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Creativity of Nigerian movie industry is mind-boggling, amazing, audacious – Utuk

Kenddrie Utuk is a US-based Nigerian filmmaker, well-known for his passion for boxing film genre. He is the founder of Fontabila Productions Inc., an entertainment strategy firm. He is currently working on a biopic on movie on the life and times of the South African boxer and former world heavy-weight champion, Gerrie Coetzee, entitled Against all Odds. In this interview with TONY OKUYEME, he talks about Coetzee, his experience and passion for film, why he is working on the production of a biopic on Charly Boy, and other issues

You have spent much of your career leading the charge in defining the boxing film genre in the United States. Why are you so passionate about this film genre?

I’m very passionate about the art and science of boxing. It takes total dedication, discipline and long hours of training to step into the ring – not to talk about winning a world boxing title, very few people are able to accomplish such great feat. Boxing is a very dangerous sport and I’m awe of these great warriors.

You are set to produce a biopic on the veteran South African boxer and former world heavyweight champion, Gerrie Coetzee, which is titled ‘Against All Odds’. Tell us the idea behind?

I saw a BBC documentary about Gerrie Coetzee, I started reading about his boxing career and the more I read about him, the more I was determined to make a movie about a great African hero. For starters, it took me a while to locate where Gerrie was staying at. At first I scouted for him in Los Angeles and after further inquiries, I made contact with him in Cape Town. I introduced myself to him and he asked me to fly over to Cape Town to meet with him and his family. I’ve never been to South Africa before, after a long flight from the US, I finally arrived in Cape Town. Gerrie and his wife Rina, warmly received me and showed me around the City. For those who’ve never been to Cape Town, in my humble opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Gerrie introduced me to his family, including his sister, Gerda. After informing Gerrie about my plans, he said, let’s do it!

Why is this film so important today and what informed the choice of the title Against All Odds?

The movie is about a small town boy who came from a family of fighters, had an impeccable amateur record and then became the heavyweight champion of South Africa and then had obstacles – lost his title fights in South Africa, had a serious problem with his right hand – was operated many times and then relocated to the to further his quest for championship. All along, Gerrie had to fight the legacy of Apartheid in his country. How he navigates all these obstacles to become a champion is the ‘juice’ of the movie! Gerrie fought for all South Africans, the press tried to label him as the great white hope and he detested that label.

Gerrie was a unifier; he adopted a black kid at the height of his boxing career – it was against the Apartheid laws to do this. Gerrie’s press spokesman was an Indian South African journalist – Farook Khan from Durban – something that was greatly frowned upon by the ruling establishment. Gerrie became very great pals with Nelson Mandela -himself a quiet accomplished boxer. Mandela honored Gerrie in the presidential palace after he became president.

How far have you gone so far in making this film ready?

We’ve come a long way towards making the movie. The movie will be shot in Cape Town and the US. Highly decorated South African Director, Koos Roets is slated to direct the movie. The Covid-19 pandemic derailed us for a while but we’re now up and running. There’s a Nigerian connection to the script. Ernest Enobong, a playwright from Nigeria wrote a great script together with Director Koos Roets.

How do you feel producing this film?

I feel very honored that Gerrie Coetzee gave me the opportunity to produce this movie and I can’t thank him enough for all his cooperation and support with regards to writing the script and introducing me to a few influential people that have helped us in the making of the movie. I have to thank Gerrie’s former manager, Thinus Strydom, and producer, Andre Scholtz, for all the hard work they’ve done in the making of the movie. Above all, I also pay great homage to my business partner, Skip Hartquist and his wife, Ann, for all the support and encouragement towards the making of the movie.

What are your expectations about this film?

We have high expectations for the movie do- ing very well in the US, Europe and Africa. The American angle to the story is very interesting because Gerrie’s promoter in America was Don King. Don was under a lot of pressure not to promote Gerrie, however, the more Don King got to know more about Gerrie, the more he liked him as a person and as a boxer. Don King gave Gerrie a title shot when other promoters had written him off. Rina, Gerrie’s wife, was about to give birth when Gerrie fought Michael Dokes for the championship in Akron, Ohio. Gerrie made a deal with Rina – if the expected child was a boy, they agreed to call him Don in honor of Don King who gave him a last shot at the title. Unfortunately, Rina gave birth to a girl and she was named Lana! Gerrie left the stadium straight to the hospital the night he won the championship quite exhausted!

You are also working on the production of a biopic on Charly Boy. What informed the choice?

I’m so excited to be producing a biopic on the one and only Areafada, Charly Boy. Director Mike Styles and his assistant, Synd were in Nigeria getting info on final shooting locations and polishing up the script. All I can say, is watch out! ‘Areafada’ is coming to a screen near you very soon.

Who really is Kenddrie Utuk?

I grew up in Calabar, Nigeria. Originally from Akwa Ibom, Calabar exposed me to great cultures and music from neighboring French speaking Cameroon, Spanish speaking Equatorial Guinea and Portuguese speaking Sao Tome and Principe. I’ve lived in the US most of my life.

If you have to choose, what has been your best work to date?

We’ve been working on the Gerrie movie for over five years now and we’ve encountered quite a few obstacles but we’ve been able to overcome all of them. Director Koos’s wife, Eunice, told me at the abode in the Karoo, making a movie is a very difficult thing to do, if it was easy, everyone will be movie producers.

How would you rate the Nigerian film industry today?

The Nigerian movie industry is very vibrant, daring and trend setting for telling stories about Africa and also introducing Africa to the world. The creativity of the industry is mind boggling, shooting and making movies in very difficult situations but they find a way to excel. It’s a nod to the creative side of “naija excellence” which is quite amazing and audacious.

Which of the music genres is your favourite and Why?

I love African music. I love Malian and Guinean music, artists like Salif Keita, Kante Manfila, Ousmane Kouyate and Toumani Diabate. I’m also crazy about Congolese music especially stars like Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide and Ferre Gola. To top it off, Cesaria Evora, the great Cape Verdean singer, lights my heart and imagination when she sings her signature song, Sodade, a great melancholy song with reference to guess what? Sao Tome!

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