Gratitude:UnFiltered w/ the film Alejandro’s Sam Ojo

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Live Mana ministries, presents Gratitude:UnFiltered . You are in for a treat today. So if you're watching on social media, please like subscribe and share. If you're watching on the live mana worldwide multimedia broadcast network. Thank you so much for supporting our network. God bless you guys. This is going to be an awesome, awesome show. We'll see you shortly.

Joshua T Berglan

What's up everybody. Welcome to Gratitude:UnFiltered. I am so blessed to be here today. As I said yesterday, this is my favorite thing in the world to do broadcasting. I love you guys. Thank you so much for the support we are in for an awesome treat. It's so interesting to me. I leave Los Angeles over a year. It's been longer than that now over a year and a half ago. And every, since I left, I've been more engaged in the film industry, TV and everything else, whether it was an Oklahoma, even Minneapolis. But today I get to speak to a fellow Okie, not really from Oklahoma, but that's where he resides now.

Joshua T Berglan

And a lot of people don't know this, but Oklahoma of all, places on the planet, Oklahoma right now is becoming a little mini Mecca of the film industry. And there are so many talented filmmakers in Oklahoma, whether it's Oklahoma city or Tulsa, I am really excited and blessed about our guest today. Sam Ojo. oh, Joe, did I say it right? No, I bet you that. I just asked him again. It's not all hoe it's Oh Joe. It's all Joe. Oh, Joe Sam mojo. He's got an amazing film that, I mean, everything I'm reading about this routes, my heart out, but I want you to hear it from him.

Joshua T Berglan

I haven't been able to see this film yet, but this is something that it hits me deep in my spirit, because well, when you hear about it, you understand our life's mission with what we do with the live monitor worldwide network, even outside of the media stuff. Like this is what it's all about. And then here he is, he's making a film. And I think you guys are going to be really, really excited about this. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the man of the hour, Sam. Oh, ho I just confirm this and it's so ridiculous. I even listened to your interview when you were in, you were speaking to that TV show in Africa.

Joshua T Berglan

Listen to them. Say it. I am so bad about that. Please forgive me. My man. I'm really sorry.

Sam Ojo

You, you are to leave forgiving and basically, you know, Odo is African or is Mexican and you not the mini of Oh, hi. Oh yeah, yeah. In Spanish. Oh, is hi. Yeah.

Joshua T Berglan

Spanish. I barely even speak English as you can tell.

Sam Ojo

Okay.

Joshua T Berglan

This is one of those times that I wish like I could edit, but I don't edit.

Sam Ojo

Yes.

Joshua T Berglan

Oh man. I'm so glad that you're here. I want to get right. We're actually first thing before we do all that, what are you grateful for today?

Sam Ojo

I am grateful for being alive today.

Joshua T Berglan

Why is I am,

Sam Ojo

You know, all over the world. We face pandemic, which basically us touched the real fabric of our livelihood, our movement, our Liberty, our, and our, you know, association as a group of people. And sadly, a lot of people die from this pandemic. It's not because we were better or we were in a, or we are in better health because of the grace of God.

Sam Ojo

So being alive today, I am very grateful.

Joshua T Berglan

That's a really beautiful answer. It's funny when people say I'm grateful to be alive, it's one of those things that it's look at them and go, Oh God, come on. Really give me something else. But they're very sincere, heartfelt form of gratitude. So I appreciate that. So tell us, tell us a little bit about where you grew up, because I have a feeling that where you grew up had a lot to do with why you created this film. Oh,

Sam Ojo

Very thank you for that question. So I was born in a city where heart and culture is like, top-notch like everybody does, you know, acting stage play or whatever. And that city is actually one of the UNESCO. What else? Oh, I clean place. And you know, I might, my dad was a photographer. So I grew up around 90 eighties to late eighties to, I mean, late seventies to eighties.

Sam Ojo

And basically in my, in my lifetime, I have lived in seven countries and I have visited several countries. And even within the United States, my first three years in the United States, I visited all the States, including Guam, Puerto Rico. And of course, Alaska and Hawaii, within three years of my residing in the United States. So exploring and traveling is one of the greatest, greatest, greatest assets that I believe I have.

Sam Ojo

And I basically love meeting people. I like talking to people. I like spreading the word and I'm very passionate about all the problems, the social vices in different community. And I'm thinking, what can I do to help? And that is one of the reasons why I decided to make a movie that will help some people to be a better person.

Joshua T Berglan

I love that. So, but you were born in Nigeria, right?

Sam Ojo

I totally forgot to mention that.

Joshua T Berglan

Well, you got lucky. You got to travel some cool places, but

Sam Ojo

Yes, I was born in Nigeria and I had my elementary school in Nigeria and I add my high school in Nigeria as well, sent Tomasa Queens college. And I went on to go to a school of technology. So basically I was trained as a geologist and eventually I became an engineer and you know, I work in oil and gas and worked around the world and stuff like that. And I moved on to the United Kingdom to have my master's degree. And I lived in the United Kingdom for some time during those periods, I was able to produce some movie.

Sam Ojo

It's basically Christian, low budget movie. And when I moved to the United States, I first lived in Utah, salt Lake city. And after that time, I spent about five years in Utah and then I moved to Oklahoma and I've lived in Oklahoma now for six years.

Joshua T Berglan

What, what made you move to Oklahoma? It's an interest. I have another friend that lives she's lives in San Diego. Okay. She is now how shopping and like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, like she's looking to see where she wants to move. Why did you choose Oklahoma? Tell

Sam Ojo

Her to move to Oklahoma

Joshua T Berglan

Website.

Sam Ojo

Oklahoma is a beautiful place. And I think it's very well on the represent underrepresented in the, in the media and in, in the social world. Generally, the first thing that made me to decide to move to Oklahoma was because I had an opportunity to work here. So when I, when I got that opportunity, I went online and search about my new place, you know, searching for <inaudible>. And I must be honest with you.

Sam Ojo

What I read online was not great to, to, to many, many bad, bad, bad stuff I can mention about crime. I can mention about racism can mention about so many things. In fact, I must be, I must say this. When I decided to move one of my friends in Utah, I said, why are you going to the South? They will Lynch you. I said, where the delete me. So be it. But the main reason why I moved was because of the economic reason.

Sam Ojo

Of course, I called a joke here. And the second reason is if it is true, that there is a lot of racism. They must see a lot of force for things to change because when people are not familiar with things, fear sets in and that is that fear boys into wrestling. And it's not on the front of the white community. We have that in the black community. And we have that in different community because people are not familiar with the other side. Why Mercedes, when I now move to Oklahoma, one good thing.

Sam Ojo

Whereas I was able to show up for a good church that I wants to attend, which I really did not have that luxury in Utah. And not that there are a lot of churches, we have hormonal LDS and stuff I'm normal, but we had a lot of that. When I moved to Oklahoma, there were opportunities for me to really look for a Christian home where I can wash it. And that was a plus another good thing was, it's a really good place to start a business, the, you know, low cost or, you know, getting a property buying stuff and, and, you know, you keep your, your business and, you know, let it grow.

Sam Ojo

And when I move over here, I decided that, okay, what can I do to help dis society? And that's why I decided to be doing what I'm doing right now.

Joshua T Berglan

Yeah, Oklahoma. I remember I went to Westmore high school and I swear to you, it felt like, and maybe there was more, but I graduated with almost a thousand people and, you know, I mean, it was 90, probably 97, 98% white in the school. And I remember like, I, you know, it was you when I, all I had seen was Oklahoma. Like, I didn't know what to think. I was drawn to people that were different than me, but I remember this guy when we were playing football and again, relatively sheltered in the small junior high, going into high school. And I remember seeing this enormous man that was only, you know, a senior in high school, but he scared the crap out of me Cooper.

Joshua T Berglan

And I love him to death because I've almost immediately, and he was a terrifying on the football field, but he showed me love. And like any type of like being, you know, and, Oh, let me rewind a little bit, growing up, like little league football in junior high, we mainly played against white kids. So we didn't see a lot of people that were different than us. And then going into high school, it was like different. He immediately took me under his wing. And if you had not have done that, I don't know how different my experience would have been in high school and even moving forward with my love for the world.

Joshua T Berglan

And so I I've always, like, I understand that fear going into Oklahoma because there is, there is some closet racism. It, because it's in the middle of the world and it's mainly white people there know what you don't know. And it's really hard. I think for my father's generation that was separated. Our, you know, grew up on a farm. I could see why some people just out of ignorance would be scared. Therefore become a little bit racist.

Sam Ojo

Yeah. And don't get me wrong. There's so at least I've been here six years. There are so many good people in a club. That's why I keep I still live yet. Right. But you know, generally in life we remember people that did, but two hos, if you are 1000 people and just one person is just a bad person, you can just randomly conclude that those set of people like that. And it was just one person. And there's, so I have met so many good people here in Oklahoma.

Sam Ojo

For example, in my movie, you will see that people came together, white folks, black folks, Mexicans Filipinos, and different set of people. We came together to make this work. It shows that it's a community that is very welcoming, is just not well represented in the media. And that's one of the reasons why we decided to be making Gustaf about Tulsa, Oklahoma, about Oklahoma as a whole, so that when you and every other person go on today to the social media or go on the internet to Google Tulsa, they keep seeing good stuff.

Sam Ojo

It keeps seeing what we are doing. They keep seeing the good side of Oklahoma and that's exactly what we want to do. And I'm really very passionate that I want companies to make our cloud their first choice of place, where they can establish their business when they keep seeing all these good stuff on, you know, on the internet, it's just a natural instinct to want to place their company there. But when they see all this wrong information, which is not basically true, there might be scared to come over here.

Sam Ojo

And so we, I personally would love to encourage the government. The people to look into investing really heavily into media media is very powerful. For example, I knew Tulsa the first time I knew pasta was 1986. When I read the book of aura robots, I saw Evan. So I know for good stuff. I knew it as a Bible, me Bible belt and stuff like that has changed over the years is kind of very phenomenal.

Joshua T Berglan

I, I was looking at the cast and I showed it on the screen there just a second ago. And it is quite a diverse crowd. And, and it it's sneaky diverse. It's just where you grow up. And it's a D a bit segregated because of the suburbs and things like that, but it's slowly starting to change. And I love that whole interview about Oklahoma, but really is a special place. I mean, I w I needed to leave, and it was the best thing in the world for me. And I'm fortunate to live in Minneapolis. Now. I love the city. I love LA. I still call home because it's where I died.

Joshua T Berglan

And where I found in life is always going to be a very special place. But my church and the ministry, I'm a part of word of God church in Oklahoma city. That's, that's my church, you know, and, but I'm again, fortunate to be here and getting to do what we're doing, but Oklahoma's a great place. There's a great opportunities for people in the film industry. It's a great landscape for films, because even though there's not mountains, like you see in California, we do buckle mountains and we are just Hill.

Sam Ojo

Right, right. There are so many how those that we can enjoy in Oklahoma. And this is one of the things that we, we, we will be doing eventually in our second, third or fourth movie to show the, the, the attraction where visitors can come in and spend their money and relax. And of course, generate revenue for the state of Oklahoma.

Joshua T Berglan

That's right. Well then if you're, you know, one of those people that don't really like a lot of the restrictions that have happened around, and some like in California and New York, Oklahoma is pretty pretty open right now. Exactly. Oklahoma looks better and better, and the weather is crazy as it is.

Sam Ojo

I love the way that, you know, I'm from, originally from Africa is tropical. So is I love the weather. Yeah. You know, it's not too hot, it's not too cold. It's just perfect for Sutton

Joshua T Berglan

Back to Nigeria really quick, because I'm, then I want to get into the film. What was it like for you as a, as a kid growing up in Nigeria?

Sam Ojo

Well, I'm from a, what we will call middle-class family. And we, we are six, like my parents, my dad and my mom, they are six children, five boys, and the goals. So I'm the fourth child. Wow. And yeah. So, and to be honest, I really do, I don't see too much of differences because it's funny when you meet people and they, they think that growing up will be like different is not actually different.

Sam Ojo

Like we started trying to, you know, drive a car at the age of 14, 15, you know, we kind of sneaking into that SCA and you have a Nazi, dang get chastised and stuff. And I have been a stop on very stop on stubborn boy growing up. Yeah. And yeah, I, I was really stubborn and I'm still very stubborn. So we, we didn't have too much definitely, but we, we know betters God, you know, provided all through eats it's, wasn't easy.

Sam Ojo

And I, I will say, I give all glory to God. And particularly to my dad, he really tried for everyone. The first I made sure that we, we had qualitative education. So some of us went to private schools and we went to one of the best schools around. And yeah. So it's, it was just one of those things. I really don't see too much of differences except the cultural differences. But in terms of availability of what you can afford is almost the same.

Joshua T Berglan

You know, I interviewed it. The contrast is polarizing to me because there was an organization that I, that I did a cyber chat or simulcast on gratitude, unfiltered. And I'm going to pronounce that name wrong too, but I love them. And they're an org. It's a nonprofit organization that works with the youth to prevent them from having a life of crime and, and to help provide opportunities. But the contrast is starkly different because here they barely had any internet and in the conditions that they were living in there, the kids that were just pulled off the street, basically, and through this program, a lot of them have been, been given opportunity and have been able to go on and they're starting to grow and starting to believe that God has something more for them.

Joshua T Berglan

So it's cool to get, to see the other side of it. I've, I've always had my first vision as a kid was me in Africa. And I, I never been to Africa. I didn't know. I, the only reason I know it's Africa is because now later in life, I was like, Oh, that's Africa, but I was seeing it. And as a place that I was going to serve, even before I even knew it serving was,

Sam Ojo

I need to tell you this so that you won't be disappointed when particularly when you go to Nigeria, I've been to few countries in Africa, in Nigeria. What you will see will be different from what you are seeing here, but it takes a deep understanding to understand the way of life of people there. For example, from the here ports, you will just feel like, Oh my gosh, these people are poor, but that's not really the reality. It might not look as fancy as what we have here. Sure.

Sam Ojo

People, apart from that, people are rich in the mind. People, people go with their daily life and they are the, they are happier. I will say that they are happier. So, and when you are happy, you are very rich.

Joshua T Berglan

I agree with that because the happiest times in my life were after losing everything. So, and I'm grateful for the journey that, you know, I've been blessed to be on since giving my life to the Lord. But when I had money, I was a miserable human being. Let's get into the movie, all the hydro Something right today. Tell us about the film and where the inspiration came from.

Sam Ojo

Yeah. I, I, this is a true life events and I will try not to give you a spoiler so people can go to the cinema or go online to see it when it's out. But I will, I will tell you the synopsis of the movie. So it's about these guy who is considered a lesser man in the society is a Mexican guy is struggling financially, but he has a happy family, well knitted a close-knit family.

Sam Ojo

And if find themself in, in a place where is being wrongfully accused for the crime, that he did not commit. And he has been in jail for about two years. And it was about to be sentenced about, to be completely railroaded for that crime that he did not commit. You know, there's lot of circumstantial events around him that everybody will feel that he actually committed a crime.

Sam Ojo

And there's another guy who is not connected. I see that as an appropriate person is a blood guy in Oklahoma. He's a successful lawyer. He's he has an accent, but is very savvy in the legal profession. So it's not the most appropriate in the, in the culture room, but he's very savvy. And this guy, because you only see a very successful African lawyer, he taught. So let's be real. So, so that's why he's kind of different from the general movie that people will see.

Sam Ojo

So this fricking guy out of a pro bono decided to step in on a cushion for these Mexican guy, Alejandro what the real story, the real impact was that this African guy, this lawyer is so busy with work, that it does not take seriously. His family, his children, Trey is just career and busy and busy. So why helping Alejandro, he sees so much passion in how the family comes together and the one, and that actually transformed his own life as a person or becoming a better person for the wife, for the children and for his community.

Sam Ojo

And that is the lesson for that. And this was taken from the <inaudible> in the Bible, Sam 40 CS, that our gold is, is available in times of trouble. I like was in distress, in lost Oop and was about to be sentenced for something that it did not do. Both God raise demand to Epic. And also some, one to one, when it says, I look up onto the Hill from where comments, my, my hair comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Sam Ojo

So God touched the hearts of this African guy, because it wouldn't do that on the pro boardroom by himself, if not that God intervened. So that is the lessons from those movies. And I want to encourage everyone of you to look out for that is coming out on the cinema is going to be pumped.

Joshua T Berglan

I'm excited about it. I mean, just looking at the cast it's, I don't know. Sometimes you can look at that. You know, I look at IMDV all the time and I like to look at the different cast and how it's put together. And sometimes I'm going really like, how does this work? But there's something about unity is the word that comes to mind. Yeah. I really, I'm excited to see it. I'm kind of jealous. I didn't get to see it beforehand. Maybe I've done everything correctly after I saw it, but I I'm excited to see it. And it's something that I truly truly believe in it's in post-production now, right?

Sam Ojo

Yes, sir. Yes. A is in post production and we are going really fast to make sure that we meet the deadline, that we have $2 funds. And right now we have about 11,000 people who wanted to see the movie right now without any hardware. So I'm kind of very nervous that when this comes out, man, it's just going to be boom, without any advertisement.

Joshua T Berglan

That's really, so are the theaters now, like the theater business here, it makes why Matt is struggling, but we also have a lot of people living in fear, Minneapolis and Minnesota as a whole, as a place that's been really kind of wrecked by COVID and opinions aside about COVID how in Oklahoma, like, are all the theaters open? Are people still attending films? They're films in theaters.

Sam Ojo

Yeah. People can't really go to the Tiara right now, but he's not too profitable. Like if you go to Tiara, you probably see two or three people in the whole of the auditorium. So it's not really very promising. So we are looking at the, they are, things will be by the time everything is done and that would the timing out. We really want to progress. We probably might just send these two to the online, straight away if they have not been too much or traffic in the terror.

Joshua T Berglan

Yeah. We, I had a meeting. I saw a producer for a network and it's an up and coming network, but it's about to explode because of the projects. And I've shared with you privately, what some of those shots are. We met with a company yesterday that has, they're getting ready to launch the Justin Bieber concert this weekend. It's the first concert, I guess he's done in four years or something or live a live event. I forgot exactly what it was, but we got to see the technology for it. And I was freaking out because one, I'm constantly tinkering with technology, trying to build out the, you know, the platform and make improvements to it.

Joshua T Berglan

And the way this vision that I have and what I'm creating. If I see something that's not available yet, and I'm still trying to build it anyway, we met a group yesterday that has some really interesting pieces that, Oh my gosh, man. I, I really think that it will save the movie industry as a whole and make it profitable just because of not only how it delivers the film, concert, whatever, but the user experience is different because the most annoying thing in the world, when you go to a movie, is people talking,

Sam Ojo

Yes, everyone

Joshua T Berglan

Want to do during the film. Oh my God. And so it kind of gives people that experience. So we'll see. But I listen, man, I'm, I'm really excited about this film. I'm excited about seeing it and you know, obviously anything we can do to support we're we're going to do, but the film, the film, just to clarify, it's complete, like post-production, it's ready to

Sam Ojo

Everything. Oh. Shooting as everything filming both. We filmed in, in Tulsa, Oklahoma and in Syria. So we have big faces, like big cinema faces. We have Tina, we have Nancy SEMA. We have a FISA eToro we have Troy poem, Troy poet, future in a movie codes on plans. I don't know if you've seen it. It's about the abortion and stuff like that. And I'm planning on plant where I'm planning. Yeah.

Joshua T Berglan

I've heard about it. I haven't seen it though.

Sam Ojo

Yeah. It's a really good movie. And it was number four nationwide and SU we are ready for it. And during the time that we are filming the movie, we came top night on the entertainment news, alongside Gwen's to Vonnie Christine channel, you know, it's, it's something that we are proud of, you know,

Joshua T Berglan

You should be proud of it. I think it's incredible. I actually bred that. That was a, yeah. I read about that today. In fact, that's a good company be in my man. That's awesome. Thank you. So what are you, what else are you working on right now? Or are you just, are you focused on this or do you have some other things that you are you're working on behind the scenes that you want to share with people?

Sam Ojo

Yeah. My major focus right now is getting this movie completes, get it out there so that we can start having some returns to focus on our new movie though, is, is right now at the, at the inception stage, you know, had, we're still conceptualizing the whole ideas and stuff like that. We had the story, we had the ideas of the cast that we wanted to use or, you know, needs more, more, you know, scrutinization talk back and forth.

Sam Ojo

The storyline with the American audience, the storyline with African audience would this appeal to the Latinos and the South Americans or the agents and, you know, move everything together. But basically what we're trying to do is to make sure that our movie of a global hold is one thing that is the same between you and me is pain. We cry the same way we experience pain, the same way you might be culturally different from me for if someone puts you on the face, it's going to hurt

Joshua T Berglan

Very much.

Sam Ojo

So we want to leverage on that and tell the story. And ultimately we want a story that promotes the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and get more people to the Christian dome.

Joshua T Berglan

I love that. I love the fact that you're not in LA. I love the fact that you're, you know, you're in Oklahoma of all places and here it is, you've created a film, but you have other films that you're creating. You're you're, you're, you're basically bringing Hollywood to Oklahoma really. And Nigeria, both.

Sam Ojo

Yeah. That's exactly what we're planning to do. Yeah.

Joshua T Berglan

This is something. And I said this at the beginning, I didn't really realize that this is where we were going to go, but the techno technology has basically made it where anywhere can be Hollywood for you. There are people right now in Idaho and, and, and, and, and London that's obvious, but I mean, any part of the world, I mean, I, I'm not a freaking geography major, but no matter where you are in the world, if you're dreaming right now of creating films or creating TV shows, you can do it anyway. There's nothing, there's nothing stopping you from having a TV show, creating films.

Joshua T Berglan

I mean, like I said, but the very beginning, I'm more involved in the entertainment industry and boy in ministry, but in the entertainment industry also, I shot a commercial yesterday from this spot. Like I'm, I'm more involved now than I've ever been when I'm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And like, I never thought, like I thought, when I decided to stay here, I was like, well, okay, well, even when I went back to Oklahoma, I thought, well, that dream is dead. No, not it's not dead at all. It's all available for every single one of you watching.

Sam Ojo

And they haul cloud film. A music agency has been very helpful. The same. We did also film music and hats and culture. They've been very, very helpful with, you know, if you want to do anything, they'll, they'll just connect with you and help you with locations and whatever that you need and make your work even much more easier. So I want to encourage more people to look at Oklahoma and come in and do the movies here and bring more cast and crew. And I must tell you this.

Sam Ojo

Don't tell anyone, okay.

Joshua T Berglan

Our, our crew, all of them proudly Tulsa, Tulsa. It's a little funny. I personally, I'm a big fan. Like I'm from Oklahoma city, but Tulsa, Tulsa reminds me more of like LA. It reminds me more of it. Dallas, even I I'm a huge fan of Tulsa. I love the people there. I worked in when I was lived in Oklahoma, before I sold our healthcare organization, I worked in Tulsa a lot with like the home healthcare agencies, the Kaiser hospital there, the big, the one on Utica.

Joshua T Berglan

And then what is the giant in South Tulsa towards Oklahoma? Tulsa is a great, great place. And plus there was Hills and trees there and that's even better. So it's not flat. Well anyway, listen, man, I am, I'm so excited for you. And I believe in this project, I'm excited that I'm excited to see where this goes. I'm excited just for all that God has in store for you to 2021 is going to be a very special year for you. I love your work, and I'm just so grateful that you stopped by gratitude.

Joshua T Berglan

Unfiltered. Thank you. Thank you. All right, man. I'll talk to you soon. God bless you. Love this. You thank you so much for having Milia Shu, Sam, everyone. Thanks everyone. Wow. That was awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here everywhere. Thank you for everyone that downloaded the podcast and is listening here. Thank you for everyone watching on social media and of course the live motto worldwide multimedia broadcast network. Thank you for being here. God. Also, if you guys have any prayer requests, anything like that at all, do not hesitate to reach out.

Joshua T Berglan

We love you. God bless.

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