…defends on-screen kissing scenes

Nollywood filmmaker Biodun Stephen has defended the use of romantic scenes in movies, insisting that directors and producers should not be held responsible for marital issues involving actors.

Speaking in a video shared on her Instagram page, Stephen responded to criticism that kissing scenes in Nollywood films contribute to the breakdown of actors’ marriages.

According to her, actors and their spouses are fully aware of the demands of the profession and should accept the realities that come with it before entering into marriage.

“There’s this lady that always has a mouth for Nollywood. She said something about the kissing, Nollywood, and producers. She said producers should take it easy on having actors kiss because we’re possibly ruining their marriages,” Stephen said.

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The filmmaker explained that while kissing scenes are not a defining feature of her productions because she prefers making films that families can watch together, she would not hesitate to include them if they are necessary to tell a story effectively.

“Kissing is not really part of my craft because I want people to watch my movies with their children, but that doesn’t mean that when an opportunity comes for it, I won’t embrace it. I will embrace it as long as the story calls for it,” she said.

Stephen stressed that believable emotions and convincing chemistry between actors are essential elements of filmmaking.

“One of the things we’re selling on screen is believability. You’re selling an emotion, you’re selling chemistry, and you want people to believe the love so they can root for it,” she added.

While acknowledging that romantic scenes can be portrayed without excessive intimacy, she argued that blaming producers or directors for failed marriages is misplaced.

“I think that responsibility is on the actor who has chosen the profession and also on the spouse of that actor who has accepted that my spouse is an actor, and therefore things like kissing and rubbing might occur. They must have made their peace with it. That responsibility is not my responsibility,” she said.

Stephen noted that actors have the freedom to set personal boundaries, explaining that some refuse to perform kissing scenes because of their religious beliefs or personal convictions, while others are comfortable taking on such roles.

According to her, the responsibility of a producer or director is to provide a professional working environment and present actors in the best possible way, not to interfere in their personal relationships.

“We have actors who will say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t kiss for personal beliefs,’ and there are actors who say, ‘I don’t mind kissing.’

“My job as a producer or director is to protect you as actors. My job is to present you properly to the audience without making you feel uncomfortable, but my job is not to break your home because that’s not on me. I did not put a gun to your head to work for me,” she said.