Ghanian filmmaker breaks down in tears after Nollywood legends refuse to return to village built on water for film shoot

• LilWin said the Nollywood stars refused to return to the set after three days of shooting because they were uncomfortable with the 40-minute boat trip to Nzulezu.

• The Ghanaian filmmaker said relocating the production was difficult because the film’s storyline centred on Nzulezu, a community known for its houses built on stilts above a lagoon.

• LilWin said he understood the actors’ safety concerns following the death of Nollywood actor Junior Pope, who drowned in a boat accident while returning from a movie location in April 2024.

In a video shared online, LilWin described how the production encountered an unexpected setback after three days of shooting, when the Nigerian actors reportedly refused to return to the filming location because of concerns about travelling on water.

The production team had to travel by boat for approximately 40 minutes to reach Nzulezu, a community in Ghana’s Western Region known for its houses built on stilts above a lagoon. The location was central to the film’s storyline, which explores the community and its distinctive way of life. 

Recounting the incident, LilWin said the actors asked him to move the production elsewhere, a request that threatened to disrupt the project because the story was built around Nzulezu.

“After three days of shooting the movie, all the stars said they would not return to the set or travel on the water again. They asked for the movie to be shot somewhere else, but the storyline was about Nzulezu, where people live on the water, and the entire story was based there. All the stars refused to go back on the water to continue shooting, and there was confusion,” he said.

Despite his frustration, the filmmaker acknowledged that the actors had reasons to be concerned about their safety. He linked their reluctance to a previous incident in which a Nigerian actor reportedly drowned while filming a water scene.

“I don't blame the Nigerian stars because, not long ago, one of their colleagues drowned and died while shooting a water scene for a movie. So, to some extent, I understood their concerns,” he added.

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Recall that Nollywood actor Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, after a boat carrying him and other crew members capsized on the River Niger in Delta State, Nigeria, as they returned from a movie location. Four other crew members also died in the accident.

Junior Pope’s death sparked widespread grief in the Nigerian film industry and renewed concerns about safety on movie sets, particularly during scenes that require actors and crew members to travel on water.

Nzulezu features prominent Nollywood actors, including Kanayo O. Kanayo, Patience Ozokwo, Mike Ezuruonye, Charles Awurum, Zubby Michael and Destiny Etiko. 

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