Historical films are few and far between, that is why when one arrives it’s time to support and celebrate a new breakthrough in cinema. The Amazing Grace, which is currently available in stores and online represents such a defining moment.

The film makes history on two fronts as it’s the first time ever that the children of slaves are telling their version of the African slave trade, and it’s also the first Nigerian/Nollywood film to receive wide distribution throughout North America.

Shot on location in Nigeria and London, The Amazing Grace is based on a true story as it traces the roots of the world's most famous spiritual hymn, "Amazing Grace."

"Amazing Grace" was originally an African song sung often on land and during the Middle Passage.  The English verses were later composed by slave trader turned abolitionist John Newton, to express his remorse for the atrocious slave trade business.

One of the leading visionaries behind this project is the native Nigerian, Wilson Ebiye, CEO of RockCity Entertainment and the film’s executive producer.  Ebiye is no stranger to the world of film after having produced, Hip-Hop Story: Tha Movie, which featured such stars as Tupac Shakur, Diddy, Jay Z, and more.  

Sixshot Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. > spoke with Ebiye about why the film’s producers had to fund the project on their own, the emotional experience of completing the project, why the hymn still resonates to this day, why the third largest film industry Nollywood is closer to hip-hop than you’d think, his plans to work with Ludacris, and more.

Was it difficult to raise funds for this project which some would say is too serious and lacks commercial appeal?

Yes, it was actually very, very difficult.  We decided to actually fund this on our own because we didn’t want to wait for the big studio or other investors to do this for us.  We believed so much that the slave side of the story had to be told so we financed it by ourselves.  I’m happy that my distribution company Code Black and Vivendi—the video distribution company of Universal Music Group—saw our vision and decided to distribute it for us in North America.

This must have been a very emotional experience for all involved.  Tell us about the emotional process.

It was very difficult because some of the costumes in the film were gathered from the slavery museum in Nigeria.  So it was very powerful and emotional seeing the actual tools that were used to restrain our people a long time ago.  We had to do it because we wanted to tell this story from our perspective.

When you learned that the version of “Amazing Grace,” we have now was composed by a slave trader did that change the meaning of this hymn for you?

No it doesn’t really.  This is a very spiritual and religious story.  It’s about a man who at the end of his life knew that slavery was a terrible thing and this same man was very much a part of it.  It’s all about love and knowing truly that we are all the same no matter what color you are.  So it’s a true testament to what can really happen when people do understand that there’s really no difference between people.  The fact that he was a slave ship captain and used the melody of the African slaves to accompany his hymn to me makes it much more meaningful.  John Newton was a very important figure in the abolition of slavery in England.

Music is a powerful force to bridge gaps and bridge worlds.  How does this film aim to convey that message?

“Amazing Grace,” is one of the most popular hymns and a lot of people during the civil rights movement used that hymn like an anthem.  Most of those people didn’t know the origins of it were from Africa and that our ancestors created that song.  So it’s a true testament that music is very important.  Music can actually help us to understand our spirituality and who we are. 

The slave experience has been told many times in cinema.  What part of this historical experience do you feel has yet to be captured?

I think we are all responsible for what happened during slavery.  I think some of the stories that need to be told are about healing.  How can we heal?  It’s been a long time but we can still see the pains going on.  I think that the candidacy of Barack Obama says that the children of Africans and slaves can make serious contributions to the development of our country.

Nollywood is Nigeria’s booming film industry and the third largest in the world. Why do you think this market is so huge in Nigeria?

Before Nollywood the cinema was dominated by Chinese films, Kung-Fu films, and American action films.  The people who started it [Nollywood] realized that in order for the world to understand Africans they had to tell their own story.  Some of the stories in the mainstream media that you hear about Africa are really not true.

One of your goals is to correct some of the misconceptions about Nigeria and Africa.  What are some of the misconceptions you’re hoping to address and to correct?

Basically, the stereotype that Nigerians are corrupt.  There are many Nigerians in the world and you can’t just paint the whole nation with a brush.  This film shows that Nigerians and Africans have contributed immensely to our culture.

Do you see progress for Africans and African-Americans within Nollywood and Hollywood?

I see progress.  I compare Nollywood to hip-hop.  They said hip-hop was gonna be a fad but today hip-hop is one of the most dominant pop cultures of the world.  So I think it will improve.  We will get better roles and one way is by producing, writing, directing, and putting out our own projects.

What more can we look forward to from your company?

Right now we are in negotiations with Ludacris to star in our next film, American King.  The film is about a hustler from Brooklyn, NY who became an African king.  It’s a comedy but it’s not very far-fetched.  We are also working on the film called, Backpackers, which is about young high school love and the love of hip-hop.

To purchase your DVD copy of The Amazing Grace, click HERE