Stories are important but you need to think about what you intend to achieve with your story. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary or grand but know what you want and stick with it”. – Victor Ugoo Njoku
By Joseph Jonathan
For many filmmakers, the signs appear early enough, whether it be the childhood obsession with movies, the teenage years spent studying camera angles, or the unwavering certainty that storytelling would be their life’s work. Even those who wander into other fields often find themselves pulled back in order to chase that creative calling. However, Victor Ugoo Njoku’s story turned out differently.
For Victor Ugoo Njoku, direction wasn’t a dream; it was a detour. When he co-directed his debut feature, This is Love, it wasn’t out of lifelong ambition but necessity; a way to portray queer Nigerian couples with the humanity mainstream media denies them. “I never set out to direct”, he admits.
Yet here he is, having crafted intimate scenes of romance and resistance. This is Love has gone on to screen at the Independent Days International Film Festival, Germany, and the Bahia Independent Cinema Festival, Brazil, where it won Best LGBT Feature Film. It has also been selected for the Replay International Film Festival, Austria. Victor Ugoo Njoku is proof that sometimes, the most compelling voices emerge from those who never planned to speak.
In this exclusive interview with Afrocritik, Victor Ugoo Njoku opens up about the risks of self-funding an unconventional debut feature, co-directing from the diaspora, and his fight to distribute This is Love amid Nigeria’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
For most of our readers who are meeting you for the first time, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Who is Victor Njoku?
That’s a very difficult question to answer because how does one define oneself? My name is Victor Ugoo Njoku, and I happen to be a student who dabbled in making films. I’ve made a debut feature film, which is a documentary film. I also own a podcast where I talk to Nigerians who live abroad about their experience living abroad. Other than that, I’m just a Nigerian trying to survive as an adult, and most of the time, I don’t think I’m succeeding, but I still make the effort.
When did you decide to venture into the world of film production?
Now that’s a very interesting question. The first time I was on a film set was in 2014. I was an assistant to an actor at the time, and I remember coming to set, but it didn’t meet my expectations, even though I didn’t know what to expect.
Things didn’t feel as organised as I would have expected, and being a person who likes to plan things, I was a bit disappointed. That experience made me feel like this was something I could do, and do properly. But beyond having the idea that I could better organise things on and off set, being on that set opened my eyes to how much one could achieve with filmmaking.
I’ve been watching films all my life, but it never occurred to me that film was such a powerful tool as much as it occurred to me when I was on that set. I also had a blog at the time, where I wrote short stories and interviewed students who were entrepreneurs and entertainers.
At some point, I started a story series on the experiences of effeminate Nigerians. Basically, anything I found interesting, I put in on the blog but being on that film set, I also saw that it was an opportunity to do things on a bigger scale with regards to storytelling.
However, that remained a thought, and I didn’t act on it until I was done with university. You know, “after school, what next?”. So, I was like, maybe this is the time to actually do something. I reached out to a few filmmakers, and one of them responded. We met, and I remember one of the questions she asked me was, “What kind of filmmaker would you want to be?”
While the conversation was going on, I started talking about passion (in order to make a good first impression) but she stopped me and asked, “Can we talk about money?” I was dumbfounded but she said, “I know you’ll want to say that money is not a very important thing but you need to understand that money is what makes things work in this industry because first you need money to make a film and then you need to make money back for whoever sponsored the film and you also have to think of what is money enough for you because you might lose”.
That day, I remember going home and thinking I thought being a filmmaker or producer was just about putting things together but now I have to factor in the money part and also the kind of films I want to make. So that was it for me, that was the day I decided that my first film was going to be self-funded. Even though I know that wasn’t probably what she wanted me to learn from that conversation but it was one of the things I decided would be nice to do.
I’m aware you started out in other roles of film production, so what inspired your transition into directing and is it a role you’ve taken on exclusively, or do you continue to work in both production and directing capacities?
Let’s talk about the other roles first. I’ve done subtitle editing and supervision for two films which could qualify as nepotism because both films were produced by a sibling. Now, talking about directing This is Love; the truth is I didn’t set out to direct the film, what I intended was to produce it.
However, when I shared the idea of the film with Neec Nonso, whom I wanted to direct the film, his response was that we should do it together. Even though I was skeptical, I spoke to my brother about it, and he said, ‘let’s make it happen’, so that was how I ended up co-directing the film with Nonso.
Bottom line is, I never set out to direct films. I just wanted to produce because that would be in line with managing and organising things on set, like I said earlier. That was my major interest because I like planning and managing things. Directing was just something I stumbled upon.
As for the second part of your question, I’m not totally closed off from the idea because as a director, you are involved in other areas of the filmmaking process. Even though I struggled a bit during post-production, I would still be open to directing, but producing films is more my speed.
Most people would opt for popular genres like romance, comedy, or drama for their debut feature, but you chose a documentary with a queer theme. What motivated you to take this unconventional path?
This is Love is a romance film, isn’t it? Though I understand that it is unconventional, as you’ve said. Romance is one of my favourite genres and one of the reasons it took me this long to make my first film is because I’ve always wanted my first film to be a queer related one.
The reason being that based on my experience with Nigerians, whether I make a queer film or not, people are always going to bring my “queerness” to the conversation. Growing up in Nigeria as an effeminate person, you basically become a gay person, and it doesn’t matter whether you are gay or not. That’s how people will treat you. They’ll be mean to you if they’re mean to a gay person. They will deprive you of jobs if they think you are a gay person, and that has happened to me a few times. You go for an interview, and instead of asking what your skills are, someone is asking how many sisters you have.
So for me, making a queer film as my debut feature was about reclaiming my agency and saying that I’m tired of having the fear of how people would profile me. If I had done a conventional romance film, and perhaps five or ten years down the line I decide to make a queer film, I would probably start thinking of how it would affect my brand or how people perceive me.
That is why I wanted to tackle such a critical topic first, so that no matter the assumptions people have of me, they can decide early enough whether this is a film they would want to watch or not.
One thing I liked about the film is how it shows the agency and humanity of the couples, rather than reducing them to mere victims. Can you talk about the importance of this approach, and how you worked to create a sense of intimacy and authenticity with the individuals featured in the film?
Representation is one of the topics I’ve always been interested in, and I studied Mass Communication, so we did a lot about representation. Beyond that, anyway, I had an older friend who used to work for the United Nations, and we discussed a lot about her work, trying to get representation for women.
Hearing her speak and she always emphasised the importance of agency. For instance, people would want to organise an empowerment program for women, and instead of asking these women what they want, they go ahead to decide for them.
I know it might not always be possible to give the women what they want, but some people would rather assume that because the women they want to empower are uneducated, they wouldn’t know what to do with x amount of money, so instead, let’s give them foodstuff.
So, one thing I learned from my friend is that even when you want to help a person, you need to understand that that person is a human being, and every human being has/should have agency to decide things for themselves.
So, for making our film, one of the things I did was get the cast involved from the outset. Once we found people who were interested in coming on set, we spoke to them about what we were trying to do; how comfortable are you, do you have any questions or concerns, what can we do to make it easier for you, and stuff like that.
After sharing the idea of the film with them, we also sought their opinion on how to make things better. That way, none of them came to set having any sort of doubt about how they would be treated.
How did you approach balancing the grim aspects of LGBTQ+ couples in Nigeria with the more uplifting moments, and what guided your decisions about which stories to share and how to present them?
I may not be right but my theory has always been that regardless of how sad a person’s life is, there are happy moments and regardless of how happy a person’s life is, there are sad moments.
Which is why I hate watching a film where we don’t get to see a character beyond their trauma. So for me, it was important to make sure that we personalised the documentary because there is no way you can tell a queer story in Nigeria without it being sad. So if I focus more on the happy moments, the sadness will just creep in without me having to force it, because this is already a sad story.
Moreover, we wanted to tell a romance story through the lens of queer people. So we tried to create a balance between the happy and sad aspects of romantic relationships, especially in this case where the sad might outweigh the happy.
It is often said that two heads are better than one, how was it like working with your co-director on this project?
My co-director is someone I’ve known for about 15 years, though we actually got talking 10 years ago, but I had known him through my brother because they were friends. So when I had the idea for the film, it was an easy choice to meet him about it because I knew he had experience working with documentaries, and thankfully, he was on board with it immediately.
He was also the one who introduced me to most of the crew because they were people he’d worked with in the past, and I didn’t know many people in the industry at the time. It’s always a good thing to work with someone you trust, and because I trust him, working with him on the project was a good experience.
Accessibility remains a significant challenge for African filmmakers, and for a country with strict Anti-LGBTQ+ and censorship laws like Nigeria, how do you intend to get this film to its intended audience?
Distribution is a very difficult thing, and like you’ve said, it’s hard for the atypical films and even harder for documentaries, and a very niche one at that. Being a very hopeful person, while making the film, I hoped that it would get to the mainstream audience, which I know might seem too much to ask at this point.
Unfortunately, that has not happened yet, and it looks impossible if we’re being practical now. In fact, I’ve also been told by a distributor that certain streamers would not be interested in the film because of the subject.
Though we’re currently having distribution talks, the streamer is mostly available in Europe, Australia, and America. I’m not even sure most people in Nigeria know the streamer exists. These conversations are ongoing, and when there’s anything concrete, we’ll surely let the audience know.
I got to know you through your Japa Podcast, but you last uploaded an episode in August 2024. I’m curious to know what inspired the podcast and if there’ll be future episodes.
One of the reasons I started the podcast was because, as a Nigerian in the diaspora, I didn’t see enough content online about the Nigerian experience. I mean, there are lots of content about living abroad, but not one that caters specifically to how Nigerians are surviving abroad. So, it was about having a space where people could share their personal experiences, such that it would have more context and nuance to the average Nigerian.
It was going well until 2023, which ended on a very sad note for me, and that spilled over into 2024. Around that time, as well, I was having difficulty getting guests to come on the podcast. So, all that contributed to why the podcast had to stop, but we’re currently working on bringing back more episodes.
What’s one film that you deeply admire and wish you had directed, and what is it about that film that resonates with you?
Every day is a good day to talk about Pretty Woman (1990). I don’t think I’ve ever wished I directed it, but there’s just something about the film that I can’t get enough of. I’ve watched that film every year for the last couple of years, and any year I didn’t watch it, it felt like my life was spoiled.
However, the first film I watched and wished I were a part of the production was Worn Stories (2021), a docu-series on Netflix. Even though I wasn’t a fan of documentaries because I found them boring, Worn Stories made me understand that a documentary had the capacity to be interesting.
I also like reality TV a lot and would want to be part of the production for one of them at some point in my life.
What’s the most significant creative challenge you’ve faced while working on a production, and how did you overcome it?
I think this is the time to say that I wasn’t on the set of This is Love. I co-directed that film from abroad, and looking at how the film turned out, I think we did a good job. So I didn’t have any challenge with being on set, but I did have some with not being on set.
For one, I was always in panic mode because I wasn’t on ground to see things for myself, at some point I began to wonder whether I hadn’t just poured money down the drain. So, that was a bit of a challenge for me, feeling that I was removed from an experience even though I was experiencing it.
Then, on the last day of set, our welfare kind of delivered later than expected, so it was a whole thing. I was very concerned about how the people on set were going to do their work when they hadn’t eaten anything, so I was stressed out from making lots of calls and all that.
Sadly enough, some people left early without eating anything because it was a morning shoot, and that made me feel bad. I know people don’t usually talk about this a lot, but it’s a big deal for me because how person wan work if him no chop?
Which actors would you love to collaborate with on a project, and why?
First of all, I’m obsessed with Genevieve Nnaji, and I know that sounds a bit problematic, but I think I’m her biggest fan. I’ve been a fan of hers since childhood, and I loved her performance in Road to Yesterday (2015) and Lionheart (2018). If there were one Nigerian film I wished I were a part of, it would be Lionheart. So working with her would give me so much pleasure.
Another person I’d have loved to work with, but she’s no more with us, is Onyeka Onwenu. I wish someone could do a documentary about her, and I’d love to be part of that if it ever happens.
I would also like to work with Jennifer Eliogu, and I’m such a big fan of her music. Nkem Owoh is another person I admire. Even though I don’t work with him; just having to experience him as a person — listening to him crack jokes — would be a dream because I think he’s a very intelligent person.
I also like Rita Edochie, especially because she’s an Onitsha woman and I grew up in Awka. The way she carries herself reminds me of one of my favourite teachers from school, who was also an Onitsha woman. Uchenna Ugwu is a friend whose work I admire. She did brilliantly with her recent short film, and I’d love to work with her.
Uzoamaka Aniunoh is such an amazing and brilliant actor, and I’d love to work with her. Dịka Ofoma does very good movies, and I think it would be nice to collaborate with him. There’s also Nduka Dike, who made a short film recently. It’s a horror film, and even though I don’t like horror, I enjoyed it. So I’d like to see more from him and probably get to collaborate with him.
Who are some of the directors that have inspired your work, and what do you admire about their approach to filmmaking?
I didn’t actually set out to be a director, so it’s difficult to say this person inspired me. However, I liked the intentionality with which Genevieve directed Lionheart. When you watch the film, you can tell that there was an idea behind the execution of almost every scene and that is exactly the kind of film I’d like to make.
One that is intentional about its ideas, executes it well, and when people watch it, they can see and appreciate the idea. Mildred Okwo is another person who makes beautiful films, and as a director, it would be nice to learn from her.
I also like Greta Gerwig and what she did with Barbie (2023). On a basic level, the film is about vanity and nothingness but she was still able to tackle serious feminist issues.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming directors who are just starting out?
I’m still starting out myself, so what am I supposed to say to anyone? Anyway, people usually say “do it afraid” but I’m going to say do it afraid, but also know that your heart will most likely not be at rest. Mistakes might happen along the way, but give yourself grace.
Moreso, stories are important, but you need to think about what you intend to achieve with your story. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary or grand, but know what you want and stick with it. You also need to understand that your characters are humans who deserve agency and as such, you need to treat them with the same respect as you would a living person.
What are your future plans and aspirations as a filmmaker?
My biggest aspiration is to be happy, and as far as my career is concerned, I’m open to seeing how it goes. I’d like to take things one step at a time, get as many people as possible to see This is Love, and when funds are available, think of the next one. I’m not in a haste to make 10 movies or whatever, I just want to do things at my own pace.
Joseph Jonathan is a historian who seeks to understand how film shapes our cultural identity as a people. He believes that history is more about the future than the past. When he’s not writing about film, you can catch him listening to music or discussing politics. He tweets @JosieJp3