TIPTOPSTARS

39-year-old Atem Ebako Tahirih is one of those who bear Cameroon’s movie flag in the diaspora. For one thing, she flies the flag really high. Her solid movie background places the Germany-based producer/director on a comfortable place in the art, yet the holder of an M.A in Educational Sciences who also triples as a Psychotherapist and Project Manager thinks she still has much in store for the world. TIPTOPSTARS Titus Banyoh, himself a film maker who fell in love with the seventh art during his Germany days, had a conversation with Tahirih. Amongst other things, the first in the family of 11 children and mother of two girls (16 and 10 respectively) talks about her debut, experience with Africa actors, her movie marketing strategies and projects in the pipeline. Excerpts!

Titus Banyoh (TB): Princess Atem Ebako you’re welcome to TIPTOPSTARS, how are doing today?

Princess Atem Ebako (PAE):Thanks very much, it’s my pleasure.

TB: What prompted you into film making and acting?

PAE: Film making is just a hobby. When I was much younger, I use to dance too, you know this thing of wanting to be in the showbiz world when you are still a youngster. But as time goes on, you realize those thoughts were just fantasies. Well, it all began in 2005. I’d just graduated from the university and life was kind of boring. My second girl was just a year-and-the-half at the time. While in an African shop in Germany one day, I mentioned that I was surely going to fly to Nigeria and get busy with movies. Little did I know this was going to ignite interest from some people I met in the shop. One of them quickly told me she had noticed I had the potentials, but I did not need to travel all the way to Nigeria to make that dream of mine happen. To this friend, I could begin from my base, Germany and grow. He insisted he was certain I could make it. I however nursed worries of a story but before I knew it, three ladies next to me were already recounting their stories. That was the source for my first ever film script. I can say my movie career began from a shop.                                                                     

TB: For how long have you been in the art and how many productions have you hit so far?

PAE: Thirteen years with seven productions.

TB: Which of your productions was the most challenging?

PAE: The first! It was an entirely non-professionals team. It wasn’t easy at all.

TB: How do you tackle marketing?

PAE: Well, that is the most difficult issue, reason why I have not produced for about four years now. I invest so much and practically get nothing back. So, when I am in Cameroon I do door-to-door sales and in Europe we distribute in African markets.

TB: As an actress, what do your directors tell you?

PAE: Oh! I’m actually the director and producer of my movies.

TB: What are your strong points as a producer?

PAE: Well, that’s a difficult one. The people I work with say I am very creative while viewers say they love the way I tell my stories. I produce in the most natural form as possible to portray my stories.

TB: Any project at hand?

PAE: Yeah! I’m working on Candle in The Wind and Dark Days.

TB: How would you assess the Cameroonian film industry in Europe?

PAE: Well that is another difficult one. Most of the movies are done with either Ghanaian or Nigerian actors, so I cannot call them pure Cameroonian productions. A general assessment of the movie industry is difficult to make, but if I have the permission to judge, I think we still have a long way to go.

TB: Do you have any link with other Cameroonian film producers and actresses based here in Europe?

PAE: Yes I do.

TB: Princess, it was a pleasure having you on TIPTOPSTARS

PAE: The pleasure was mine as well.

     Know more about PAE

• Full names : Princess Atem Ebako Tahirih
• Origin: German by nationality, Cameroonian by birth
• Educational background. Educational Scientist.
• Best color : Brown
• Best Cameroonian traditional dish.: Koki corn.
• Best musical genre: Sentimental
• Hobbies. Reading, writing, hanging out with friends