TALK about a notable elderly Nollywood actress whose strength as an actress is in her ability to act both in the Yoruba and English language medium and fingers will point to acclaimed cross over actress Racheal Oniga. Outside the stage and screen actress Ngozi Nwosu, the actor Kevin Ifedugba, Rykardo Agbo and the veteran actor Prince Jide Kosoko, Rachel is the other known actress that has merited a spot in that category of non-Yoruba actors who can act in Yoruba and English. That multi-lingual acting ability has served Rachel well as an actress. The mother and grandmother have on that account done more movies that she can even recollect. At one time, a face on every movie poster, Rachel has taken a back seat in terms of movie appearances. The star of critically acclaimed Nollywood movies such as ‘Take Me To Mama’, ‘My Mothers Pregnancy’, ‘Big Time Chick’. ‘Lady in The Forest’, ‘Hair Dresser’, ‘Owo Blow’, ‘Sango’, ‘Oduduwa’ and ‘Onome’ fans have been wondering why the winner of the THEMA 1998 Best Yoruba Actress award doesn’t feature frequently in Nollywood movies as she used to in the past. Fans say they want Rachel back on their screens and soon. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Uborgu, Oniga hails from Eku in Delta state. She explained perhaps as a way of putting paid to the assumption that she is of a mix blood hence her ability to speak Yoruba fluently that her mother is Isoko and her father is Urhobo. She had her early education in Lagos and in Uromi in Edo state and later bagged a qualification in computer programming from Rimax Computer College. Labeled as an actress who loves to cry in most of her movie appearances and who likes to feature in movies whose plot point border on a protagonist climbing from grass to grace, Oniga has found her arrival as a notable actress hard to believe. Acting had indeed made her an outsized version of her own story. She accedes it has and adds that it has helped to provide for her needs in a number of ways.  Oniga’s philosophy about life is captured in this one liner ‘do unto others as you wish others to do unto you’. She loves mingling with humble and honest people and she abhors people who do not free their minds from worries. When she is not acting she spends all the time with her children at home. She adds that she loves to sleep too and to watch movies. Asked if she is contemplating retirement anytime soon, Oniga interjected swiftly:  ‘no retirement for me o! By Gods grace I would continue to do this until when I am 80. Even when I am 80 I will still act and that time there will be no more make up. I will act naturally and that way save the producers the cost of engaging a make up artiste to make me up’.

REVIEW

Title- What God Has Joined Together

Producer- Gabriel and Damian Moses

Director- Ifeanyi Azodo

Actors- Patience Ozokwo, Ini Edo, Tony Umez, Steph Nora Okere and others

Here is one of those efforts with a suggestive title. I wonder who coins title for the players in Nollywood. How come they have not outgrown this “title say it all stuff”. I wonder what is left of this flick when from the title alone, the producers have suggested that there is no stopping what God has destined. At the preview session someone came close to reeling out the entire story just by the titling and the cast strength. Hear him: “Tony Umez is going to fall in love with Steph Nora (No. It was with one Ini Edo). Patience Ozokwo will work at frustrating the relationship (She does with support from Steph Nora). Things will get really convoluted for Ini (True) but at the end good will prevail over evil”. That was his synopsis of this flick that though didn’t play out the way he had projected. It didn’t even land the way we expected. We had thought that Ada played by one Ini Edo and Harry played by the stiff actor Tony Umez would remain man and wife despite the mounting odds. But the producers choose to end the movie gratingly for Umez and on a happy note for Ini who survived the devious antics of her in-laws.

The story. Harry married to Ada, secures a visa to travel abroad. His in laws are concerned of what will become of Ada, when he is gone. Henry assures that he will keep in touch and provide for her upkeep. He does even against the wish of members of his immediate family. Irked by Harry’s over abundant expression of love to Ada, Harry’s mum and younger sister Janet (Patience Ozokwo) and Sandra (Steph Nora Okere) descend on a helpless Ada. Harry returns and he is cowed into divorcing Ada. He sends her packing and allows himself to be forced into another marriage that turns out a disaster. With counseling from a priest Ada picks up again, re-marries and repudiates all attempts to settle her scores with Harry. We are told via a postscript that Harry was eventually forgiven while Ada and her new love lived happily ever after.

On the whole, this is involving and it entertains too even though some of the scene didn’t enjoy the right amount of light. It made some of the scenarios to appear improbable. A few of us didn’t even find probable those shots that were intended as “offshore shots”. Those locations don’t look a bit like Europe. We found very nauseating, the attempt to re-create Europe just by asking someone to pose outside a building with those winter dresses. It would have been better to ‘report’ most of those unconvincing oversea scenes than have them shown.

Filmdom Notice Board

Nigeria Short Film ‘Rehearsals’ for 71^st Berlinale                                                            

Nigeria has a short film that will screen at the short film competitive category of the 71^st Berlin International Film Festival dubbed Berlinale. The 14 minutes short film ‘Rehearsals’ by Michael Omonua has been selected for a world premiere at the 2021 edition of the prestigious Berlinale. The Berlinale Short film competition comprises 20 films from 16 countries including 15 world premieres and five international premieres. Produced by the Lagos based Cine9ja Entertainment Limited and starring Ruby Akubueze, Richard Brutus and Amanda Oruh, the film will compete against 19 other entries selected from 16 countries including ‘Easter Eggs’ (Belgium, France and Netherland), ‘A Love Song in Spanish’ (France and Panama) and ‘More Happiness’ (USA). The 71^st Berlinale will open on March 1^st through to the 5^th with the industry events while the Summer Special is scheduled for June 9 to 20. Omonua is not new to short film production. He has signed a couple of shorts including ‘Loop Count’, ‘Born’, and ‘The Block’, among others.

‘2 Weeks In Lagos’ Makes Cinema Debut

The much-anticipated romantic thriller by multiple award-winning Director Kathryn Fasegha has opened in cinemas across the country.  The movie opened on Wednesday February 10 to herald the February 14 valentine day commemoration.  The movie features Toyin Abraham, Beverly Naya, and Mawuli Gavor in leading roles. The love story also features a mix of top and new Nollywood actors such as Joke Silva, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Jide Kosoko, Yaw, Tina Mba, Patrick Nnamani, Efe Irele, Uto Usman and a host of others. Directed by Canadian Based Kathryn Fasegha, whose debut project titled, “Treacherous Heart” won awards for Best Drama in Diaspora at the African Oscars in North Carolina, USA, and also won Favorite Director African Oscars, Washington DC, USA, and award for the Global Women Vision Award Calgary, “2 Weeks in Lagos” is promoted as a captivating, turbulent and thrilling journey into the Love affair of Ejikeme (Mawuli Gavor) and Lola (Beverly Naya).  Their lives collide when Ejikeme an investment banker comes home from the United States to invest in Nigerian businesses. It is love at first sight for them and as they embark on a journey of discovering this new love, they have to contend with the political ambitions of Ejikeme’s mother who is planning a marriage between him and the only daughter of Otunba Ayodeji, a political juggernaut who is considering Ejikeme’s father as his running mate for the Nigerian Presidency.  The movie captures the excitement and vibrancy of everyday life in Lagos and reflects the complexity of life in Lagos, a dynamic city where anything is possible in two weeks. The movie was first screened at the sidelines of the Cannes International Film Festival in May 2019. It has also screened at a couple of international film festivals including the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. 

Filmdom WORD BITES

‘’It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Sony Pictures Television over the last few years. Taking African storytelling to global audiences is something we are very passionate about and this new opportunity with Sony gives us a chance to reach massive audience worldwide with our scripted TV series’’

– CEO of EbonyLife Media Mo Abudu reacting to the two –year exclusive deal that EbonyLife signed with of Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for scripted television projects. The deal commenced in January 2021

**********

“For me I don’t think it’s really a debate. You cast people for roles they are suited for. The way they got their big name is because they could perform. So, for me, if we keep excellence and performance at the heart of everything, that debate is unnecessary. It also not about just the actors, directors needs to do their work. Directors are the ones who are supposed to make sure that round pegs end up in round boles. I don’t think a surge of emotions against established actors or create opportunities to block younger emerging actors because when we do those, we are looking at irrelevant side but there is a common goal and that common goal is excellent, superior story telling’’

• Notable filmmaker Femi Odugbemi reacting to a question on whether big names matter when casting for a movie. 

Star Fad & Hobbies

The Actress Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha –

‘’ Almost all my roles have been very challenging. But the one that readily comes to mind is my role in ‘Romantic Attraction’. I played alongside Richard Mofe Damijo. I call him bros. It was my first time on set with him. I almost did not accept the offer to be on that set. I mean RMD was an actor I used to watch when I was much more younger. Before we went on set, we had a reading session and I was scared. I almost called the producers to say that I was ill. But on set I discovered that RMD was down to earth. In fact more down to earth than anyone I have ever met. That was what made it easier for me to excel’’.

‘

The Actress Toyin Abraham-

‘’ I want to continue to do movies that people will like. I want to be the best at what I do and also get to the very top. I want to set up something like a studio…. a big production outfit that can handle production from production to post. I want to also be associated with quality and want to also give back by running a small training facility. I pray to God to give me the resources to be able to accomplish all my dreams’.

MILE STONES AND ROUGH CUTS

 #BIG WIN FOR NIGERIA AT SUNDANCE– Nigeria’s only short film entry at the 2021 edition of the Sundance International Film Festival ‘Lizard’ has won the prestigious short film Grand Jury Prize. The prize is awarded to the best of the short films selected for the 2021 edition of Sundance International Film Festival. Directed and co-written by Akinola Davies Jr, a Nigerian filmmaker and Wale, his brother, the movie had its world premiere at the festival, which held as from January 29 to February 3. Shot in Lagos, the movie followed the story of a 9-year old girl who got thrown out of church because of what was perceived as her unusual abilities. “Literally a year to this day we started on a project conceived from a bunch of my childhood memories. Today I’m so grateful to @sundanceorg for awarding Lizard the Grand Jury prize for shorts. I’m overwhelmed and as much as I would love to gloat, filmmaking is really crazy hard. Big love to all those who were part of the shorts program – it’s an honour to be amongst such brilliant films. I have to say this award is really for the whole cast and crew who worked so hard and committed their all to this little film pre and during a global pandemic’’ Akinola Davies wrote on his Instagram handle in reaction to the Sundance winning.

#TIME FOR TALENT DURBAN: The call for projects for the 14th edition of Talents Durban has been announced by Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) working in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival. The Talents Durban, a project of the DFMI, will run alongside Africa’s premier co-production market and finance forum, the Durban FilmMart.  It is opening entries to African screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development while the Talents Press invites emerging film critics and journalists to apply for mentorship and hands-on training. Talents Durban will select 32 Talents, carefully chosen by a panel of industry experts to participate in mentorship labs, workshops, discussions, market screenings, and specialized programmes for specific disciplines including directing, scriptwriting and reviewing films for digital and traditional media.   Interested filmmakers are expected to complete the online application form at http://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt/durban/ap/info/index with a deadline fixed for March 19, 2021.