Why I'm back in Nollywood with a movie on AIDS - Ace makeup artist, Dagogo Diminas

Diminas

Unarguably one of the founding fathers of Nollywood and revered makeup artist, Dagogo Diminas is back in the industry after over a decade of absence. Diminas, who trained virtually all the first generation makeup artists and set designers in Nollywood, recently breezed in from his base in Berlin, Germany, to promote his latest film on HIV/AIDS-Stigma.

In this encounter with SHOWBIZPLUS, Diminas, made it clear he will never dump Nollywood for anything. The Rivers State-born filmmaker also spoke on why he’s staging a comeback with an advocacy movie, where he has been, among other germane issues.

When did you return to the country?

I think it’s about five years now. But I have been on and off since then. But for the past two months I have been around. I came to premiere my movie entitled Stigma. It was shot in Port Harcourt, and Berlin. It’s movie that revolves around HIV/AIDS.

Has it been premiered?

Yes. We premiered it on December 1, which is the World AIDS Day. The essence of the movie is to sensitize people about HIV/AIDS. We want to stop the stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS.

How was the turnout during the premiere?

It was massive because the hype had been on since 2010. Everybody was out including government officials. The hall could only accommodate 200 people and 50 extra. But we had over 300 people present; we had about 2000 people wanting to watch it that day.

When are you having the Lagos premiere?

We have a programme that is being followed. 2013 is already gone so we will be having that of Lagos this year-2014. We will also be releasing it in Cinemas across the world, including Lagos, Berlin, Ghana, London, among other places. So there is an outlined programme we are following. Since it is on HIV/AIDS, we need to plan and bring the right people together to watch it. AIDS is a global issue, not just entertainment. We want people to really watch the movie, and the whole essence is to stop the stigmatization.

Why the passion for an HIV/AIDS movie, also why the name, Stigma?

The movie is a true life story about a lady who contracted HIV from the kind of work she does- traditional birth attendant. She was ostracized by the community. Her mother could not stand the stigmatization from her families and friends so she ended up dying. But the very daughter who contracted it was able to fight the stigmatization. So the movie is a triumph over death. I decided to do a movie on this when I discovered that Nigerians don’t like talking about the disease. They really don’t want to get tested too and they are very quick to stigmatize those that tested positive. And whenever ones nature of ailment is not being understood, they start saying he or she is HIV positive. I have spent many years in South Africa and I have seen the way they handle this issue. And I told myself that I must do something on this scourge; the strongest medium to get this message across to Nigerians is not via the print media, it is through the visual which is the films. Everybody in Nigeria likes watching African movies. The truth is that the stigma is the biggest killer right now in Africa. Lots of people don’t know how to deal with stigma. In fact, the people living with the virus also stigmatize themselves most times. If you are living with the virus and you eat well…that is living healthily, nobody will know and nobody will stigmatise you. In South Africa, there are lots of people with the virus but they still look so healthy and fabulous. Over there, they talk about it freely; it is nothing to them. Some of them are even very successful more than the people without the virus. It doesn’t stop them from realizing their goals in life.

Tell us about the cast of the movie

It is a star studded movie and features actors like Jackie Appiah, Emeka Ike, Ngozi Nwosu, Clem Ohameze, Francis Duru, Soibifaa Dokubo among others.

You were known famously as a makeup artiste, when did you veer into film making?

Don’t forget I studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt. I excelled with makeup in the movie industry. But when I travelled outside the country, I worked with big film companies for over 10 years and that gave me lots of exposures. When I came back to Nigeria, I discovered I would have a big problem if I decided to remain a makeup artiste; this is simply because some of them may not be able to afford my fees again. And again, people need to tell good stories. That was how I started a documentary production and later started working on this current movie.

So you have abandoned makeup for filmmaking?

No. I still do makeup. I did a movie in South Africa last year where I was the makeup artiste. From time to time my agency also arranges job for me as a makeup artiste. But basically, my passion is to make films dwelling on social issues-that is what I want to end my life doing.

What is the core message you want to pass to the world with Stigma

I want to tell people that you can have the virus, live with it and also become what God has destined you to be. There are other illnesses that kill people faster than AIDS and we don’t stigmatise people with such illnesses.

Outside this, what are your other plans?

We want to take the movie round the world. We are also trying to bring students to come out and watch the movie; this might be sponsored by the state government. We need to capture the minds of people in that age bracket. We will also take it to film festivals. We want to use it to change lives. The movie is a campaign tool for Africans. We want to mould and reorient the young ones, so that in the next few years they can sit down with HIV/AIDS persons and even get married to them.

Any plan to have it on DVD?

Yes. After taking it round, we will have it on DVD so that people can also buy and watch it at homes.

Lots people have really supported you, how does that make you feel

It makes me feel good. It also shows that when everything fails you there are people who will never leave you. I also feel that when you are doing something on social issue, you will see lots of people supporting you. The Rivers State Ministry of Health has also been so instrumental to the success of the film.

What was the production budget like?

Right now we are going above N40 million. The truth is that we are not looking at the money; we are looking at the content. Lots of people who really don’t want to be mentioned have contributed to the success of this production, both financially and otherwise.  

How soon are you coming out with another movie?

Soon we will be shooting another movie which is also on a topical issue. The script is ready. Very soon we will have the scripts reviewed by our partners.  

You were here for several years before leaving; Nollywood of your days and today’s Nollywood which is better?

In our days we were passionate with what we were doing. We tried as much as possible to do good movies. But financially, I think I would love to be in this new era (laughs). In our time there wasn’t much money in filmmaking. Then the maximum amount an actor was paid was about N400,000. Unlike now that some are even being paid above N2 million. So it wasn’t like this before. But I still like that my era because we were so passionate with our contents. My problem with this era is that the art department is not fully looked into. You cannot pay an actor two million and pay a makeup artiste N50,000. I am looking at where the makeup artiste would be paid well as well. A makeup artiste cannot go to location with a commercial bus while the actor drives in with the best SUV in town!

Do you still live in Berlin, Germany?

Yes. This is my third year of living there. But the truth is that I really don’t have a particular place where I live. I live where my product is being made. Right now most of it is being made in Germany. If my next project is in London, definitely I will relocate to London.

Do you intend marrying from Germany?

Anywhere love takes me to.