Uche Jombo Highlights the Challenges Faced by Women in Nollywood
A spotlight has been cast on the hurdles that women must overcome in order to carve out a successful path and maintain their relevance in the film industry by popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Uche Jombo.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Uche Jombo reflected on the dedication and determination of women in the industry, stating, “Women are very serious-minded people. I remember when I started producing movies, there were a lot of my male colleagues who started producing at the same time.
“Some of them started doing other things and are no longer interested in filmmaking as of today. But I am still here toughening things out. In essence, when women put their minds to something, they do it because normally, women would work twice as hard to prove themselves.”
When asked about the necessity for women to exert extra effort to establish themselves in the competitive realm of Nollywood, she explained, “When Nollywood started, it was a boys club. As a woman coming to produce your film, it takes a while to be taken seriously. I think the film that made people take me seriously was ‘Damaged’. But I had done three films before ‘Damaged’ as an executive producer and producer. That film did well. It was an advocacy film.”
Discussing her motivation behind her recent project, ‘Onyeegwu’, which had its premiere at the Africa International Film Festival, Uche Jombo expressed, “If you know me, you would know that I love football and film. It’s a dream come true. ‘Onyeegwu’ was a story I wanted to tell for a long time but it was such a big journey.”