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Seun Olowo-Ake

Babylon: The Need for Hold-Downers

December 22, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, and starring an ensemble cast of Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Tobey Maguire (who is also Executive Producer on the film), Babylon follows multiple people as they chase their dreams in 1920s Hollywood–a hub of excess– and navigate the transition from silent films to sound.

The main characters in the film allude to wanting to be a star or “part of something bigger” than themselves. The film starts off with the ‘innocence’ of those desires as the characters begin their careers bright eyed and optimistic, wanting to do something good for themselves, their families, or the world; and then shows how those dreams become more tainted the longer our characters spend in the industry because of the access, work, and its competitiveness. Babylon showcases the stressful, so-chaotic-you-have-to-laugh, cut-throat nature of filmmaking, and highlights the lengths people go to maintain/ deal with their positions at the top.

Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.

The film goes on and we see our characters’ pursuit of meaning become more rigorous, seeking it wherever they can, as their careers spiral and ‘meaning’ becomes increasingly elusive. But for whom?

There was an interesting scene in the film where an actor is basically told that they are not their film. The scene insinuates that their films have already achieved, or will achieve at some point, the ‘meaning’ the actors so desperately seek. It reminds us that art will travel through space and time, bringing meaning to people many years removed from the people who created it; something I had coincidentally already been thinking about because it is a sentiment that rapper, RM, shares about his song, ‘Still Life,’ on his new album ‘Indigo’ (shoutout to the President). For all intents and purposes, they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and I can testify to that as someone who got inspired to move countries and pursue a career in the media because she liked watching television. The question then is, if being a part of something bigger is the goal and that goal has been met, why is there still the feeling of lack?

Rory Scovel plays The Count, Diego Calva plays Manny Torres, Ethan Suplee plays Wilson and Tobey Maguire plays James McKay in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.

The not-so-pretty lives of the people creating this meaning, inspired by the real lives of actors in 1920s Hollywood, are explored, revealing the importance of what I call ‘hold down-ers’ (yes, I made that up). ‘Hold down-ers’ are things and/or people who, as the name implies, hold you down. They’re the people who can call you out, who you don’t have to pretend to be around and who will be your support if you ever venture into a whirlwind in life; the things that you do just because they give you joy; the spaces where expectations are ripped off and you can just be. I believe we find internal meaning there and I honestly think that’s such a good space to create from, so that your art travels and inspires other people, but not to your detriment.

The summary of this is the final thought I had at the end of the film where it shows the glam and dirt, and highs and lows of cinema: it means nothing…

and yet, everything.

Babylon is available in theatres on Friday, December 23rd, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: babylon, Brad Pitt, Damien Chazelle, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire

Women Talking: Monsters and Mennonites

December 22, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

In Women Talking, eight women who have suffered abuse within their Mennonite community gather to discuss whether to fight back, leave, or to stay and do nothing. The film is based on the book of the same name by Miriam Toews, who herself grew up in a Mennonite community, and was adapted for the screen by Sarah Polley.

Personally, I found the film to be beautiful, nuanced and graciously sensitive in a way that I think a lot of our general conversations—especially online—are not. All the women have each suffered some form of abuse and have different responses to it, opening the floor to a debate of sorts. However, the end objective for all parties is the same and the sisters gather round each other for support. I love that the story doesn’t just acknowledge that terrible things are happening but asks how it can be made better.

Women Talking sheds light on several things: how difficult it can be for people in abusive relationships to leave, especially those dependent on their abusers; what allyship looks like (shoutout to August Epp); pacifism vs revenge; if abusers are products of their environments and therefore themselves victims; forgiveness + what it looks like; and, in this case, the fear of eternal damnation if the victim is not as quick enough to forgive the abuser as God would like.

The story of these women is more heart-breaking because it is based on a situation in a Mennonite colony that actually took place. Sadly, we’re no strangers to seeing people who profess to be people of God commit horrible acts- sometimes in His name. A lot of us who grew up in/belong to the church have had a hard time freeing ourselves from the crushing weight of guilt that we feel when we’re finding it hard to be as perfect as we think the all-powerful being who can see every single one of our thoughts needs us to be. We’ve seen people endure repeated heartbreak, pain, and abuse because they think ‘this is what God expects of me’ prompting others to ask, “Why do the victims have to be the bigger people?” I know, being a black woman who’s good at ignoring hurt and just doing what she’s told, how annoying it can be to hear “Wow! You’re so strong.”

I really believe—and this should go without saying, but I find myself having to repeat it a lot—that people who have any form of authority/power in a situation are obligated to care for those with less. I think that’s a responsibility that comes with in any position of power but especially for those who claim to be people of faith.

In Women Talking, the women (and Toews and Polley) challenge that misuse of power, that notion of God and that idea of forgiveness. The film demands that we decide what we want the world and ourselves to be, and that we set ourselves on that course, hopefully alongside a community of people who want the same thing.

Women Talking is playing in theatres on Friday, December 23rd, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, TIFF Tagged With: August Epp, Jessie Buckley, Mennonites, Miriam Toews, Sarah Polley, TIFF, Women Talking

Devotion: No Greater Love

November 23, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Based on the book, Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos, Devotion is a true story about fighter pilots Jesse Brown (Johnathan Majors) and Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) on their missions during the Korean War. The film highlights the camaraderie between the pilots (one of whom includes Joe Jonas!), and we see how much more meaningful their friendship is when we’re made aware what Jesse Brown, the first African-American aviator to complete the U.S. Navy’s basic flight training program, went through to be able to fly with them. The friendship between Brown and Hudner is an especially deep one, as although Hudner takes some time to understand how Brown must navigate the world, he rides with him till the end, putting his own life on the line in an attempt to save Brown’s. The film is beautiful, in its story, but also to look at. Like it really shows some of the beauty of the earth.

I’ll say this and get it out of the way. As a 15 year long Jonas Brothers fan, I was proud to see our Jo Jo on the big screen! He’s so talented, and I’ll be waiting for more.

Okay, to the film.

I would call myself a pacifist, so watching movies about war is always an interesting experience for me. One thing that I will say about films like this, and stories about war, is that they highlight integrity and character in a way that other stories don’t, just by virtue of the fact that they deal with actual life and death. Risking your life for someone else? It’s been said that “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down your life for one’s friends.” At some point in the film, one of the characters says to another that the real battle is being someone that people can count on. And no matter what you think about war stories, that’s someone that a lot of us try to be, and not easy to become. In the case of Hudner, to become this type of person involved not only doing what he thought was right for Brown, but listening to what Brown needed him to be.

I think it’s also interesting that Hudner is a stickler for the rules while Brown has learned not to trust them because of the threats that he has faced. When something tragic happens in the film, Brown confronts Hudner about going straight to what should have been done right instead of just grieving. I bring this up because this is the hill your girl has decided to live on: empathy. A lot of what has happened in our culture recently has had me calling for more of it. When when people lose their lives, the first thing that we hear is what they could have done to prevent it instead of being saddened by the fact that a person died. Something I learned, and say a lot as well, is that really getting to know people makes us have more empathy for them and their situations and will allow us speak more carefully and effectively into what’s going on in their lives, as opposed to just saying what we think about them from behind our keyboards.

Greater love has no one than this.

Devotion is available in theatres on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Columbia Pictures, Devotion, Glen Powell, Jesse Brown, joe jonas, Jonathan Majors, Sony

Strange World: Leaving a Legacy that Matters

November 22, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Featuring the voice talent of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union and Lucy Liu, Strange World follows three generations of an explorer family, the Clades, as they try to improve, and then save, their land of Avalonia.

Jaeger Clade (Quaid) is the brawny, always-looking-for-an-adventure, OG Clade explorer who has made it his sole mission to discover what exists on the other side of the mountain that cover Avalonia. He has spent years on this mission, eventually bringing along his son, Searcher (Gyllenhaal), who plods along on his father’s escapades until he is old enough to discover his real interests. However, when he finally does, he and his father part ways. Years go by and we are introduced to his son, Ethan (Young-White), the third generation Clade, who Searcher is trying to keep from becoming like his grandfather. Eventually, they need to set out on an adventure to save Avalonia and we see on this journey that all three Clade men might be more similar than they think, even as they carve out their own individuality.

In a lot of ways, the film feels like a mish-mash of Treasure Planet and Atlantis in its “group of explorers visit a strange world”-ness, and Troy Bolton in all the High School Musical films, with his “that was your dream, Dad, not mine”-esque speeches. (Side note: I was sure that he said those exact words at some point in the franchise, but I just scrubbed through HSM 1,2 and 3 and can’t find that quote anywhere. I’ve put together in my digging that this is a common theme in Disney movies though, so if you can find a movie with that exact quote, I would love to know)

Each Clade son comes to realize that he does not want to do what his father has trained him his whole life to, and each Clade father must come to terms with the fact that his son will not be his replica. The film brings up the question of legacy and asks what it truly means to leave a great one behind. Does it mean creating something that your offspring will carry it on for generations? Or does legacy mean raising said offspring to contribute positively to society–however that may look–enough? I’m not a parent, so I can only imagine that it takes a lot of strength to release your child from your expectations of them and allow them to form their own.

Something that I found interesting about Ethan is that he was constantly asking how everything on the earth can peacefully and efficiently co-exist, a question that he embodies. For example, while his father and grandfather seemed to be extreme opposites of each other, Ethan possessed traits from both of them and used that combination of strengths to figure out a way to save their land.

Ethan’s question makes more sense when you reach the end of the film where Strange World hints that we need to reflect on our relationship with other people and our planet.

Strange World is available in theatres on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Dennis Quaid, Disney, Gabrielle Union, Jaboukie Young-White, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lucy Liu, Strange World

Till: Bearing the Scars of History

October 19, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Till gives us a glimpse into the life of Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) and his mother, Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler), in the short time that led up to his murder and the battle that was its aftermath. After her son was killed, Mamie did everything in her power to put his murderers behind bars, becoming a symbol in the fight for equality in the process. The film follows her and what she had to endure in this battle that would eventually change America and the world. (Special shoutout to Deadwyler who played Mamie with such grace, and who I just found out played Cuffee in The Harder They Fall! So yeah, she’s amazing).

I was nervous going into this film because I’d seen the pictures of Emmett Till at his funeral and didn’t even want to imagine how a 14-year-old ended up like that. I’m glad the family of the Tills were involved in creating this film because it replaced the ‘spectacle’ that we’re used to in films like this with ‘intention’. 

A line that Mamie says in the film summarizes her intentions and, really, I think, the intention of this film; “I want America to bear witness…” Mamie wanted America to see how deeply rotten their society was because of racism, and this film wants us all to see the rotten roots so we can continue (or begin) the process of uprooting them.

But this film is not just about Emmett Till’s horrific murder. It’s about a mother choosing to invite the world into the most difficult part of her life, and then, having lost her initial battle, taking her pain beyond fighting for herself to fighting for black children across the country. This vulnerability and strength that she exhibited caused a domino effect of inspiration and indignation in the likes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. who were on the frontlines of the civil rights movement and broke down major walls of segregation in the United States.

I speak as someone who grew up outside of this history and context, although I am black. I’ve heard some people question why black people won’t “get over” slavery and segregation because “it was so long ago.” That sentiment is a reason why films like this exist. I only truly began to understand how deep the hurt in the African American community runs when I started engaging with their stories. To see that Emmett Till’s cousins who were with him when he was taken are still alive, to think that he might still be alive today if his life wasn’t cut short, and to think of all of his family and the Black families across the country who had to caution their children a little extra to protect their lives; and that it is to these children and grandchildren people say “get over it.” That’s crazy.

Mamie went through a pain no one should ever have to experience and found purpose in it- which is so hard to do and shouldn’t be carelessly advised to people going through pain. It’s up to the rest of us now to make sure her work and pain are not in vain.

Till is available in theatres on Friday, October 21st, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: civil rights, Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Till

Blind Ambition: Turning Wine into Works

October 6, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Blind Ambition takes us along with Joseph, Marlvin, Pardon and Tinashe, four Zimbabwean men now living in South Africa, as they prepare to head to the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships as their country’s first wine tasting team. Even though the documentary is about them preparing for a competition that none of them imagined that they would be participating in, the film sheds light on xenophobia and other hardships that they faced as refugees and, in doing so, moves from a film just about Zimbabwe’s first wine tasters to a story about perseverance and hope.

A Zimbabwean wine tasting team may sound very new to people, but I’m just as surprised that there’s such a thing as a global wine tasting competition. It can seem so frivolous to someone like myself outside of it. Honestly, it feels like something that someone who has the luxury of even finding interest in wine would do as opposed to an event that would be open to someone who has had to flee a bad economic situation and lived as a refugee. So, it’s mind boggling that these men–some of whom had never tasted wine before they moved to South Africa–somehow became so interested in it that they would spend time learning to differentiate its various kinds and eventually compete against people who always had access to it.

I will admit here that before I watched the film, I wondered what the big deal was. I thought it was amazing that the four men were going to be representing Zim at this global competition, but as I alluded to before, it wasn’t something I knew about prior or that seemed ‘meaningful’ to me. So, I was pleasantly surprised when: the film showed me how much work it actually is to analyze the contents of wine and how it’s not just something that you do for fun. Instead, I saw how these men used wine to turn their lives around and create new life experiences not just for themselves but for their families and new opportunities for their communities. At the end, we see that two of them start making their own wine, another helps raises $3 million to build children’s libraries across Asia and Africa, and another moved to Europe and opens a business where he imports African wine. One of them says in the film, “the change won’t come from politicians. We are the change,” and because that’s a rhetoric I stand by, it humbled me and allowed me to see what they were doing. All four of them love wine and are great at working with it, despite their backgrounds, and all four of them love Zimbabwe, so all four of them use the positions that wine has put them in to create waves that would positively impact the country.

This is how a nation is changed by the every day person.

Blind Ambition is available in the following markets on the following dates.

Toronto – October 7

St. Catharines – October 12

London – October 14

Barrie Film Festival – Oct 20-23

Vancouver – October 21 Devour! Food Film Festival 

Halifax – Oct 27

Windsor Int’l Film Festival – Oct 27

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Blind Ambition, World Wine Blind Tasting Championships, Zimbabwe

TIFF ’22: 1on1 with Odunlade Adekola, Omowunmi Dada and Deyemi Okanlawon (THE KING’S HORSEMAN)

September 26, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake 1 Comment

Seun Olowo-Ake had the privilege of talking to Odunlade Adekola, Omowunmi Dada and Deyemi
Okanlawon, fellow Nigerians, and stars of The King’s Horseman about their film. In this interview, they
discuss reclaiming culture in a Western world, the duty of actors, and celebrating diversity.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Olowo-Ake: I’m so excited for everybody to see this film when it comes on Netflix, and I wanted to start by honouring Mr. Biyi Bandele who wrote and directed the film. What was it like working with him on set?

Adekola: Biyi was a wonderful person. Personally, to me, Odunlade Adekola, he’s a wonderful director.
Every good thing about a director was in Biyi Bandele. He allowed you to think, to experiment and to
bring your own ideas on set. Sometimes, he would come over and ask, “how far? How do you see that
particular scene? Is it okay?” If I said, “I think it’s better this way,” he would say, “okay. Let’s try it.” That
was Bandele, always giving room to be an actor on set. We miss him.

Okanlawon: He was such a beautiful man. He is a director who lets you do you and then comes and
whispers in your ear, and that little insightful guidance just colours the entire scene differently. The
premiere was heavy because, watching the movie, having had these series of conversations with him, I
could literally feel his presence right behind the screen, like a conductor. I miss him. He would have
been so happy and very proud. I’m proud of him.

Dada: I had been a huge fan of his work- first his literary work because he started out as a writer- and
then when I saw Half of A Yellow Sun, I knew I wanted to work with him as an actor. I had been looking
forward to that opportunity, and when The King’s Horseman came calling, I was so excited. I first met
him at the rehearsal, and he was just so sweet! I would say first that he’s a very humble man. He’s that
director that wants to make sure you’re very comfortable. As an actor, he allows you to be. He wants to
see how you’re going to interpret a character because at the end of the day, as much as it is his film,
you- the actor- are the vessel with which this story is going to be told. It was a breath of fresh air
working with him. He was peaceful, calm, creative, jovial and such a hard worker. We truly wish he was
around for the premiere, but one thing we know for sure is that he was smiling down at us, seeing us
celebrate him, and I can’t wait for the world to see the magic we’ve created.

Olowo-Ake: A big theme in the film is ‘duty’. One of the core conflicts is that Elesin Oba hasn’t done his
duty to his people and then his son, Olunde, takes on this duty, “I will do on my father hasn’t.” As an
actor, do you feel a sense of duty when you’re approaching a film? And if you do, what is that, and how
do you bring that to your work?

Okanlawon: That’s a pretty interesting question. Yes! I think acting is one of the most honourable
professions ever. As with every other art form, but I’m an actor, so I’ll put acting above everything else
in that it really brings art to life. My job, my purpose, my mission as an actor really is to paint this picture in the most realistic form. And so, I feel a heavy burden in that, it’s not just about me. I want to be the best version of myself in my craft, and I owe it to myself, but beyond that I owe it to the audience, the story itself, for this film- our history. There’s a sense of duty from that angle then there’s to the people who are watching, to the hundreds of thousands of young actors who need an example of professionalism and craftsmanship, to my family, because film easily lend itself to legacy. So, you want to leave a legacy that your family and your friends would remember you by for generations to come. So yes, I feel a huge sense of responsibility.

Dada: For me as an actor, when I get a script, the first thing that compels me is the story: the story that needs to be told. I know that as talented as I am, it’s not just for me, it’s for the consumption of the whole world. And when a story gives me that opportunity, I take it upon myself to deliver. To not just act as that character, but to be that character so that that audience can really suspend their disbelief and it will be very easy for them to learn the things they need to from the story. I also believe that art is not just for entertainment; it’s for education, enlightenment, social emancipation and to make the world a better place. I know that I have the talent and that the onus is on me to make the world a better place, and I do that script by script, character by character.
Adekola: She has said it all [laughs]. I think as an actor, you have to be disciplined. Discipline is the key. If you’re disciplined, you’ll be able to interpret anything you want to and have total concentration on what you want to do. As an actor, that’s the first thing, no matter how talented you are. If you’re not
disciplined, if you don’t try to caution yourself, mostly when you’re on set, you’ll miss the track. So, it is a great duty for any actor. Elesin Oba [the film] speaks a lot about morale and about culture. If you
watch the film, every part of it is a great lesson for everyone.

Olowo-Ake: The film is based on the play, Death and the King’s Horseman, written by Prof. Wole Soyinka and in the play, he critiques colonisation and westernisation. In the film, we even see there is a clash of two cultures, and we’re finding with the way the world is now, lots of countries are westernized. Is there an element of our culture that you see isn’t being practiced anymore but you wish was still being practiced today?

Adekola: We don’t need to shy away from the fact that we’re in a modern world. Everything has really
changed. But despite that fact, we’re still maintaining our culture. At the premiere, look at Wunmi
[Dada]; she came out in her beautiful cultural attire. Look at me with my agbada, look at Adeyemi
[Okanlawon]. We’re still maintaining that sense of belonging, that we came from somewhere and we
need to represent them positively.

Okanlawon: I think humanity was built to evolve. Like young kids, they will grow. You want to guide that
growth, not yank things out of their lives and imprison or destroy certain things. You want to nurture.
And Africa in general and Nigeria, specifically, I feel like our growth was truncated. When we say, “the
rest of the world is westernised,” that is a truncation of growth. We were forced, I mean literally forced-
at gunpoint- to accept a different culture. We were brainwashed to see our culture as being inferior.
That act of westernisation is a group of people being brainwashed for whatever agenda. And so, I don’t know that there are things that I would say that I miss, or I would like to bring back. We’ve evolved. Even the westernisation phase has sort of started to pass. We’ve come to a place where we’re beginning to rediscover ourselves, and you can see it in our art especially- it will always start with art. That’s our responsibility as artists, to observe society and to speak to that. We see that in Afrobeats now taking over the world. Now, we are the ones doing the colonisation [laughs], but it’s on fairgrounds, nobody’s putting a gun to your head to listen to music. And then with Elesin Oba [the film], we can see some elements of our traditions that we can do without. But of course, the essence of who we are and our beliefs- the belief that we are a worthy race, that we’re meant to be here and not meant to be slaves to anybody, that we’re not second-class or third-class Global citizens, depending on who’s trying to be the judge of that. We have a place; we have a voice and it’s just really important that the world – and us- starts to accept that.

Dada: Westernisation has come to stay, and while we’re happy and embracing it, let’s not lose
ourselves. And it starts from our mother tongue. The truth is an Englishman will speak English because
that is their mother tongue; a Chinese person will speak Mandarin first because that is their mother
tongue. I know that things are getting better, but there was a time that people lost touch of their culture and tradition, most especially with our languages. Growing up, in Primary Schools when you speak your mother tongue, they called it ‘vernacular’. I think that is very rude and degrading, because you’re first African before you can embrace something else. You can’t give what you don’t have. You have to be whole in yourself to be able to embrace something else and love it. So, I would love that Africans embrace African-ness more and that we appreciate our culture; Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Swahili, whatever it is that is your mother tongue. I would love that every child that is being born to any culture first embraces who they are before embracing other things. Just be proud, basically! I love that the world is now celebrating Nigerian music as we’re producing more Afrobeats, and it’s the same for the Nigerian film industry. We’re now embracing our stories more than we used to, and the world is coming to learn about us, so it makes sense that we tell our stories how we know them and how we want the world to see them rather than the world coming to tell them however they want.

Olowo-Ake: Yes. I actually saw the play [Death and the King’s Horseman] in December at Terra Kulture, Lagos, and I heard Bolanle Austen-Peters [director and producer of the play] talking about how it was quite challenging to move it from the page to the stage. Were there any parts of the script or even if the play that you found difficult and how did you navigate that?

Adekola: It was very challenging to bring this wonderful story to life. But, like I said earlier, as an actor,
you have to be disciplined. As a disciplined actor, you sit down and think. There are a lot of actors out
there, but if you watch this movie, you’ll see how challenging the movie is for every one of us. It is not
ordinary Yoruba [laughs], the one that we speak every day, but it is a true and fantastic storyline that
you need to take the time to study very well. When I was back in my hotel room when we were filming, I would go back to my script, read it, and try to get it right. Even parts that I didn’t really understand, I
would call people, “what does this mean? I have another interpretation for this word,” and figure out
what they meant. So, there were a lot of challenges, but at the end… we killed it [laughs].

Dada: [laughs] We killed it. The first time I came across this piece was in secondary school, and the truth is it’s not one of Wole Soyinka’s easy plays, because it’s very poetic and colourful. Then I went ahead to study theatre arts at the University of Lagos. There were many times when I worked on this play as a literary piece. I critiqued it using many different approaches; from a Marxist point of view, socialist point of view, feminist point of view etc, so I had critiqued it many times. I also had the opportunity to play Iyaloja on stage, but of course, stage allows you to play different kinds of characters as long as your act goes out to the audience. Now, this is the film adaptation of it, and I will tell you that the experience is very different. First, Wole Soyinka wrote this in English, but our script came two ways; with the English and the Yoruba translation, so you could choose to read it in either language, although we knew we were going to do the film in Yoruba. Interestingly, the translation of this piece into Yoruba helped me understand a lot of the proverbs that Wole Soyinka had written in English that I didn’t understand.

Olowo-Ake: Wow.

Dada: So many things like the conversation between Elesin Oba and Iyaloja. When I read this piece in
Yoruba, I now truly understood what Elesin Oba was saying. This is why I was saying you cannot run
away from your roots, because it is who you are and there is so much knowledge when we dig deep into our roots. So, the script was totally different and enlightening. It made me see this piece from a whole different perspective. Second, the bride, my character, says no words in this film. I now had to, as an actor, birth the pain of the bride: her joys, her fears and her struggles through my expression and body language. That was all I had. It’s harder, but it was a beautiful experience and I love challenges [laughs], so I’m really happy that I could do it and I was super proud of everybody when I watched it.

Adekola: It was also good to have great actors on set. It’s one thing to have a good story, it’s another
thing to have great actors to interpret it.

Okanlawon: It’s a difficult play. First of all, kudos to everyone in the world who has ever tried to put this
on stage. I read the stage play, and I was like, “how on earth am I going to do this?” and I have a stage
background so that’s saying something. Then the script came, and I was really impressed that the
essence of the play was kept. It’s a different medium, right? So, it has to be adapted, for the screen and I think it was beautifully done. For years, I’ve been questioning our film philosophy- in Nigeria and in Africa. You watch European films; you can tell there’s a voice. There’s American films, there’s their voice too. You watch Asian films? You can sense there’s a philosophy, an ideology behind what they’re doing, and I never really found that in African films, even though we do great films. When I watched this film, it felt distinct and weird, initially. I thought, “there’s something different. It’s not like any other film I’ve seen,” and then I realised, “oh my word! Finally, I’m hearing our voice.” I was comparing it with other movies, and I stopped myself, “no, no don’t do that. This is Africa. This is us telling our story our own way.” And it was beautiful to watch. I mean the music! Oh, my word, the music and how they infused drums, and even the language- although I think we borrowed a lot of that from Wole Soyinka. The language was so poetic and rhythmic. And, of course, every time they moved the story away from us-the Africans- to the British, how they blended into the European classical sound was just beautiful.

Olowo-Ake: Yeah. That was my next question, actually. The music. I noticed that it’s a constant
throughout the film and it carried the story. What was that like listening to people sing live and the
music on set?

Dada: Yay! I’m a theatre baby [laughs] I have a video where Odunlade and I just burst into dance while
they were singing. It’s so beautiful! Our music tells who we are. It shows our pain, joys and celebration.
You cannot take an African away from their music and you cannot take music out of the African. The
music in this film helps to buttress a lot of messages, so for almost every scene, there is music that is
buttressing the mood, the tone, the message- everything is so intertwined. It’s really beautiful and I’m
happy that with this piece, so many people out there will also get to learn some Yoruba songs [laughs].
Odunlade had this surreal moment when we were watching it and when I asked him, “are you okay?” he said, “Omowunmi, you know African music gives me life.” [laughs]

Adekola: [laughs] Like our Executive Producer said, you can’t take music away from our culture. It’s part of everything we do. In this movie, as an actor, producer, filmmaker, you will learn a lot. Apart from the story, it is well shot with great actors and great music. You can understand the story from the music and dancing alone. The non-Nigerians at the premiere enjoyed the film-

Dada: Yes, they were so engrossed.

Adekola: The music really kept them engaged.

Dada: Yes. That’s why I say film and art are not just for entertainment, but to educate. If a Western
person who has never had any experience of the Yoruba culture watches this film, they will be a quarter Yoruba. You experience the culture in this film, from our music, chants, instrumentation, food, lifestyle, communal living, marriage customs, burial customs- everything ‘Yoruba’ was represented in this film. It is an expose of the Yoruba culture and tradition.

Okanlawon: The music was so beautiful. It really immersed us in our culture and reminded us of who we are and why we’re here. At some point, I wasn’t acting. Those words [referring to his character, Olunde, confronting British ideology], I was just speaking the truth. It’s not my truth or our truth, it’s the truth and I felt it needed to be said. Then Biyi whispered in my ear. He said, “They’ve not won, so don’t be angry,” and it elevated all my work.

Olowo-Ake: I was thinking about the idea of the Oriki [a praise song or poem recited amongst Yoruba
speakers] and how people who aren’t Nigerian would imagine it would give you an ego, but they also
remind you of who you are. If you’re about to make a stupid decision, I think an Oriki can say,
“remember where you’re from, remember who you’re supposed to be,” and that can actually guide you.

Okanlawon: That’s why names are so important to us. Our names have meaning, they are constant
reminder of who we are. My name is Adeyemi Okanlawon. That’s a sentence. That means something.
And I wake up every morning knowing this is who I am. “I am worthy of the crown, because I am one in a million.” That’s kind of how that translates. As a kid you do need that confidence boost, you know, and I grew into that and here I am. And I’m worthy of where I am. Orikis take that a step higher, singing your praise, reminding you of your achievements, where you’re from, where you’re going, your purpose. That’s what an Oriki really is. I think every African should have one. As a matter of fact, now that you mentioned it, I’m going to go back home, I’m going to get somebody to write me an Oriki and sing it and I’ll listen to that every morning [laughs]. Whatever happens happens. If my head explodes from ego, that’s my head’s problem [laughs].

Olowo-Ake: I like history and I wish all of us knew more about our history, but I’m glad that art is helping us find out who we are again. What is one thing you hope audiences- especially Nigerian audiences- take away from this film when they see it?

Adekola: That we’ve retained our culture and are trying to speak about what we do. We’re trying to
project our culture to the world. All the non-Nigerians who saw this film now know more about us.
Someone said of all the Nollywood films they’ve seen; this one is exceptional. This movie is fully
packaged and everyone watching can learn something from it.

Dada: I would love for people to learn that we need to celebrate our uniqueness and diversity. I am an
African woman; I will never be an American woman. I have my culture, tradition and ways of life and I
respect myself with it. We need to respect each other’s culture and tradition. If someone else says this is how they do their thing, if it doesn’t hurt us, let’s respect it. I’ve learned that people belittle what they do not understand. Everyone is important and unique, celebrate people with their uniqueness. There’s no point trying to change them to being like you. I’m a black woman, I can never be white. A white person can never be black, but we’re all beautiful. God never makes mistakes. If He wanted everyone to be the same, He would create everyone to be the same, and God can never be mocked. So, I believe that this film will open people’s eyes to accept people more and to celebrate other people’s cultures.

Okanlawon: I know what it’s going to do. What it did to me and what it has done to a lot of people who
have seen it so far, and it’s in two parts. First of all, it’s a reminder to ourselves, who we are. And in
remembering, we start to question everything. I’ve been so fortunate to have grown up in an
environment that allowed me to question everything. I question everything, so, everything I believe in
now, I believe. It wasn’t stuff that was fed to me. I think it would help us ask these questions and regain
faith in who we are, in our tradition, in our culture, our religions and start to celebrate those things. The
second thing is it will be a signal to the world: that we’re here, and we’ve remembered. And they should be aware that we are now enlightened. There’s a warning in that too.

Olowo-Ake: Hm. Thank you so much.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Interviews, TIFF Tagged With: Deyemi Okanlawon, Nigeria, Odunlade Adekola, Omowunmi Dada, TIFF, TIFF22

TIFF ’22: The King’s Horseman

September 26, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

When the Alaafin (King) of Oyo dies, the Elesin Oba (the King’s Horseman, played by Odunlade Adekola) must accompany him to the afterlife. The people have prepared and as Elesin is on his way to fulfil his duty to his King and his people, he spots a woman (Omowunmi Dada) who he decides to marry before he joins the ancestors. This causes a big enough delay that the British, who are also ruling and have heard about what is to take place, are able to get involved, which throws a wrench in the plan.

The film is based on the play Death and the King’s Horseman by Prof. Wole Soyinka which critiques colonialism and westernisation and was written and directed by the late Mr. Biyi Bandele. It deals with the idea of duty- one’s duty to themselves, their people, their land; and while the film has an outcome that many people will clutch their pearls at, it highlights a ‘war’ of ideologies. What happens when two differing ideologies coexist on a land and clash on a specific issue? Who decides which one is ‘right’? Is it whoever was there first, or whoever has the most power? The hypocrisy that politicking tends to have is also exposed here; claiming to care about human life while actively contributing to a war that kills thousands – for example. With this film, Bandele takes the complexities presented in Soyinka’s play and makes them accessible on the screen.

I am so excited that this film premiered at TIFF and will be coming to Netflix in November. It beautifully
puts the Yoruba culture on display, with the language the dressing, the food, the music and the customs; and brings some of Nigeria’s finest together to bring these characters to life. I see this as a revival of our historical education, an oriki (a praise song or poem recited amongst Yoruba speakers) of sorts, that will let us know where we came from, remind us of who we are and will help us hold our heads high in the world, as I think all art should.

The King’s Horseman premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Odunlade Adekola, Omowunmi Dada, The King's Horseman, TIFF, TIFF22

TIFF ’22: On the Come Up

September 22, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

In On The Come Up, Bri (Jamila C. Gray) works hard to make it as a rapper, following in her late father’s footsteps. She frequently participates in rap battles in ‘the ring’ taking whatever money she wins home to her mother, a recovering addict (played by Sanaa Lathan) and her brother, who has left school to support the family. When she gets the opportunity to record with big producers, Bri jumps at the opportunity, only to discover that success this way comes at a cost to her integrity.

On The Come Up (which is based on the book by Angie Thomas and is Lathan’s directorial debut) asks
what lengths we’re willing to go to in order to ‘make it,’ and if the success really is worth it. It calls out
injustice; and the lack of authenticity that can exist in hip hop, where artists lie about their lifestyles
because that appeals to a bigger audience. It also highlights the importance of a good community. Bri is surrounded by people who support her in every way, are not afraid to call her out, will sit with her in her lows/when she’s being mean and will celebrate her wins like they were theirs. Those are the best people to have in your corner.

I called this film a more mature version of Let It Shine, and if you’re around my age and watched that film when it came out, you know that I mean that in the best way possible. I love seeing a good rap battle and the ones in this film are a lot of fun (shoutout to the lyricists of the original songs in this film!) and I can’t wait to get the full soundtrack so I have new material to add to the one woman shows that I put on in my room.

On the Come Up premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Angie Thomas, Jamila C. Gray, On the Come Up, Sanaa Lathan, TIFF, TIFF22

TIFF ’22: Hunt

September 20, 2022 by Seun Olowo-Ake Leave a Comment

Written and directed by Lee Jung-jae (who also stars in it, alongside Jung Woo-sung), Hunt follows government agents in South Korea as they try to find a mole in their organisation amidst tensions with the North in the 1980s. The film takes us on a ride, as every new piece of information we learn just leaves us asking more questions.

I love this film. I don’t even consider myself an action fan, but I was smiling so hard at how action packed it was. It also had a nostalgic look (she says, even though she was born in the 90s). The shots and movements of the camera made me believe I was in 1980s Korea, thrown right into the middle of a mission. I’m not sure how else to describe that and hope it makes sense if you’ve seen the film, but all this to say, I loved every minute of it.

Something that I noticed with Hunt was that it was careful not to make enemies of any ‘side’. Instead, it focuses in highlighting the problems of creating wars because of differing ideologies. It also shows that even though people are on the same side, they don’t always have the same motivations or share the same beliefs. And that people who are fighting on opposing sides usually have motivations for doing what they do, motivations that reflect how much more similar they are than their antagonists allows them to see. Lee Jung-jae, who graced us with his presence at the screening that I was at, mentioned that he wanted this film to encourage us to listen to each other and that this can create a better future for the next generation.

It’s helpful to bring that into our lives, especially during polarizing times.

Hunt premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Hunt, Lee Jung-jae, TIFF, TIFF22

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