[size=14pt]I won't produce an English movie for $20m - Yomi Fash Lanso, Yoruba movie star[/size]

Ada Onyema


Oluwayomi Ifashola Lanso, popularly known as Yomi Fash, is an ardent believer in the indegenous use of native language in movies. In this interview with Ada Onyema, he talks about his love for his language, life and sundry issues


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Being in the industry for the past 15 years, can you still remember your first film?

It was not a major one, but it was on that set that I met Jide Kosoko.

How much were you paid ?

It was not about the money. People will cheat you if you allow them to cheat you, just focus on what you want, irrespective of anybody envying you as far as you are good at it; that 's the most important thing.

You are basically stuck with the Yoruba genre; why don't you experiment with English?

For one basic fact: I'm a Nigerian, not American or British. I'm speaking English with you because you are not Yoruba. If you are Yoruba, I would be speaking Yoruba; when you get to your office, you translate. Apologies to my colleagues, I don't see any reason why as a Nigerian, I would say I'm an English actor. What would the British or Americans call themselves? So, we need to come back home and address these issues. Why can't we make movies in Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo? Other countries want to learn from us, respect, us, but when we ape them, they look at us as inferior.

So, you encourage the use of native languages in movie production?

Yes, I believe in my way of life, my tribe and my origin. I have not seen where Americans or Britons shoot a movie and speak Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo throughout. I don't belong to that clan that will say I want to shoot a Nigerian movie and speak English all through. I can't get accross. Until we go back to our original standard by letting them know that we have arrived, we will still be where we are. What we discovered in history is that if you want to kill a people, just take away their language and they are dead. We have stars who don't know their background; that is why we are doing what we are doing and to God be the glory, we have been able to salvage our culture in our own way.

Does that mean that as far as you are concerned, it is Yoruba genre for life?

Yes.

Supposing you get a $20m offer to do an English movie?

I will turn it down. What message am I passing, aping people? If for a justifiable reason the Chinese can't speak English with you even at the international level, in world summits, they hear it but can't speak, they force you to get a translator and they rate them high, it is possible in our country. Even if we can't because we are so diversified, let's adopt Pidgin and let our President go to a world summit and speak Pidgin, they will get a translator.

How many more years do we have to wait?

Already, there is a tremendous change in Nigeria and even in the Diaspora. Not that I don't want my children or the future generations to speak English, but we must be deeply rooted in our culture and language. Don't see your language as secondary, it is primary and any other one is secondary. That is what we stand for. We speak our native language whenever we are together because we need to get it done, otherwise, we remain nonetities and that we won't allow.

Don't you think you are a rebel of sorts?

Rightful rebel. I stand for what is good. If I see something bad, I tell you why it is bad. So, if I'm doing something that is bad, you tell me and I will change.

What inspired the name, Guerilla?

It is about me and my guys. We have only two to three guerillas in the movie industry. I'm Guerilla 1, Funsho Adeolu is Guerilla 2 and we are currently grooming Guerilla 3. We have formed this clique to enable us to begin the wind of change and as such, we work long, do our things without any form of mediocrity or favour, and we don't condone nonsense or take crap from anybody. In life, you need to have close friends who share the same societal, social, moral and educational values with you. But when you are in the midst of people who don't think alike, there will be a collision.

Why the name?

The name is not about juju. It is just that we don't take nonsense; we stand tall and tell you what is right without caring whose ox is gored.

How did you come into the movie industry or did you study theatre arts?

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