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Nana Kagga is not your ordinary Ugandan. She has lived a life most people dream of. A true go-getter! I found out about her, as with most things on www.muwado.com, while idly perusing through Facebook. One of my friends or one of the pages I like, I can’t seem to remember which, was announcing the launch party of her soon to be released movie, The Life.
What grabbed my interest first was the cast of the movie which included some really big names in the Ugandan entertainment industry. I decided to dig further and that’s when I found out about Nana who had written and directed the movie. Further research from my friend Google left me awestruck at what she has managed to achieve in her time on earth.
Naturally, I sought her out for an interview. So without further ado, I will let her tell her own story.
Hello, how about a brief introduction for the readers of www.muwado.com
My name is Nana and I am a Ugandan filmmaker.
Though we can only hope, we can’t expect the whole world to know who you are. What are some of the highlights or achievements in your life that you would want to be known/remembered for?
Over the years, I had appeared in a number of Hollywood films, TV, commercials, music videos and plays as Nana Hill.
My Hollywood film credits include: “He is not that into you” with Universal pictures, “Star Trek” with Paramount Pictures (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nana_Hill) and “A Good Day to be Black and Sexy” with Magnolia Pictures as well as the independent films “Cowboys and Indians”, “Hitchhike” and “Collision”. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2049471/)
On US Television, I appeared on “CSI New York” on CBS, “LIFE” on NBC, “Runaway Stars” a web series, Black Entertainment TV, BET, and Uganda’s WBS’s Jam Agenda.
I have done US TV Commercials for Pepsi, DSW, Budweiser, Coors Light, KFC, Microsoft, Apple, Tylenol, and Dove.
I have also appeared in music videos for artists such as Pink, Amy Winehouse, Sting, and Lenny Kravitz.
I was also the lead actress in the play ‘Butterflies of Uganda’ which was nominated for an NAACP award. ( http://www.curtainup.com/butterfliesofugandala.html)
(http://www.lataco.com/taco/draft-butterflies-of-uganda-greenway-court-theater-west-hollywood)
So how come you left Hollywood to come back and settle in Uganda. Did opportunities dry out or the motherland kept on calling to you?
Everyone asks that question like there is a profound answer. An earth-shattering moment when I made the drastic decision to come home. Nothing happened for me. My career in Hollywood was steadily rising but, for me, it was time to come home.
Do you see yourself returning to the US anytime soon to further your acting career?
I am afraid not. Being in front of the camera is not something I relish anymore. I prefer being behind the lens and writing my own scripts and telling my own stories.
Let’s talk about The Life, what was your inspiration for this movie?
NANA: Kampala did, especially the music industry here and the rise in the pursuit of the ultimate lifestyle that has sprung up in Kampala.
And the cast, it is a very interesting cast. Care to introduce some of the popular names and how you ended up with this amazing cast.
The actors cast for the movie were outstanding during the auditions and during production. Some of them walked into that audition room, announced they had never acted before, picked up the script and mesmerized us all with their portrayal of the characters on the audition script which they had just been handed on arrival.
Iryn Naddamba who plays Nekesa, Shyla Paris who plays Milly and Claire Senkusu who plays Nekesa’s little sister Claire had never gotten up in front of a camera and yet they play their roles with a vulnerability that touches the viewer. Gasuza Lwanga who plays Tendo aka “Jaguar” stepped in at the last minute when the original lead actor decided to leave the production and he managed two jobs on set, as the director of photography and as the main actor. Gasuza is also a music producer and singer so he brought originality to the story through his experiences on the Kampala music scene. Elvis “Vamposs” Kirya who plays Smokey is one of Uganda’s talents on the music industry and although he had no acting experience his portrayal of the character Smokey is both hilarious and ruthless. Susan Nava who plays the reporter slipped into the role with ease because of her job as a TV host on a leading network in Uganda. Maureen Jolly who gives a powerful performance as Anna, Tibba Murungi who plays Priscilla and Boxa Franklyn who plays Paulo are seasoned actors in Uganda with appearances in both TV and film. Annet Namukasa who plays Vixen is a model, again with no acting experience who manages to captivate the viewer as soon as she appears on screen and Onoh Ozongwu who guest stars as Vixen’s husband is a music producer on Uganda’s music scene.
Obviously this is not the first movie to be produced locally but bearing in mind your background and development in this industry, we would expect a better product. What do you think makes your production stand out from the rest of the locally produced movies around?
The majority of films I have seen in Africa tend to highlight wars and poverty, basically everything that is tragic and wrong with our continent. Then you have got those movies that just highlight witchcraft, polygamy and land wrangles and these topics although relevant seems to be the common thread so I just wanted to make a movie that was about the ever-changing urban lifestyle in Kampala especially within the music industry.
The music industry has grown in Uganda rapidly and spawned a culture of “celebrity” and with it a different set of morals for the 17-35 age group so this particular industry provides a platform to tell a story that is universal across Africa.
What hiccups or bumps did you experience during the production process?
It was actually a fun process and I learned a lot from it. Like anything you experience all sorts on hiccups minor and major and this case, I would say financing.
Where can The Life be viewed from or purchased from for those that haven’t yet viewed it?
Well we are in negotiations with a distribution company so we will let everyone know soon where they can grab a copy.
The movie has been out for a few months now, do you have any plans to push it in the international film festivals?
Not sure yet. Let us see what the Ugandans think first. It is important to me because this is a Ugandan production throughout with a Ugandan cast and crew.
We all know the movie industry is lucrative, at least in the developed countries? Have you managed to turn a profit from the Life?
That is debatable because it has been a labor of love. Hopefully, in the future the industry will start to pay us back.
Any more film projects we should watch out for?
Yes, we are in pre-production for a sort of thriller/love story that will shoot in December this year so watch this space.
So should we become comfortable with you as a movie producer/director or are you going to come up with something completely different in the near future?
I am a lot of things and movie producer/director is just one of them.
The West Africa movie industry has really kicked off while seems to be playing catch up here in East Africa. What do you think the industry needs in order for us to witness a more vibrant and profitable industry.
Our own people supporting the projects and paying at the cinema to see the movies or buying the DVDs.
It is obvious you have lived quite an interesting life by any standards. What are your top 6 moments of your life to date and what makes them so special?
I can give you one: The day I became a mother. Everything else is secondary.
Any final words to the readers of muwado?
Impossible is just a word. If you give yourself permission to dream, you can be ALL of the things you want.
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