A CHAT WITH ONE OF THE ACTORS IN THE MOVIE " UP CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE" AND BEHIND THE SCENE PICTURES!!

THE MOVIE "UP CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE" IS A  MOVIE ABOUT NIGER DELTANS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO LIVE IN THE CREEKS AND ARE FACED WITH THE HARSH REALITIES OF BEING DENIED BASIC AMENITIES LIKE WATER, ELECTRICITY,GOOD BASIC EDUCATION ,GOOD ROADS ETC DESPITE BEING  HOME TO MANY MULTINATIONAL OIL COMPANIES..THE MOVIE TELLS THE STORY FROM A NIGER DELTAN MILLITANT'S ANGLE .....HIS NAME IS DIONGOLI...... 

PERE and TARILA THOMPSON behind the camera

 Diongoli ( played by TARILA THOMPSON )  was recruited by a MILLITANT GROUP to be their leader because he was educated.

PERE  and Ernest Asuzu

 Some white men were kidnapped and DUEY who was played by ERNEST ASUZU  wanted the government to pay a heavy ransome......DIONGOLI didnt want the ransom, rather he wanted the Federal government to sign an MOU with them to provide his people with drinking water,electricty, hospitals, good schools, good roads and a cleaner environment...clean from all the waste generated by the OIL COMPANIES..which in some places had made fishing (which is the main source of livelihood) impossible

PERE ..Playing the part of an ex millitant!

PERE in another scene once again PLAYS HIMSELF.....AN EX MILLITANT!

NGOZI :  Who is the man  PERE?

 PERE : I am a special effects make-up artist/Designer, Poet, Artiste, Writter, Videographer, Editor, Director and Film maker in the fast growing African/ Nigerian Movie/Entertainment industry tagged 'NOLLYWOOD' & Also the MUSIC industry. I hail from BAYELSA state of NIGER-DELTA of NIGERIA. I am easy going and a professional to the core. I was born to MR AND MRS ALFRED SUNNY ODON. My Dad was a big time banker back then. I studied at the University of Uyo & majored in Costume & Make-up design.

NGOZI : How long have you been in the Nigerain movie industry?

PERE : More than 18 years now.

NGOZI : Wow! Was there a movie industry in Nigeria 18 years ago, and what was your first gig?

PERE : Yes there was, even in the 70's there was already a budding movie industry. I started with television as a young man with NTA Aba,where I was taken to the station by one Chris Opara.He is a director there and he introduced me into a play called "Sorry Madam" or so. That was in 1988. After that I featured in EMEKA UHEAGBU'S  "PRECIOUS TINA" also in Aba.

NGOZI : Please can you tell us some of your accomplishments  as a veteron in the Nigerian  entertainment industry?

PERE : In 2003,I was invited by the then President of Sierra Leone,Tijan Kabbah alongside Genevieve Nnaji,Omotola Ekeinde,Zack Orji,Fred Amata,Ruke Amata,Olu Jacobs,Soibifaa Diminas to come shoot a movie "Bai Bureh Goes to war' in Freetown. It was a wonderful experience to be at "Hill Station", just like our own Aso Rock Villa with the President. I have done lots of movie & musical videos in this country. I was the MAKE-UP ARTIST and ASSISTANT DIRECTOR in all of OJB Jezreel musical videos.I was the Make-Up artsit in "Tango with Me' which was directed by Mamoud Ali-Balogun,"Covenant Church on Pastor Adeboye was directed by Charles Novia" which gave  me an AMMA award nomination in 2007, I was nominated in the Best Make-up category. In 2010, I was the Assistant Director & stage Manager in Walt Disney "High School Musical" on stage directed by Tarila Thompson, where Emma Ayalogu was the acting teacher, Stella Damasus was the music teacher & Keffe the celebrated Dancer was the dance teacher. I did make-up for Etisalat Homezone commercials, Royco "Give me 5 commercial". I also lecture make-up & costume design as resourse person at various workshops and seminars around the country. I also play the dancehall music & have 3 singles on air . A promo musical video playing in various tv stations. I also have a promo video titled "RAGGA SEI" featuring OJB JEZREEL. I  produce, direct & anchor a tv programme tagged "Carnival & Festival" on  GLORYLAND TV, BAYELSEA.

NGOZI : With all these accomplishments why have u decided to keep a low profile?

PERE : I guess its my nature, I tend to shy away from the GLAM and GLITZ of the industry. Several times I've tried to go out like MY YOUNGER BROTHER TIMAYA but I always shy away because i am a STREET BOY WITH AN UPTOWN ORIENTATION.

NGOZI : Wow! You mean Timaya is brother? You share the same parents?

PERE : Yes He is my brother! I discovered him at the age of seven...and to digress a bit I also discovered INIH EDO while in the university. She never had any intention of acting, when I saw her I told her to come join us..she said "GOD FORBID,DO I WANT HER PARENTS TO KILL HER? ". The rest is now history!

NGOZI : How did you discover Timaya?

PERE : I recorded my first album when I was 14 with a group called "The Jah Boy " in Aba. Anytime I tried learning a song I would want to perform then, he will be the first to know it as a kid, He always played my tapes when I am not home. I now decided to take him and introduced to my music friends, and I also handed him over to a firend & brother called Jonah Yalah alias MJ of Ruff House Crew. He was 8 yrs old then, He virtually won every kid contest with lots of awards to his kitty.


NGOZI : Why are you very passionate about The movie " UP CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE " ? What makes it different from other NOLLYWOOD MOVIES?

PERE : The movie is different from other Nollywood movie cause we raised the bar in terms of equipment,facilities,crew members from foreign,welfare,accommodation,etc. We used 3 RED cameras that Hollywood use to shoot their movies. A RED camera for a day goes for N150k against the N5k a day Nollywood HD. This is a movie for cinema & big film festivals over the world. With the RED format,one can broker foreign deal for distribution. Actors where brought in from Germany,Bulgaria,South Africa cause of accents.

NGOZI : What were your challenges and high points in shooting a movie of this magnitude?

PERE : Finance was the major challenge we had. This movie gulped more than 150 MILLION NAIRA , But thank GOD we saw people that bought into our dream because they were surprised that we didn't use it to enrich ourselves like what others in Nollywood do. But the high point was that we were able to buy our own equipments and learn new techniques . Some of the ex millitants that worked with us now love movie making.

NGOZI : Quite impressive, In this movie YOU PLAYED YOURSELF AS AN EX MILLITANT..Please can you tell us a little about that?

PERE : Well, I will rather call myself a FREEDOM FIGHTER. ..and this movie tells that story..You will just have to wait till the movie comes out

NGOZI : When will it be out?

PERE : Trust me you will be the first to know! lol.

NGOZI : Wat do u think is the solution to ending the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria and the world at large?

PERE : The Government should listen to the yearnings of the people and they should never forget they were elected to serve.We must be our brother's keeper ,be security conscious and report strange activities to the relevant security agencies.

NGOZI : Do you believe in love and is there a special lady in your life.?

PERE : I believe in love. GOD is love! Yes there is a special lady in my life and her name is CHIZOBA.

NGOZI : Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

PERE : Only God knows what we happen in 5 years but we still keep planning.

NGOZI : Thank you so much for your time and  MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HUSTLE!