Joseph Ovensehi tells Nollywoodgossip

 Joseph Saint Ovensehi

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

 

  • Saint Joseph  Ovensehi is a Nigerian movie director from Benin, Edo State.
  • He tells Nollywoodgossip: “I got into producing and directing fully last year.”
  • He says: “I’ve done three major movies and two TV dramas; they’re Alta vs Altars, Trials of Destiny, Mission to Death, My Trials, and Elixir in Spartacus.”
  • He says some of the stars he has worked with include: Oge Okoye, Jibola Dabo, Tonto Dikeh, Waltar Angar, Fred Ariko, Titi Edo, and Ugwu Lota ELIXIR.
  • He says his new movie Elixir is a controversial flick that circles around the life of a celebrity who believes that with a snap of his finger he can get any female folk into his bed.
  • He says: “The celebrity ended up raping his foster sister to death. And she happened to place a curse on him before she died that he will meet his death in between the legs of a woman.”
  • “He ended up raping all his sisters and raped his mother and was stabbed to death by his mother.”
  • He says: “Directing is more challenging than producing, because as a director you are still the overseer of the entire production and whatever mistake anyone makes is your mistake.”
  • He says: “Yes, I have acted. I played Oge Okoye’s boyfriend in altar vs altars, but I don’t think I will like to act again, because I don’t really enjoy watching myself on screen.”
  • “Though I don’t really have free time, but most times when I am less busy I read Islamic books and play video games.”
  • “I am a Christian but I am a lover of Islamic religion, sometimes I wish I was a Muslim.”

By Delia Innoma (Live Online with Delia).

Please tell our readers a bit about you.

I am Saint Joseph Ovensehi, from Edo state, a native of Benin, though I don’t speak any native languages. I only speak English and Arabic.

How long have you been into movie making?

Let’s say for two years now, though I have been writing scripts since I was 13, but I got into producing and directing fully last year.

How many movies have you directed so far?

Three major movies and two TV dramas, they’re Alta vs Altars, Trials of Destiny, Mission to Death, My Trials, and Elixir in Spartacus.

Which known artists have you worked with?

Oge Okoye, Jibola Dabo, Tonto Dikeh, Waltar Angar, Fred Ariko, Titi Edo, and Ugwu Lota ELIXIR all starred in my movies

Tell us about your new movie?

Elixir is a controversial movie that circles around the life of a celebrity who believes that with a snap of his finger he can get any female folk to his bed and same time, he was a junky, and he slept with every female in site and ended up raping his foster sister to death. And she happened to place a curse on him before she died that he will meet his death in between the legs of a woman. He ended up raping all his sisters and raped his mother and was stabbed to death by his mother. To be sincere with you everyone in the movie died. It’s a tragic flick.

Which artists are you working with?

So far I’ve featured Uche Ogbodo, Bisping Okpoya, Tonto Dikeh, and Ugwu Lota Elixir. We are recording the three and four next month.

How was it like working with Tonto Dikeh and Uche Ogbodo?

Both of them never met on set. We will be recording Tonto’s bit next month. Uche was easy for me working with and everyone on set liked the story, so it was fun doing the movie.

Have you ever premiered your film?

Yes I have. I premiered Altat vs Altars. It was first premiered on April 27th 2012 and we’ll be premiering in other states and country soon.

Why are most people now premiering their movies? Is it to curb piracy?

Not really, to me it only helps you recover most of your income from ticket sales before it gets into the market and eventually ends up in the hands of pirates. And in most cases, it makes dignitaries to recognize your movie.

Which is more challenging, producing or directing?

I will say directing because as a director you are still the overseer of the entire production and whatever mistake anyone makes is your mistake.

Many directors act too, do you act?

Yes, I have acted. I played Oge Okoye’s boyfriend in altar vs altars, but I don’t think I will like to act again, because I don’t really enjoy watching myself on screen (laughs).

How do you spend your free time?

Though I don’t really have free time, but most times when I am less busy I read Islamic books and play video games.

Are you Muslim?

I am a Christian but I am a lover of Islamic religion, sometimes I wish I was a Muslim.

What do you think is needed in Nollywood?

Revolution is what we need in Nollywood (laughs). We need to change our marketing strategies. It’s so strange how the Alaba market has turn into, you do a film for N2m and a marketer tells you he’ll pay you N1m, because there is no more market in sales of CDs. I think first we have to stop the DSTV right thing. Because those are some of the things that has killed our market
and secondly, we need to come up with creative stories and better interpretations for our stories.

Are you married?

No, but I swear I am ready if she shows up (laughs).

What are you looking for in a woman?

If you want me to be sincere, she has to be beautiful and a good cook. We can work on the attitude later (laughs).

What will you advice anyone who wants to enter into the film industry now?

Who so ever wants to go into film making should first look out for unique and creative stories, and as well target the cinemas.

Anything else you want to add?

You actually missed out one thing, my role models and the people I look up to in the industry.
Frank Rajah Arase is my no. 1 source of inspiration, his method of interpreting stories keeps me glued to my seat, not the stories really. I love Raja and I can boldly say he is my mentor. And I will forever be grateful to Zeb Ejiro who gave me formal training in directing, and Lancelot the governor, I look up to him, and to all students of my film school steward resources films limited, I look up to all these people.

Any words to your fans?

My fans out there should watch out for more great and creative jobs from me. With God by my side we will make a positive change in the industry.

Nollywoodgossip wishes you the best.

Thanks for having me.

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

Joseph Saint Ovensehi

About the Author

Delia Innoma was born 26 September in Lagos. After her OND in Accounting, IMT Enugu, she left for further studies abroad. Her interests on computer made her study and achieved certificate in Computer programming. In Germany where she lives till date, she discovered her love for acting and featured in 1995 in German Series (Comedy Factory). Delia is happily married with 2 wonderful kids. Her son has passion for music and her daughter draws her dreams on paper. These kids will not stop at anything to make her a happy Mum. She loves being mum, but still had discovered something that makes her happy and that is writing. She writes her mind about issues and also likes to help other people discover their dreams. She recognized early enough that “is not who we are that hold us back on our success, but who we think we are”.

48 Comments on this article. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Lawrence Lurrenz Onuzulike June 26, 2012 at 4:57 pm - Reply

    cool

  2. Tina Ak. June 26, 2012 at 4:58 pm - Reply

    lol, so who come be d actor nah?

  3. Joseph Saint Ovensehi June 26, 2012 at 6:30 pm - Reply

    nice

  4. Emeruwa Eunice Ezinne June 26, 2012 at 9:13 pm - Reply

    very nice

  5. Patricia Ethagbhe Ezumezu June 27, 2012 at 8:31 am - Reply

    na Nuclear kill all of them? lol

  6. Princess Florence-Toya June 27, 2012 at 9:09 am - Reply

    Nice 1

  7. Faith Adaugo Agomuo June 27, 2012 at 9:16 am - Reply

    You r not a Muslim, but u like reading Islamic religion…hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I guess sumtin s missing in your life..all d best.

  8. Nelly Ejiro J June 27, 2012 at 10:17 am - Reply

    Nice

  9. Happy Albert June 27, 2012 at 10:41 am - Reply

    nice though

  10. Avwerosuo Tracy Orogun June 27, 2012 at 7:00 pm - Reply

    nice still waiting to hear frm you.

  11. Delia Innoma June 28, 2012 at 7:45 am - Reply

    Yes ooo, keep it real.

  12. Ijeoma Onyeke June 29, 2012 at 1:42 pm - Reply

    nice

  13. Halima Faliliat June 29, 2012 at 2:36 pm - Reply

    This is absolutely free, very easy all you need is an internet facility.

    I have been using this system for some time now; I will be showing you how to make unlimited cash with your liberty reserve account and a perfect money account. I will try to make it as short as possible. But clear, just like every other business your interest and seriousness counts.

    "The reward for hard work is success".

    THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

    1. open a liberty reserve account at http://www.libertyreserve.com ( this is free).

    2. Open a perfect money account at http://www.perfectmoney.com (this is free).

    3. Fund your liberty reserve account with a minimum of 11 USD, because of transaction charges, actually you needed a minimum of 10 USD.

    (Note: To fund or sell your liberty reserve, go to http://www.google.com to search for an e-currency exchanger close to you.)

    4. Go to http://www.softxchanger.com , and exchange 10 USD from your liberty reserve account to your perfect money account.

    1 LR——>1.28 PM, so 10 LR—-> 12.80 PM.

    5. Go to http://www.superchange.ru or http://www.swapgold.com , exchange 12.80 Perfect money to 11.01liberty reserve.

    1 PM —-> 0.86 LR, so 12.80 PM—>11.01 LR. You have gain 1.01 USD.

    6. Repeat the exchange process from LR—->PM—>LR.

    You can always increase your capital, because the more money you exchange the faster u make your cash. I can make up to 257 USD per day. Doing up to 25 exchanges per hour. But there is also no harm in starting small.

    GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

  14. Sammy A Psalmist June 29, 2012 at 4:03 pm - Reply

    I hear….

  15. Gladys Sibanda Jensen June 30, 2012 at 4:38 am - Reply

    we wait and see the movie….

Leave A Response