James Omokwe on Heritage, Vision, and the Making of “Osamede”

James Omokwe sits across from us with the confidence of someone who has spent years perfecting his craft before stepping into the spotlight.

At a time when Nollywood increasingly chases urban narratives and contemporary romance, this filmmaker has carved out a distinctive niche as one of the industry’s foremost griots—a visual storyteller committed to exploring Nigeria’s rich history and presenting it with cinematic grandeur.

The evidence of his dedication is compelling. His television work includes the critically acclaimed Ajoche (2018) and Riona (2020), both of which established him as a master of long-form epic storytelling. His earlier projects Itura  and Cheta’M further cemented his reputation as a filmmaker unafraid to tackle complex indigenous narratives that other directors might consider commercially risky.

Now, with Osamede, a Benin epic that had its international premiere at the Cannes Film Market and opens in Nigerian cinemas on October 17, Omokwe is poised to bring his historical vision to its most ambitious scale yet.

The film, which follows an orphaned girl who discovers supernatural powers during the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, represents more than just another period piece. It’s what Omokwe describes as a statement about “reclaiming our African glory.”

In an exclusive conversation with The Nollywood Reporter, the filmmaker reflects on his role as a cultural custodian, the commercial challenges of epic filmmaking, and why he believes the current generation of audiences is hungry for stories that connect them to their roots.

The Making of a Visual Griot

Omokwe’s attraction to historical narratives stems from what he sees as a fundamental gap in Nigerian cultural education. “We don’t do a lot of history in schools,” he observes. “I mean, we teach history, but many people don’t really know much about what happened in Nigeria during those periods.”

This recognition sparked his self-appointed mission as what he calls “a griot” traditionally, an oral storyteller who preserves and transmits cultural knowledge across generations. “I see myself as a griot. A griot is a storyteller, someone who orally, or in this case visually, tells stories from generation to generation. I feel there’s an opportunity to entertain while also teaching people about our history, giving them a first-class ticket into a visual world of the past.”

The filmmaker’s approach to historical storytelling is deeply immersive. “It’s like a time machine,” he explains. “And the fact that it’s different gives me artistic freedom to create worlds from scratch. That’s beautiful to me.” This world-building fascination drives his creative process, where the historical setting becomes the foundation upon which various narrative genres can flourish. “Within that world, I can tell romantic stories, thrilling stories, even horror. But the world itself, the history and setting is what excites me.”

Beyond Yoruba: Diversifying the Epic Landscape

While acknowledging the success of recent Nollywood epics, Omokwe identifies a crucial limitation in the genre’s current trajectory. “Epics have been overdone. Not in a bad way, but we’ve seen so many epics since 2018. Usually—there’s nothing wrong with this—it’s Yoruba epics. You get one or two others here and there, but mostly Yoruba.”

This observation isn’t intended as criticism of his colleagues’ work. “Kudos to filmmakers like Femi Adebayo and Kunle Afolayan. They’ve done remarkable work and will continue to,” he emphasizes. Rather, it’s a recognition of audience fatigue and untapped storytelling potential. “After a while, it feels like you’ve seen them all. People just want variety.”

Osamede represents Omokwe’s answer to this creative challenge. “There aren’t many films—especially not on this scale—that explore Benin culture. It’s fresh material, but still epic.” His broader filmography demonstrates this commitment to cultural diversity, spanning Igbo, Yoruba, Itsekiri, Idoma, and now Benin narratives. “With epics, the whole world is available,” he notes. “The problem is just that we’ve seen so much from one tribe. It’s okay to diversify and tell other stories, to learn more about Nigeria’s rich history.”

The Osamede Vision: History as Metaphor

The genesis of Osamede reveals Omokwe’s approach to adapting historical moments for contemporary relevance. Set during the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, the film follows a young woman with supernatural powers who becomes her people’s unlikely savior. But for Omokwe, the historical setting serves a deeper purpose than mere spectacle.

“It wasn’t really about answering questions—it was more of a statement,” he explains about the film’s central theme. “The major statement was reclaiming our African glory. If you look at history, when the British came, the impact of colonization was huge. As a nation, we’re still struggling because of it.”

The film’s fictional heroine becomes a metaphor for contemporary Nigeria’s potential. “What if, in that world, there had been a female heroine, someone who could rise and set her people free? It’s fictional, but it’s also a wake-up call. What do we, as Nigerians today, have inside us that can lift us from struggle into greatness?”

This thematic approach transforms Osamede from historical recreation into contemporary commentary. “The film becomes a metaphor for present-day Nigeria and how we can all be heroes in our own way,” Omokwe elaborates. “At its core, Osamede is a statement about reclaiming our heritage.”

Collaborative World-Building

Creating the visual world of Osamede required unprecedented collaboration across multiple departments. Omokwe credits his longtime collaborator, production designer Uche Nwaohiri, as instrumental in maintaining visual consistency. “I’ve worked with Uche for about seven or eight years. The big question was: how do we maintain the same tone and the same language in every visual representation of the film; sets, costumes, even lighting?”

The process began with extensive research and cultural consultation. “With the help of cultural consultants, we sat down and built everything from scratch. How do we want the buildings to look? Thankfully, we had a lot of references. The EP had this big book on Benin history with pictures—exactly what we needed.”

Omokwe’s methodology emphasizes pre-visualization as a crucial planning tool. “Usually what I do is pre-vis our world. By pre-vis, I mean pre-visualization. We sketch everything we want to build—huts, costumes, weapons, everything. Then I review them to make sure what I’m seeing lines up with reality.”

This meticulous preparation proved essential given the film’s compressed shooting schedule. “We shot Osamede in 14 days. Those 14 days were planned over three months. Every single day was carefully scheduled.” The tight timeline demanded absolute precision from every department, with no room for creative improvisation that might derail the production’s momentum.

Budget Realities and Creative Solutions

The ambitious scope of Osamede came with significant financial challenges that tested the production team’s resourcefulness. “Sometimes when people watch films, they think, ‘Oh yeah, they spent a lot of money,’ but there are so many behind-the-scenes costs that drain the budget,” Omokwe admits. “On this project, we went over budget—way over.”

Security concerns emerged as an unexpected major expense. “There was an incident during our recce that made us realize security had to be top-notch. That was something we hadn’t planned for.” Shooting in Fugar, Edo State, approximately four hours from Benin City, required extensive logistical coordination. “For every trip, there were added costs. Each time actors or crew landed at the airport, there was heavy security escorting them for the entire drive.”

The production team’s primary compromise was time rather than creative vision. “The main compromise was time. We had to make sure the film was shot quickly.” This constraint demanded military precision in planning and execution. “We were shooting five scenes a day. Everything was prepped and rehearsed.”

External factors added pressure to the already tight schedule. “We were also up against the elections at the time. We needed to leave Edo before the elections started, so the schedule was locked. In fact, the day we wrapped filming, we had a party, and by the next day, everyone was gone.”

Despite these challenges, Omokwe’s preparation ensured that creative vision remained intact. “By the time we started, we knew exactly what we needed. We got it all.” The only scene ultimately cut from the final film was removed in post-production for pacing reasons, not budget constraints.

International Recognition and Global Positioning

Osamede’s selection for Pavilion Afrique at the Cannes Film Market represented a significant milestone for both the film and Omokwe’s career. “We were very strategic with the Cannes screening,” he recalls. “Just being chosen for that was a big deal.”

The international response exceeded expectations and validated the film’s universal appeal. “During the screening, a lot of people came to watch: a foreign director, some filmmakers from America and the Caribbean, a few Nigerians, as well as several distributors.” The filmmaker’s initial anxiety gave way to amazement as the audience became fully engrossed. “There was even this white guy sitting on the floor, completely drawn in.”

The post-screening discussion provided valuable insights into the film’s global positioning. “We were supposed to have a 5–10 minute Q&A, but it turned into a 45-minute conversation about the film. We had French attendees saying they rarely get to see African films told from an African perspective. It’s usually through the Western lens—like Black Panther and others. They said this film felt authentic and brilliant.”

This international validation proved particularly meaningful for Omokwe, who describes Osamede as only his second theatrical film after a long hiatus. “My last one came out in 2013, and for a long time, I actually avoided making films. To now bring Osamede to an international audience and hear those kinds of reactions—it was overwhelming in the best way.”

The Economics of Epic Filmmaking

Omokwe’s analysis of Nollywood’s structural challenges reveals the systemic issues preventing more large-scale productions. “What we need is to build our own autonomous ecosystem where our stories can thrive. Right now, whether we like it or not, we’re struggling. We don’t have a stable structure, so filmmakers often depend on foreign entities.”

The financing challenge particularly affects epic filmmaking, where budgets typically exceed standard Nollywood productions. “For Osamede, our executive producer Lillian Olubi was able to raise funds because of her background and goodwill in finance. But how many people in Nollywood have that kind of access? Investors hesitate because they’re not sure they’ll get their money back.”

Omokwe identifies the core issue as structural rather than creative. “That’s the real issue: we don’t have a structured system that guarantees returns. Once we fix that, by creating an enabling environment where people see film as a viable business—investment will flow, and filmmakers can tell bigger stories consistently.”

Interestingly, he sees audience appetite as the least problematic factor. “The Nigerian audience is already open to anything. We consume YouTube, TikTok skits, Nollywood films, international films—you name it. As long as it’s available, people will watch.” The challenge lies in convincing financiers to invest based on reliable return models rather than cultural or artistic merit alone.

Television Versus Film: Different Marathons

Omokwe’s extensive television background provides unique insight into the different demands of long-form versus contained storytelling. “With long-form stories, two things matter most: the story itself and the stamina of your team. Shooting long-form is like running a marathon—it requires a lot of mental dedication.”

His experience with Ajoche exemplifies the endurance required for television production. “My first project Ajoche had us filming for 11 months straight—Monday to Friday, sometimes Saturdays, with two units. It’s grueling. You see the same people every day, doing the same thing, and it can wear you down.”

Film production, while intensive, operates on a different rhythm. “With film, it’s more contained. The shoot is shorter, the team smaller, and you have a precise number of days to get it done. Film is definitely easier than TV.” This experience managing both formats has honed Omokwe’s ability to maximize limited shooting schedules while maintaining production values.

Crafting Visual Narratives

Omokwe’s pre-production process reveals a meticulous approach to world-building that begins with extensive visual research. “After the writers finish, I let my imagination run wild. I start visualizing what the world should look like.” For Osamede, his primary reference point was The Woman King, which provided scale and aesthetic inspiration. “I studied it closely for scale, costumes, and overall design. I pulled loads of pictures from it and shared them with my production designer.”

The collaborative design process involves multiple stages of refinement. “A concept artist designs the interiors and exteriors of sets, making sure they align with camera and lighting needs. For costumes, we mix cultural references with original designs. Everything goes through me and the production designer and, once we agree, the executive producer signs off.”

Storyboarding serves as a crucial planning tool that prevents on-set improvisation from derailing the tight schedule. “I also storyboard every scene. It helps me visualize shots ahead of time, so when we’re on set, I’m not improvising blindly. Even though I can think on my feet, having a template keeps the team aligned.”

The Universal in the Specific

Despite Osamede’s deeply specific cultural setting, Omokwe designed the film to resonate with universal themes about individual potential and self-recognition. “The biggest theme is this: you’ve always been special. Even when you think you’ve lost it, that uniqueness inside you never leaves. It’s always been there. And because you’re special, you’re capable of doing extraordinary things.”

This message addresses what he sees as a contemporary crisis of self-worth tied to external validation. “Too often, we rely on external validation. When that fades, we assume we have nothing left to offer. But that’s not true. We are special through and through. That’s the strongest message of Osamede.”

The film’s supernatural elements serve this thematic purpose, providing a metaphorical framework for exploring human potential. By embedding this universal message within the specific historical context of the Benin Kingdom, Omokwe creates what he hopes will be both culturally authentic and globally resonant storytelling.

Looking Forward: The Future of African Epic Cinema

As Osamede  prepares for its wide release, Omokwe positions it within what he sees as “a larger movement for African epic fantasy.” His vision extends beyond individual projects to encompass systemic change in how African stories are financed, produced, and distributed globally.

The filmmaker’s confidence in his work is evident in his playful guarantee: “If people don’t like it, I’ll give them back their money.” This assurance reflects not just personal conviction but a broader belief that audiences are ready for the kind of culturally grounded epic storytelling that Osamede represents.

Looking ahead, Omokwe hints at potential future projects, including “a proper Igbo epic” on the scale of Osamede. While he’s careful not to make definitive commitments, the prospect suggests his mission as a visual griot is far from complete.

For a filmmaker who describes himself as someone who “avoided making films” for years after his 2013 release, Osamede represents both a creative resurrection and a statement of intent. In an industry often criticized for prioritizing commercial formulas over cultural depth, Omokwe’s work stands as evidence that audiences remain hungry for stories that connect them to their heritage while speaking to universal human experiences.

For now, Omokwe waits to see how Nigerian audiences respond to his most ambitious project yet. The filmmaker who once avoided making films for years has returned with a statement about who we are and who we can become. Whether Osamede succeeds commercially will determine not just his next project, but perhaps the viability of more films that dare to look backward in order to move forward.