Filmmaker and actress Pearl Nkiruka Waturuocha, known to many as Pearl Wats, has said that Nigeria’s film industry, which is the third largest in the world, will soon rival the number one in the World, America’s Hollywood.
Miss Wats, who said this in a recent interview, explained that with the increased growth and international recognition Nollywood is getting, will encourage filmmakers to intensify their efforts, which would translate to it being at par with Hollywood.
While speaking on the economic importance of Nollywood as an industry, she said “It is not only actors, actresses, producers, cameramen, directors, and producers that make money from the industry, but also make-up artists, stylists, fashion designers, video editors, food vendors, set designers, house agents, project managers, and many more.
“Apart from the fact that movies help a lot of people relax, it has also helped in curbing unemployment in Nigeria. Nollywood is the 3rd biggest film industry in the world. Entertainment as a whole is a very big deal in Nigeria and has put Nigeria on the map.”
During the Interview, she suggested that Filmmakers explore making movies that tell the story of the slave trade in Nigeria.
She argued that, as Nollywood has devolved into telling more cultural and historical stories, the slave trade in Nigeria should be another story that should be told. She expressed her desire to be willing to play a role in this kind of movie.
According to her, her most challenging role was in a movie where she played the role of a mentally deranged woman. She says that when she was giving the script, she thought it was going to be an easy one, but when she got into character, she saw that it wasn’t as easy as she thought.
She also noted that watching movies as a child used to make her happy and endeared her to being an actress. It helped her make up her mind that she also wanted to be the reason other people smile.
She further revealed that despite acting being her passion, when she joined the industry as a newbie, she faced challenges like people finding it hard to take her seriously and producers wanting to take advantage of her naivety.
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