A latter day ‘Coming to America'
By Jayne Usen
December 19, 2010 12:17AM



On a first encounter, quiet and unassuming Joy Dickson does not cut the picture of a filmmaker. However after spending a few minutes with her, you are enraptured by her passion for movie making. Born in Aba, Abia State, Dickson had a brief stint in Nollywood producing and directing two Nollywood films, ‘African Lily' and ‘Mission to Africa' before relocating to the US where she is currently based.

After a seven-year hiatus, she makes her directorial debut in America with B'etween Kings and Queens'. Although many have likened the storyline to that of a latter day ‘Coming to America', Dickson thinks otherwise. She insists that ‘Between Kings and Queens' simply is the story of a young West African prince who seeks to escape royal duties by fleeing to America. He is later torn between love and free will, and his adventure in the land of liberty quickly unravels as he finds himself running for his life and love. The movie features Nigeria's Jim Iyke starring alongside an all-American cast.

Dickson talked to NEXT about her work, and the new film.

Tell us about your background?

I studied Theatre-Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, then dabbled into filmmaking. All my life I have always loved telling stories on stage and I laid my hands on a camera after the whole ‘Living in Bondage' success. Then I suggested to my husband, who was my then boyfriend, that we should go ahead and do a movie - we eventually did but it never saw the light of day. I didn't know what I was doing but I knew I had a story. I shot a film in 2003 here in Nigeria titled ‘Mission to Africa' starring Olu Jacobs and other stars. After then I just tried to get better and this movie, ‘Between Kings and Queens', has been a huge step for me.

Why the hiatus after ‘Mission to Africa'?

To start with, I have always had this perception of trying to do movies, the right way. I know in Nollywood, a director can produce two movies in a month (I don't know if I am exaggerating but that was what I heard). I was having my child and trying to raise funds for my movie ‘Between Kings and Queens'.

Did you go back to film school?

Yes I am actually taking courses at the New York Film Academy.

The trailer appears to have quite a lot in common with Coming to America. Do you agree?

I don't know why everyone is saying that because the only similarity was the fact that the guy was from a royal family. It has a little bit of action and police chasing him around and a little bit of comic relief. So, for some funny reason, people are tagging it as ‘Coming to America' - so let's say it's modern day ‘Coming to America'.


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Joy Dickson

What inspired the screenplay and why that story?

We had a friend at that time that was rounding up his studies at the University of Texas film school who said a classmate of his said to him: ‘I hear in Africa you guys live in trees?' And he in return replied saying ‘yeah the poor ones live in small trees while the big ones live in tall trees'. Then the white guy said: ‘Really?' And he said: ‘Yes, remember when Clinton came to Africa? We kept him in one of the tallest trees'. And the guy still believed it! When he told us the story, we laughed and that was how we took the story and this film came about. We wanted to elaborate more about how we are being perceived as Africans. Most times [whites] think we live in bushes with no clothes on, so that was how 'Between Kings and Queens' was born.

Jim Iyke is the only African and Nigerian in the movie; is this deliberate?
I just wanted to tell a story and it was a conscious move. I just wanted to have one Nollywood actor in the film. The guy who played Kalu is pure American and you couldn't tell because he had to work on his accent. I wasn't targeting just Africans but everyone. Jim Iyke was the best person for the role and people really loved him and kept asking about him.

How were you able to get DaJuan Johnson (Kalu) to speak like an African?

He had to work with the acting coach who helped him with the accent. I also had to help him too. I would talk with him over the phone, since he was in California at that time. And I also gave him some materials and links to go to see how Africans talk.

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