A lady can show cleavage and be decent about it –Vivian Ejike, movie producer

'I have asked God to deliver me from spirit of shoes'

Vivian Ejike is a movie producer and a mother. Movie production for her started when she was a student. That was when she released a movie titled Golden Fleece. In this interview with Adaeze Amos, she speaks about her foray into the makebelieve world, her sizzling passion for shoes among others.

What are those fashion blunders you often notice in this part of the world?

Sometimes I like what I see, at other times they become an eyesore. There is this low-waist jeans. I have one that is particularly painful to my eyes. When I see low-waist jeans, I like them, they are nice. But I don’t want to see your butt-crack, thank you. It is very painful to my eyes. Honestly, I feel like we are selling ourselves, dignity and virtues cheap. I mean why should any man look at your butt-crack when he is not your boyfriend or your husband? It is silly. You can still be properly covered and look good. Even if you want to show flesh or skin, you can show a little bit of skin and still look nice. You can show cleavage and be decent about it. That is what I always tell people. I’m not a nun, I show skin but you have to show it in moderation, in a decent way. But when I show excessive skin, know that I’m at home.

Why did you choose to be a movie producer, a writer, a marketer and not an actress?

I derive more pleasure and fun from making stars I’m into movie distribution as well. I have never acted before in my life because I have always been a behind-the-scene person.

What’s your field of study?

I studied Foreign Languages and Linguistics at the University of Port Harcourt. I graduated in 1997 and here we are today. I was a banker for a while, basically because I come from a family of bankers. My parents worked and retired as bankers. Almost everybody in the family has been through the bank or is in the bank. I did that to satisfy them because there was no job satisfaction. I was doing very well in the bank but there was no job satisfaction. I needed something more exciting that would challenge my creativity. That was why I came back to my first love, although I made my first movie in 1996 while a student.

What was the title of the movie you released while a student?

It is called Golden Fleece. There was an old friend that had some money and needed to invest it. Out of my interest and passion for the theatre, I encouraged him to invest in movies even though I had never made one before. That was how I found myself playing the role of a producer. Thankfully, I had a few contacts already in the industry who were family friends, and that was how I started.

What really motivated you to start producing movies?

It was the passion for the arts, theatre and movies. It’s actually in-born. A lot of people could have sworn when I was much younger that I was going to end up being an actress but for some reasons as I had just told you the circumstances surrounding my becoming a producer. I found out that I got a bit more satisfaction from making the stars, from being there, doing the creative part of the work, then sitting back and having people enjoy my creativity.

Are there challenges you face as a female movie producer?

Most movie producers are male but I have been fortunate enough. I enjoy a lot of support from my male and some of my female colleagues. I’m basically not complaining. What a lot of people would call challenge, I call it fun because I’m a rugged person. I feel it all comes as a total package. Like when we are shooting and there is power problem, we have to carry generators of about 60 kilogrammes all round Lagos or outside and all of that. Those are the little challenges that I’m faced with. I see them as part of the fun. But that is not to say that today if we have a film village that I wouldn’t appreciate it or somewhere you have a steady supply of power. You don’t have fixed locations as you go to beg people for houses. They sometimes cock their guns at us if you have overstayed your welcome or you have damaged their property.

What inspires the stories you write?

When people ask me that question, I think I’m the weirdest person on earth. I get inspired to do my stories either when I’m in the shower or, as strange as it may sound, when everywhere is quiet and I hear the sound of children. When children are playing in the background, like sometimes I have my daughter’s friends in the house, like during holidays, the house would be filled with kids, making all those kids’ noises in the background, somewhere and I’m quiet in the room, I get inspired. Things just keep coming. Maybe it is weird, I know, but that is just me. When there is water flowing down my head or face or anything, I just get fresh ideas. Also when I’m driving, I know nothing would disturb me, a lot of ideas come to me.

How do you combine motherhood with writing and producing movies?

For a lot of people, they feel it must be really challenging. Yes, it’s challenging but when you are doing what you enjoy, you don’t feel the challenge. It’s tough, to be honest with you, the regular person in the street is going to find it very tough because you go to work in the morning, you do homework by the time you get home. Fortunately, I have a driver that picks my child from school. But you still have to look at the homework, go through it and make sure the lesson teacher is there. You ensure that dinner is ready on time, she has her baths on time and she gets to bed by eight. And when she gets to bed you play the wifely duties by making sure everybody is fed and everything. You retire to work again. I write very well late at night when people are sleeping. After I have had the inspiration, and I know what I want to write, now the proper writing, dialoguing and everything comes for me naturally in the night or during the day when everywhere is quiet and people are off.

Most actresses complain that movie producers give out roles based on sentiments at times, what do you have to say about this?

I can’t deny the fact. I hear people complain about it. But the truth is that, that is not the case with me. With me, I don’t care who you are, you would definitely come for audition. Unless you are an established star with a name and I already have an idea of where I want you to be in the story, else you are coming for audition. When you come for audition, and you are not good enough, that is the end of the story. If you are good, I don’t care where you are coming from or who you are; you would be taken.

When you are less busy, what do you like doing?

I love reading and travelling. Sometimes the job takes me round. I thank God for that.

Define your style?

My style is me; it is who I am. It is what defines me. I’m not someone who is moved by fashion and trends because I always tell people that fashion and trends would come and go but style remains. The style is you. My style is Vivian, I’m timeless. Once I know what suits me, what looks good on me, be it hairstyle, clothes, shoes, I will stick to it.

What is that fashion accessory you always long to have?

Shoes! I have obsession for shoes.

How many pairs can you boast of?

Many! Sometimes I buy and I keep. Sometimes, I keep those I haven’t worn and then when I bring them out, I notice there is a problem because I haven’t worn them for so long. It is that bad really but I have asked God to deliver me from that spirit of shoes. Honestly, it is not good because sometimes I buy even the ones I know I may not use. I love shoes and I have a massive collection of wrist watches. Coincidentally, I barely wear most of them. Most of them happen to be in their packs for long unworn and out of all of them, I choose just two or three that I always wear. I have a massive collection of wrist watches. I didn’t realise that till lately. I just keep buying, piling them and I don’t use them.

What is that part you flaunt?

I’m grateful to God for the kind of body he gave me. But I want to say that hips don’t lie.

What is your philosophy of life?

I always have this mantra: do onto others what you would want them do to you. That is what guides me, the fear of God.