DIRECTOR
Ubaka Joseph Ugochukwu is an international award-winning film director, whose style of filmmaking has global cinema acceptance.
Joseph studied Political science in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria, had his film training at Media Centre Dakar Senegal, Berlin Talent Campus Germany and resident program with Masion Jeune de la cuture Lile France.
In 2000, I made my first short film on Digital Video titled: "Jungle Justice". In 2001, I made another short movie on digital video titled: "Wahala" and in 2004, I made a silence short movie (cinema de expressionism) on digital video titled: "Dechirure".
In between this period I have worked as an apprentice and assistant director in feature length film projects shot on 35mm, super 16mm, and 16mm with French crew, German crew and Senegalese crew and have shot several TV commercials both as a model and assistant director.
In 2009, I made my first feature length titled: “Trapped Dream” on SD with fundings from Image Afrique (department of french foreign ministry France), Goteborg International Film Festival Fund Sweden and The Global Film Initiatives San Francisco USA.
Trapped Dream screened in more than 9 international film festivals both in Africa, Europe and Americas. The world Premiere of Trapped Dream held during Goteborg International film festival Sweden 2009, followed by other screenings both in official competition and Panorama, Fribourg International film festival Switzerland, Cinematheque D’ Afrique Lausanne Switzerland, Fespaco Bukina Faso, Afrykamera Warsaw Poland, Kenya International Film festival, Cinema De Africano Verona Italy where I won the Special Jury Price Award, Balafon International Film Festival Bari Italy and African Cinema in Trieste Italy.
In 2010, I made another feature length film, shot on HD titled Lilies of the Ghetto, with the funding support of Vision Sud Est Switzerland. Lilies of the Ghetto had three nominations in the African Movie Academy Award, screened in Pan African Film Festival (Vues D’Afrique) Montreal Canada, Pan African Cannes France and Cinema Africano del Tarifa Spain, Lumiere Film Festival France etc.
In 2013, I concluded the post production of my premier feature length documentary film project titled: "THE LOST TRIBE", documentary on the historical origin of the Igbo race as black Jews of Africa and one of the major tribes in Nigeria. Lost Tribe had its first screening in official competition during the 3rd edition of African International Film Festival (AFRIFF 2013) in Tinapa Calabar.
In 2014, I participated in "EAVE" a Coproduction Master-class Film Training program with Goethe Institute and did worked as a freelance director for other indigenous film production companies.
In 2015, I directed three feature length for MNET "AMOF" titles: Truthful Lies, Payback is a Woman and Blind steal. Currently on the post-production phase of the Missing God.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
THE MISSING GOD SYNOPSIS
Upon the death of the village Chief Priest, Obidike gets struck by a strange sickness, leaving his mother in doubts that he has been poisoned by his step-mother.
Dike, Obidike's father and his elder brother Amadi, embarks on a quest to discover the root of such illness, after consulting the oracle through AKIKA the native doctor, it's reveal that Obidike has been chosen by the gods as the next Chief Priest of Umuaka Village in the eastern part of Nigeria.
A sunny afternoon by the village river-side, after Obidike's recovery from the strange sickness, Obidike sights the arrival of strangers on two canoes into their community, "Mr White" a British colonial/ slave master, "Ogoni" his Interpreter and his armed bodyguards. Obidike takes to his heel, running home to inform his father about the arrival of the strangers. the village town crier raises alarm, leading to the arrest of Mr white by the village vigilante group.
Ogoni negotiates for Mr. White's freedom with the village elders and in the process offers them various gift items of mirror, matches, wrappers, gun powder etc, he capitalizes on their ignorance and amazement at these strange gift items to deceive them into believing that MR WHITE is God's representative on earth. As Mr.White regains his freedom, he takes advantage of his new conviviality accorded him to perpetrate evil and destabilise Umuaka village community's system of government.
Mr. White appoints Amadi, to be the Warrant Chief of Umuaka village after a show of loyalty, out of greed and quest for power, Amadi uses his position as the village Warrant Chief to secretly eliminate opposition group, using his brother Dike as a scapegoat.
Mr. White later defied the gods when he took to captivity the chief priest to be OBIDIKE and looted some sacred idols of the village. This he did with the special connivance of AMADI, who has been jealous of young OBIDIKE’S rising profile as the new Chief Priest to be.
This affront on the traditional religion of Umuaka did not however go unchallenged by the gods of the land. Subsequently, the ghost of the late Chief Priest appears many times to Mr. White, demanding the return of the stolen deity and the release of Obidike together with other slaves from Umuaka village, but Mr. White men remains adamant.
Severally Obidike has been questioned by Mr. White, to tell him who's the Old man that visits him most night demanding for his release, but Obidike's lack of responses triggers the evil spirit in Mr White, making him instruct his guards to double Obidike's punishment there in the slave camp.
The gods of Umuaka village decides to strike after the arrival of two british slave traders, Mr Jackson and Duncan to Umuaka village courtesy of Governor Wilberforce to assist Mr White in expanding her majesty's business on the coast, by killing the slave masters and their local collaborators with strange ailments.
In the confusion that trailed the deaths, OBIDIKE uses the opportunity to mobilize other captives in a revolt that marked the killing of Mr White, the recovery of the stolen sacred mask and the total destruction of the slave camp.
Obidike returns home from the slave camp and goes to Amadi's house, to show him the sacred mask, after which, he goes to restore the sacred mask in Umuaka village shrine where he assumes his rightful position as the village Chief Priest, out of shame Amadi secretly commits suicide.
Dike, Obidike's father and his elder brother Amadi, embarks on a quest to discover the root of such illness, after consulting the oracle through AKIKA the native doctor, it's reveal that Obidike has been chosen by the gods as the next Chief Priest of Umuaka Village in the eastern part of Nigeria.
A sunny afternoon by the village river-side, after Obidike's recovery from the strange sickness, Obidike sights the arrival of strangers on two canoes into their community, "Mr White" a British colonial/ slave master, "Ogoni" his Interpreter and his armed bodyguards. Obidike takes to his heel, running home to inform his father about the arrival of the strangers. the village town crier raises alarm, leading to the arrest of Mr white by the village vigilante group.
Ogoni negotiates for Mr. White's freedom with the village elders and in the process offers them various gift items of mirror, matches, wrappers, gun powder etc, he capitalizes on their ignorance and amazement at these strange gift items to deceive them into believing that MR WHITE is God's representative on earth. As Mr.White regains his freedom, he takes advantage of his new conviviality accorded him to perpetrate evil and destabilise Umuaka village community's system of government.
Mr. White appoints Amadi, to be the Warrant Chief of Umuaka village after a show of loyalty, out of greed and quest for power, Amadi uses his position as the village Warrant Chief to secretly eliminate opposition group, using his brother Dike as a scapegoat.
Mr. White later defied the gods when he took to captivity the chief priest to be OBIDIKE and looted some sacred idols of the village. This he did with the special connivance of AMADI, who has been jealous of young OBIDIKE’S rising profile as the new Chief Priest to be.
This affront on the traditional religion of Umuaka did not however go unchallenged by the gods of the land. Subsequently, the ghost of the late Chief Priest appears many times to Mr. White, demanding the return of the stolen deity and the release of Obidike together with other slaves from Umuaka village, but Mr. White men remains adamant.
Severally Obidike has been questioned by Mr. White, to tell him who's the Old man that visits him most night demanding for his release, but Obidike's lack of responses triggers the evil spirit in Mr White, making him instruct his guards to double Obidike's punishment there in the slave camp.
The gods of Umuaka village decides to strike after the arrival of two british slave traders, Mr Jackson and Duncan to Umuaka village courtesy of Governor Wilberforce to assist Mr White in expanding her majesty's business on the coast, by killing the slave masters and their local collaborators with strange ailments.
In the confusion that trailed the deaths, OBIDIKE uses the opportunity to mobilize other captives in a revolt that marked the killing of Mr White, the recovery of the stolen sacred mask and the total destruction of the slave camp.
Obidike returns home from the slave camp and goes to Amadi's house, to show him the sacred mask, after which, he goes to restore the sacred mask in Umuaka village shrine where he assumes his rightful position as the village Chief Priest, out of shame Amadi secretly commits suicide.
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