Movie Director Leila Djansi Blasts Nigerian Actors, says they are Insecure

Call her controversial, that won’t stop the Director of “I sing of a well” and “Sinking Sands”, Leila Djansi from speaking her mind whenever she wants to. In her recent post, the 32-year-old American/Ghanaian filmmaker took a swipe at Nollywood and Ghollywood stars – she described them as being materialistic, having awkward diction and that they embark on needless vacation just to cover their insecurity.

Here’s her unedited post:

"Do quote me anywhere on this. It’s about time someone said this. My fellow film industry folks in Ghana and Nigeria, especially actors. Enough with the cars, shoes, bags, clothes and needless vacations. You don’t do these cos you deserve them but cos of the need to show off and that’s some high level of insecurity you need checked. You spend money you make from doing some crappy material on designers who take that money, go on vacations with their fellow men, whom they have married and have sex with or fellow women… (None of my business tho. Just sayin’). Instead of sitting

by the TV and acquiring an american accent, or seeing your friend off to the airport and going back home doing ‘innit or yeah mehnn’, or heck, traveling to Atlanta for 2 weeks and returning with a New York accent why not spend that money on accent elimination classes? Or invest in a simple program like Rosetta Stone, which helps you become versatile. It is hard to market African films to the world because the diction is so awkward. Actors don’t speak English comfortably. They prefer make-up and clothes to character enhancing. They can already imagine the red carpets and star treatment. It’s making movie making difficult! Learn from people like Idris Elba, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton. They all have their own accents from their countries, but their accent changes with any role they take. Thus they can be British, African, American. I watched a Nigerian film set in 1886 and the King had an American accent. Haba. This is tiring. Really."

I think she has a point though.