These are interesting times in Nigeria's movie industry. Nigerian movies are breaking the glass ceiling with 93 days leading the pack with its accepta
These are interesting times in Nigeria’s movie industry. Nigerian movies are breaking the glass ceiling with 93 days leading the pack with its acceptance at virtually every prestigious international festival. The story of ’93 Days’ centres on the sacrifices made by men and women who risked their lives to ensure the Ebola virus was contained, before it became an epidemic. The virus was imported into Nigeria by a Liberian/American diplomat. The movie is dedicated to the heroic role Ameyo Adadevoh, a Nigerian physician played in the containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria. The movie was directed by Steve Gukas and was shot in several parts of Nigeria.
In a country where history and heroic feats are not well documented, ’93 Days’ saves the day with proper and accurate representation of the sad event in Nigeria. Shot at multiple locations in Nigeria, the movie brought a new angle to film making in Nigeria which is often dominated by comedy, an easy way out for some filmmakers. The movie has since been premiered in both African and international countries with loads of positive reviews from the audience. One of the ways to know a good film is by the quality of festivals it has been shown at. This is so because reputable international festivals have stringent rules and standard which movies must meet. Notable festivals where ’93 Days’ has been shown and sold out include; Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Chicago International Film Festival where it was the only Nigerian film to show there, Los Angeles Pan African Film festival and the Johannesburg Rapid Lion Film Festival. It has just been selected to show at The prestigious American Film Institute.
No doubt, the movie deserves all the accolades that it’s currently getting. One of such is the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards where it topped the list with 13 nominations. Even though most of the categories are voting categories, the producers are counting on the goodwill they got from most Nigerians at the cinemas to work in their favour. Directed and co-produced by Steve Gukas, it is a production of three entertainment companies: Native FilmWorks, Michel Angelo Production and Bolanle Austen-Peters Production. The movie stars Bimbo Akintola, Bimbo Manuel, Charles Okafor, Danny Glover, Gideon Okeke, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Somkhele Idhalama, Tim Reid, Sola Oyebade, Charles Etubiebi, and Seun Kentebe.
Beyond the accolades from both the media and the cinema audience who have seen the movie, the image of Nigeria as a slow respondent to epidemic disease outbreak has been re-branded. According to one of the co-producers, Bolanle Austen-Peters,
“We did the Ebola movie because we wanted to add value. I didn’t want to do just any movie. We told a story that needed to be told. I felt that if we did not tell that story, foreigners, as usual, could come and tell of the brave and courageous people who fought against the Ebola virus to save all of us. For me it was very important that the story was documented for posterity.”
Continuing, she said, “It is very important that we document things. ’93 Days’ is of educational and historical significance. That is why I feel in some ways we have added a lot of value.”
The movie director and co-producer, Steve Gukas expressed the readiness of the crew for a great movie even before the shooting started.
“I knew going in, that this was a film that will not have any razzmatazz. That it would swim or sink on the strength of the performances and the look and feel. On that front, talent was key in the casting. I knew we had to get actors with depth and capacity to deliver powerful yet, very nuanced performances.
“In terms of size and scope, ‘93 Days’ has been the most challenging. It needed more money plus the huge challenge in shooting in a metropolis like Lagos. You could hardly do a two-unit move in one day because of the size of the crew and traffic. Then you put on top of that the challenge of funding and the pressure of telling a story so close to our collective memory.”
According to one of the star actors of the movie, Hollywood actor, Danny Glover, “’93 Days’ symbolises the spirit of the Nigerian people and the vibrancy of the industry. From the moment we had the script, we knew we had something special. Steve (Gukas) wanted me to do a cameo role. After reading the script, I realised I needed to do more than that.”
