Clermont 2020: "Troublemaker", the Biafra War and silence

Text by: Siegfried Forster

The short film presented at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival by Olive Nwosu stops where the real story begins. "Troublemaker" dares to put the finger in the wound by evoking the war of Biafra, in Nigeria. Fifty years after this civil war and its more than a million victims, the Nigerian filmmaker is touching a deep trauma.

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RFI : Presenting your Troublemaker film in Clermont-Ferrand, at the biggest festival in the world dedicated to short films, what does this represent for you ?

Oliver Nwosu : For me, it's amazing that I'm here. I made this film practically without money, in a very small village in Nigeria, with local amateurs who have never acted in a film. To see today that they find themselves here projected on the big screen in front of an audience from around the world, it's really special.

You were born in Nigeria, today you are studying in New York. How did you come to the cinema ?

I went to the United States to study and in that context, I took a film course. It was then that I realized that it was possible for me to make cinema. So, I came to realization. And currently, I'm doing a Master of Fine Arts at Columbia University.

Troublemake r (" The Disruptor ") tells the story of an old man who has become dumb and his very agitated grandson. What is so special about this relationship ?

The film tells the story of a grandfather with his grandson. It shows where the grandson - who does not realize what he is doing - causes the resurgence of a trauma experienced by the grandfather, veteran of the Biafra war. The grandson is very curious to know more about his grandfather who never said a word. He would like to understand this old man. This reflects the interest that the young generation of today has in the history of our country. For example, my father: he was a child during the Biafra War, but he never told me about this story. So the relationship between grandfather and grandson represents the silence passed down from generation to generation. For this, the boy is not aware that he is hurting his grandfather. At the same time, the child loses his innocence when the pain of the trauma arises.

How do you approach the Biafra War ?

The real story of this film is that we have passed over the story of this war. Today, in Nigeria, very few people speak of the Biafra war. In this short film, we see this grandfather, unable to speak of this war in which he had participated. He would never have said a word again, if his grandson had not provoked - without knowing it - an event that will bring back his memory, after fifty years of silence.

The Biafra War took place between 1967 and 1970. Fifty years later, is it difficult to make a film about this story ?

Yes, it is very difficult. On the occasion of the fifty years of this war in Nigeria, we are trying to organize discussions around this event. But, it's still a very heavy story, because there has never been a reconciliation between the different parts of this civil war. So there is a fear that talking about it could provoke a new civil war. In my opinion, this is a mistake. It is about talking about our history, because it is important to remember where we come from.

The budget for your film is $ 3,000. Why is it so difficult to find money for such a subject ? It must be remembered that the Biafra war had killed more than a million and a half, many of whom died of hunger.

I think that currently in Nigeria it is difficult for all films to find money. It is not related to the subject of Troublemaker . There are no cultural funds to finance films. This is the reason why many directors self-finance their projects. In Nigeria, it is currently very difficult to finance artistic projects.

Triggered in 1967 by the secession of the eastern region (endowed with oil reserves) of Nigeria proclaiming itself Republic of Biafra, this war did not only concern Nigeria. International powers like the United States, the United Kingdom and France have also played a role. Is your film received differently in different countries ?

So far, I have shown Troublemaker only in the UK and France. I have the impression that the reactions are similar, very positive. In Nigeria, the film has not yet been shown publicly. But here in Clermont-Ferrand, a Nigerian came to see me and congratulated me on the film, because she herself has always wondered why there is so little information on the Biafra war.

► Also read: Fabien Dao: "Bablinga, the fear of returning to Burkina Faso"

► Read also: Opening of the Clermont-Ferrand Festival, world capital of short films

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