Why we challenge popular Christianity through film – Movie producer Stephen Alamu

Stephen Dayo Alamu, a Christian film producer, runs The Bereans TV channel, which is dedicated to producing and distributing movies that promote genuine biblical Christianity. In this interview with P.M. News Deputy Editor, Paul Dada, he explains the motivation behind his distinctive style of filmmaking, among other issues.

At what point did you desire to go into making Christian movies?

Let me say that it was not actually my desire but a divine orchestration. I wrote my first script in 2020, but I gifted it to someone who was into Christian drama and movie production. Funny enough, the script came back to me providentially in 2023; that’s a story for another day.

In 2021, one of my friends challenged me. He said we often complained about falsehood in Christian preaching, writing, singing and acting (drama and movies), yet we did not provide enough truth through those same means. He said before concluding that a man loves falsehood, we must first present him with the truth; if he rejects the truth, then we can draw our conclusion.

He added that if I did not mind, I should write sound movie scripts, get people who could act in them, and he would sponsor the production. I accepted the challenge, and the Lord inspired me to write movie scripts.

By January 2022, he sponsored the first production of three short movies,  Sister Debby, The Fail and One Way Traffic. They were first uploaded on his church’s YouTube channel and later on The Bereans TV channel. That was how we started. Since 2021, the Lord has been helping us. My friend is no longer involved, but the Lord has continued to help us carry on.

When you took the decision to do Christian movies, what difference did you seek to make?

From the outset, we had it at the back of our minds to address doctrinal issues through our movies. The majority of so-called Christian movies fall short of sound biblical doctrine. They are largely experience-based rather than being scripturally grounded.

For instance, you will see many so-called Christian movies where a genuine Christian is portrayed as being possessed by an evil spirit. By doing so, they are indirectly suggesting that the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit can cohabit in the same body.

 What exactly is the difference between movies made by The Bereans TV and other Christian films people are used to?

In a clear and straightforward sense, the differences are twofold:  One, our movies do not violate or contradict Scripture or biblical doctrine, as we see in many so-called Christian films. two, our movies present realities that people can easily relate to, unlike many Christian movies that are overly fictional. Many scenes are unrealistic and unrelatable. For example, most of such films portray a very “Nollywood-style” Jesus.

. You recently released Our Bishop. What do you aim to achieve with it?

As inspired by the Lord, the movie addresses two major issues: The exposure of corruption and the evils of one-man General Overseer leadership. It highlights prevailing corruption, especially within the Nigerian Pentecostal circle. It also shows viewers what the true New Testament church should look like.

What is next after Our Bishop?

Our next movie is titled Brother Chris. It will be released in the first quarter of this year. It is a movie that highlights the power of love.

 Have you faced serious challenges since you began the movie ministry?

Yes, there have been two major challenges. One is them is financial.  Producing quality movies in the current economic climate costs a fortune. We are talking about millions of naira.  We also have the challenge of getting lack of like-minded actors and actresses: Finding actors with sound doctrinal and biblical understanding of New Testament Christianity and church practice is very difficult. Such individuals are scarce. We are trusting God to give us such cast members.

Have there been criticisms? How have you handled them?

Yes, there have been criticisms, especially when our movies challenge popular Christian beliefs and church practices. How do we handle them? We keep our gaze fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith.

What is your hope for sanity to prevail among those who profess to be Christians in Nigeria?

We are hopeful that the Lord will restore a measure of sanity that will prepare His true bride for His return. However, across Christendom as a whole, complete sanity cannot prevail because that would contradict biblical prophecies concerning the end times. Scripture makes it clear that difficult and troubling things will characterise this period.