Entertainment
By Anthony Isibor.
ACHOLO, is a short movie depicting the travails of a regular Nigerian society caused majorly by the overwhelming insecurity in the land.
The movie, which premiered at the Silverbird galleria on Monday, June 14, instead of the earlier scheduled date of June 12, 2021, because of the rising security threats of the Democracy Day protest, had a huge turn up of Igala sons and daughters resident in Lagos.
The 30-minute movie cast in Igala local dialect focuses on solving the security challenges in the country through traditional methods; ‘the immediate vengeance of our gods in handling issues’.
It also touches on the incapability of our security agencies in curbing the overwhelming security threats, the culpabilities of our traditional religious, and political institutions that have done little or nothing in addressing the issues.
The producer, Thomson Makolo Junior, from Igala, uses the movie to promote the Igala cultural heritage as very little is known of ‘IGAWOOD’, an Igala movie industry in Nigeria.
Speaking to newsmen, Makolo disclosed that this was the first time that he had the courage to premiere a movie in a Lagos cinema and thanked the Silverbird galleria for finding the movie worthy enough to grace their screen.
“Lagos state is a centre of excellence and anything done here must be excellent,” he said.
He insisted that the major challenge facing the Igala movie producers is the issue of sponsorship.
“I have spent N1.3 million to put this up and all the tickets sold for this premiere today is not even up to a million naira.
“I don’t have sponsorship because I am neither Yoruba or Igbo, and that is how the big names were able to make it big.
He, however, enjoined the sons and daughters of Igala to support the efforts of the Igala movie producers to push the Igala rich cultural heritage to the international community.
“Those of you working in big corporations can put in a word for us, there is room for corporate sponsorship, this is not affecting only me, it is affecting all the Igala film makers here,” he said.
The community of Igala people in Lagos, however, showed their support by giving generously towards the project.
Mohammed Shaibu, the Igala traditional ruler in Ojota, Lagos, Oni Igala, who was present at the event, thanked Makolo for his efforts and tasked Igala sons and daughters to support the movement. He also gave N50,000 cash as his own show of support.
Another Igala son, a pastor, who was also present at the event, said the film was a beautiful film that has all the trappings of a good movie.
According to him, the film brought him closer home. “The locations brought back memories of growing up. Let’s supports the young man.
He appealed to the audience to give towards the movie production and supported with N100,000.
Others, who supported Makolo, with N50,000 included his secondary school teacher, the president of the Igala movie industry, IGAWOOD, Lagos state chapter, and the Igala youth Ambassador.
Makolo, who said that he has given seven of his active years to the movie industry, revealed that the movie was informed by the realities of the moment.
“In all parts of Nigeria today, there are crises, there is uprising, there are protests, and if nothing is done about it, the youths will respond with equal violence.
“May I pay tribute to the Ooni of Ife, who has been speaking out of late, and speaking in the language of a traditional ruler, the language of the young people, the language of critical stakeholders, who should speak for the land and speak for the people, and until we are able to do that, we are headed for war doom,” he said.
He said it was time that our society returned back to the traditional methods of punishing criminals and thanked all those who came out to show their support for the movie including the media.
– June 16, 2021 @ 18:54 GMT |
A.I
Tags: Makolo takes Igala movie; ACHOLO to Silverbird galleria Thomson Makolo Junior
