By Milcah Tanimu
On January 7, 2002, I arrived in Cape Town to study film. Two weeks later, I sat in front of the TV when an ad for a show on SABC1 caught my attention. The gritty trailer felt authentic and familiar, so I waited six hours for the show to air. The show, called *YIZOYIZO*, opened my mind to expressing African stories using all the cinematic tools available. It changed my life. What amazed me most was that it was shot digitally. I had believed you could only achieve that texture and emotion with a film camera.
I wanted to express my feelings about my environment. My quest to understand filmmaking tools brought me to Cape Town, and that show confirmed I was on the right path.
*Inside Life* isn’t just about fictional characters or generic plots. Every character, location, lighting choice, camera angle, original score, cut, and grade reflects my experiences and the people I’ve met. It presents a reality that many Nigerian filmmakers shy away from. I know these people intimately. I am, in some ways, one of them, and I believe it’s crucial to tell their stories and highlight the nuances within them.
Creating a world is the biggest challenge for any Nigerian filmmaker. I had always thought that embarking on a project like this would grant me endless resources. However, my budget limitations and the need to assemble a new team specifically for this project posed significant obstacles.
The most daunting challenge was confronting my past while developing these characters. Recreating scenes with characters similar to those I love, who have faced violation and abuse, forced me to develop empathy for individuals I have loathed for much of my life. I had to reconsider my perspective on the trauma that I and those around me have dealt with for so long, often accepting it as normal.
Cast:
– Magdalene Otanwa
– Gabriel Afolayan
– Zack Orji
– Jide Kosoko
– Scarlet Gomez
– Chioma Ijeoma Omeruah
– Aino Gold
– Rotimi Adelegan
– Abimbola Kazeem
– Uzoamaka Onuoha
– Tonia Chukwurah
– Princess Obuseh
– Racheal Emem Isaac Udoh
– Justin Miracle
– Taye Arimoro
– Egu Chisom Sylvia
– Ndah Gift Eno
– Florence Okechukwu
– Ayoade Elizabeth B
– Akinola Akano
– David Peter
Crew:
– Clarence A. Peters – Director/D.O.P/Story
– Abidemi Akinmola – Executive Producer
– Olu Tinubu
– Bayo Lambo
– Tonia Chukwurah – Assistant Director 1/Production Manager
– Rotimi Oshodi – Assistant Director 2
– Writers: Olumide Kuti, Tonia Chukwurah, Clarence A. Peters
– Kazeem Oluwaseun Yusuf – Sound Recorder
– Ganiyat – Costume Design
Clarence A. Peters is a renowned filmmaker, cinematographer, director, and CEO of Capital Dream Pictures. This production company specializes in performing arts and filmmaking. A master of his craft, Clarence has spent over a decade as a groundbreaking filmmaker. He has directed over 3,000 music videos and has received several national and international awards, including the Best Video at the MTV Africa Music Awards (2014) and five Best Music Video Director awards from the Headies and Nigeria Entertainment Awards (2013).
Clarence directed 180 episodes of *Everyday People*, a popular TV series, and has collaborated with artists like D’banj, Phyno, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Olamide, Ayra Starr, and Falz. He has also produced documentaries, TV commercials, and several short thriller/horror series, including *HEX* and *KNEE DOWN*. He has two new limited series, *INSIDE LIFE* and *SCRATCH*, coming out later this year on Netflix and Amazon, respectively.
Clarence attended Camp David Academy for his secondary education before studying cinematography at City Varsity in Cape Town, South Africa.
