“She loves books, and for her, reading is an escape from the chaos of Lagos life,” this statement runs across Omotoke Solarin-Sodara’s online biographies, underscoring the parlance that true readers are indeed leaders.
In the diverse pool of aspiring screenwriters, Solarin-Sodara is among the best, breaking out with a winning script as proof. The writer, who doubles as an Editor and Communication Manager references her formative years to Ouida books—where she worked closely with award winning Nigerian poet and novelist, Lola Shoneyin, known for her debut novel, Secrets Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (2010).
In this exclusive interview with The Nollywood Reporter, Solarin-Sodara opens up about her winning script, The Ministry of The Good People, her directorial debut with You Are The Problem and the legacy she hopes to leave behind in Nollywood.
Screenwriting Victory, Plot and Inspiration
No doubt, competitions always come with its ‘maybes’ and ‘what ifs. As a winner of the inaugural One Take Script Challenge organized by Niyi Akinmolayan’s studio, Solarin-Sodara vividly remembers what that moment felt like. “I basically couldn’t believe it, and I just kept shouting “I won, I won!,” she says, reliving the moment with gratitude. She recounts her doubts, especially questioning whether her story would be understood.
“I do remember doubting if they were going to like my story or understand what I was trying to say. So when I went online and saw someone tag me in a comment saying, “just wanted to tag you here to say congratulations.” I was shocked. Most especially because I was just online a few minutes ago so it looked like ‘from where to where?” she said.
The Ministry of Good People, her winning story, confronts what ‘good’ people can do if pushed to the edge of choosing between life and death. “The Ministry of Good People is about four philanthropists who enter a social impact debate but discover they are actually judges in a game of life and death, which forces them to confront their very own perceived goodness,” she says.
The story explores the subjectivity of morality, aptly reflected in its title, The Ministry of Good People. The philanthropists have constructed their lives and reputations on the premise of helping others, yet when confronted with a genuine life-or-death decision, their so-called ‘goodness’ is unmistakably put to the test.
With The Ministry of Good People, Solarin-Sodara was inspired by three core questions: When goodness is no longer a public performance but a desperate choice, how do people react? Would they save themselves at any cost, or stand on the principles they claim to live by?
“Most times, because of the situation and environment we find ourselves in, we may think we are great people but what happens when the tables are turned? I want audiences to walk away from the film and think about the small, everyday choices we make, and what those choices truly say about our character. And just a side note, I have nothing against philanthropists,” she elaborates.
For Solarin-Sodara, films reflect her belief systems. “If you want to know what I believe in and what I think, just watch my movies.” She may not have a personal experience with ‘wickedness’ but she believes that humans are not necessarily as good as they think they are —The Ministry of Good People proves that.
Lola Shoneyin’s Influence and Writing Journey
As an editor at Lola Shoneyin’s Ouida Books, Solarin-Sodara’s writing journey and growth holds credence to her relationship with the novelist and convener of Ake Books and Art Festival.
“Formative is the word,” she describes it. “First of all Lola Shoneyin is a great and patient teacher. I worked in Ouida as an Editor for three years and three months and I knew a job like this will teach me how to tell better stories,” she adds.
Of all influences, working with Shoneyin and at Ouida has made her more aware, shaping how she approaches storytelling. “I am glad I went to Ouida first before I started exposing myself in this manner.”
Handling feedback and criticism well are some of the crucial lessons Solarin-Sodara picked from Ouida. As an editor, dishing out feedback was an armor but as the table turns and she takes the role of a writer, she carefully screens intentions to know what fits her story vision and what doesn’t.
“I was an editor–I still am anyway but on a freelance level. [As an editor] I was usually on the other side of the desk giving feedback and killing writers’ ‘darlings.’ Now, it’s my turn [to receive criticism] but I look at feedback differently. I know the intention is not to undermine my talent but to make it better because that’s what I did with authors.
And I also understand when to say “no” and “yes” to edits and criticism, most especially when it does not align with my story’s vision. But, overall, being an editor has helped me take criticism better, because I understand where people are coming from,” she expresses.
Navigating Earliest Struggles, Embracing Open Doors
Solarin-Sodara’s affair with writing kicked off in 2015—shuffling between blogs to Wattpad dates to strengthen their bond. Within this period, she was into screenwriting but her professional career only took off in 2019 after she landed a job. “But even at that, once I came out of university I was very scared,” she said.
Filmmaking didn’t just start for her. She recalls her university days, when she wrote, shot and edited her films with only a Techno phone before her uncle got her a Canon camera. “The film industry is cutthroat,” she asserts and didn’t think she was good enough. In the midst of her doubts, she knew she was not ready.
“Oh, I stopped writing for four years,” she mentioned her hiatus from 2020 to 2023. She only picked up writing again in February last year when she opened a Medium account, where she shared stories. At the time, she had worked with Ouida for about two years, and this also influenced her return to writing.
In an industry perceived as closed except with connections and undisputed talent, Solarin-Sodara knocked once on Nollywood’s door with The Ministry Of Good People, and it opened. Winning One Take Script challenge didn’t just boost her confidence but it was an answered prayer.
After shooting her debut short film You Are The Problem in June, the victory of The Ministry Of The Good People added the needed icing on the cake. There was no conviction greater to realize that “this is my field, I am in the right place and there is nothing that is impossible for me,” she enthuses.
Emerging as the winner from over 200 submitted scripts was a surprising outcome for her. However, regardless of the victory, she was resolute in her decision to put herself out there this year.
“As for open doors, I don’t think we will be having this conversation right now if I didn’t win, because who knows me? But then again, I have been opportune to meet Niyi Akinmolayan, and I now have the opportunity to work with him. I have also met a few other people who like my work and want to see more,” she discloses.
Pivoting to Directing
While many screenwriters don’t always make the leap into directing, Solarin-Sodara chose to defy that notion because she wanted to have more creative control over her script. This birth You Are The Problem, where she wears both hats as writer and director.
“Earlier I had seen how a director interpreted my script visually for a short film I wrote and I was disappointed. I thought to myself, if they allowed me on set, I would have been able to stop the monstrosity I was watching.”
Till date, she opens up about not being proud to reference the work, hence the need to direct her films. Going to a film school was top of her list to learn the skill but being a fast learner, she reached out to her director friend, Damilare Bello, instead.
“He was very helpful and now I have a film of which I am proud. And if there is one thing I learnt from film school, Dimiyei Sammy said, “do not just be a writer, be a writer-director or a writer-producer.” It’s important to have ownership. Ownership keeps the money coming in,” Solarin-Sodara says.
Transiting from page to directing is a journey filled with surprises and being a first-time director could make it twice as hard. As the director of You Are The Problem, Solarin-Sodara agrees, noting what surprised her the most in the process.
“What surprised me is that, because something looks good on paper, it may not look good visually. As a writer, your primary tool is imagination. You can create a perfect, detailed world in your mind and on paper, where everything flows seamlessly and a scene works exactly as you envision it,” she says.
Solarin-Sodara adds: “However, on set, the process is far more visual and practical. What looks great as a sentence or a scene description might not translate effectively in the real world. When you write a script, it is important to think about how it will be executed,”
While there were a few things that were hard to interpret in You Are The Problem, she is most confident about being both the writer and director to make crucial decisions based on the vision of the story.
With the latest experience, directing her film has changed how she approaches writing. Now, she writes taking cognizance of what will be aesthetically appealing on screen. However, she notes that it doesn’t stifle her flexibility as a writer. “And I must mention, I produced You Are the Problem, too. So, from a financial perspective, I now think like a producer when I am writing,” she adds.
Solarin-Sodara points out the importance of a cast and crew that understands one’s story vision. This made finding balance to stay true to her vision seamless while collaborating on You Are The Problem.
Challenges and Lessons as Debut Director
Every role in the filmmaking spectrum comes with its challenges and so does achieving a scene. Shooting You Are The Problem, though, a one scene film, set in one location, the light flicker meant to convey tension and urgency was crucial and proved the hardest to achieve on set.
“You see that light flicker eh. It’s God that helped us. And we handled it in post. Thank God for Joshua Adegbala, the film editor. The light flicker was hard to establish on set, and it is important to the film because it was meant to convey tension and urgency to the characters. It was also a symbol of their blame game. In the end, it worked out,”
If there’s anything Solarin-Sodara would have approached differently in her directorial debut, it would be to take endless shots to have a safety net during post-production. Aside from that, she found the mistakes and challenges an enjoyable ride filled with wisdom for future projects.
“Some things in your script will change. It is very inevitable,” she tells aspiring writers looking to direct their films. Such writers should be open to collaboration or, if they are not directing, find a director they trust completely.
“You have to be willing to let go of your script and see it as a living document because once it gets into the director’s hands, a whole new conversation will be had. Also, being open-minded to a director’s interpretation and vision isn’t a sign of your script’s weakness; it’s a sign of a strong collaboration that will ultimately lead to a better film,” she adds.
Nollywood, Script Competitions and Female Directors
Solarin-Sodara believes that script competitions, like One Take, are influencing Nollywood’s film landscape especially to solve funding challenges since funding is a significant setback for many independent and aspiring filmmakers, and such competitions help to mitigate against it.
“Competitions like this often come with a prize—either a cash award or a promise to produce the winning script. In my case, it was both. The prize money has provided me with the financial freedom to work on a new project, whether it’s a micro-film or another short. More importantly, it has given me the opportunity to have a new film produced.”
She posits that without a competition like this, a great script might never get made because the writer lacks the connections or the capital to get it into production. In that sense, the competition acts as a bridge, connecting undiscovered talent with the resources and industry players needed to turn a script into a reality.
The rise of female directors in Nollywood is no longer news, with directors like Biodun Stephen (Big Love) and Kemi Adetiba (King of Boys), who continue to prove their talent in the male-dominated space.
On whether Nollywood is opening up more space for female directors and diverse stories, Solarin-Sodara thinks whether the industry opens the doors or not, they are walking right in and are not waiting for permission, citing examples with female directors she admires in the industry.
“Even though I am just starting my career, I can see a clear shift. There are a growing number of women who are directing. Kemi Adetiba is a writer-director, and she is someone I deeply admire. She has proven that female-led projects can be massive box-office successes.
We also have other incredible talents like Uzoamaka Power, who directed the powerful short My Body, My God’s Temple for the Zikoko anthology, showing that women are bringing a unique and important perspective to storytelling. The Damina sisters are also making incredible waves in the industry by focusing on Young Adult stories. So yeah, women are coming into the directing space a lot more and I am here for it.”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next?
Beyond box office numbers, storytelling is one of the many things Nollywood still struggles with despite its growth, but Solarin-Sodara hopes to contribute layered and nuanced stories that stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
As a writer-director, who is starting out, her goal is pretty straightforward. She wants to create works that spark conversation and leave a lasting emotional or intellectual impression on the viewer. “So I want to be known for my signature style, so when people see my name on a movie poster they already know what to expect.”
She acknowledges Nollywood’s growth—creating rooms for new genres with more diverse and authentic stories than ever before. To contribute her voice to this movement is a huge privilege. For her next chapter, she hopes to solidify her voice, hone her craft, and continue to tell the kinds of stories that truly matter to her.