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TIFF22

The Whale: Sinking Ships and Saving Souls

December 21, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), an online writing instructor who struggles with obesity. Weighing 600 lbs, Charlie feels embarrassed by his appearance and hides away from the world in his apartment. However, when heart problems threaten his life, Charlie refuses medical attention other than the care of his friend Liz (Hong Chau). Knowing that his life is coming to an end, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) in the hopes of finding some connection to her. At the same time, Charlie receives visits from a Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a door-to-door evangelist from New Life Church who begs Charlie to repent of his sin so that his soul might be saved before the end.

Having leaned into obscure metaphors with his previous films like mother! and Noah, The Whale takes a far more grounded approach for Aronofsky. Set entirely within the confining space of Charlie’s tiny apartment, Aronofsky uses no flashy camera tricks or special effects. Instead, chooses to focus on the film’s stellar performances and its solid script as opposed to any grand, sweeping stylistic devices. In doing so, Aronofsky shows remarkable restraint and prevents his Whale from ever getting lost at sea.

Although the film features strong work from Sink, Chau and Simpkins, one cannot deny that the true star of the film is Fraser himself. Although he is buried under 600 pounds of makeup, Fraser bares his soul in virtually every moment of the film. From laughing with optimism to screaming in agony, Fraser‘s performance has already received accolades and deserves every single one of them. Despite being covered in makeup and prosthesis, his charm, humility and grace bleed onto the screen in one of the more remarkable performances in the past few years. (However, it’s also worth noting that one should not discount the stellar work provided by Hong Chau. As Charlie‘s caregiver, Chau brings a fire and fury often expresses Charlie’s deepest hurts for him. Together, the two have incredible chemistry and somehow manage to serve as each other’s conscience.)

Based on the play written by Samuel D. Hunter (who also wrote the screenplay), The Whale is a piece that delves into the psychology of hurt while pleading for forgiveness and peace. Living in his home, Charlie is a man who is imprisoned by his pain and suffering. In fact, even if he were willing, why would he ever want to go outside anyway? This is a world that is constantly raining and filled and sun never shines. 

In Whale, Aronofsky clings to the metaphors within Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. As Charlie reflects on the famed tale of obsession, one cannot help but appreciate the various ways in which the story seems to come to life within the film. Although the film is called The Whale, Charlie seems to embody each of the characters in different ways. From the sexuality of Ahab to the obsession of Ishmael, different moments within the script appear to shed light on different facets of Charlie’s personality that connect deeply with the story. (In fact, the constant rain further emphasizes Moby Dick by portraying this ‘whale’ as drowning in his sinking ship with the water rising around him.) What’s more, as he clings to an essay Melville’s narrative written by an unnamed author, Charlie recites its brief words with such a passion that they almost take on the role of ritual. To him, these are the last words that he wants to hear as they reveal the author’s soul, inspiring him to believe that honesty still exists within the world. 

And one cannot deny that this is a film looking for honesty. 

.

With each passing scene, Charlie cries out with increasing frustration for the world to speak with authenticity. Whether it’s his daughter attempting to speak truthfully through her writing or the heart, his students’ writing or Thomas’ beliefs, Charlie’s demand is that everyone must look into their soul and speak what they believe is true. To him, honesty is the highest virtue and to say ‘one true thing’ is better than any written flourish.

Interestingly, this passion for honesty also drives the film’s conversations surrounding faith. Throughout his career, Aronofsky has always shown a profound interest within Biblical allegory and that conversation continues within The Whale. Having been devastated by his experience with the church, Charlie refuses to buy Thomas’ message of hope for the afterlife. Charlie knows the Scriptures and has a faith. However, while New Life Church preaches the pervasive sinfulness of man and fear of the End Times, he is far more optimistic. To him, people are inherently good, despite their brokenness. It’s this belief that gives him greater hope than anything that New Life Church seems to be able to provide and challenges him to see the good in every situation. For Charlie, his home will not be one of judgment so one need not fear being honest about who they are.

Beautiful and moving, The Whale Is one of those pieces that could potentially transform the way one sees the world. Instead of dousing the film in metaphor, Aronofsky makes a plea for hope, love and, above all else, grace.

The Whale is available in theatres on Wednesday, December 21st, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, The Whale, TIFF, TIFF22, Ty Simpkins

TIFF ’22: My Policeman

September 28, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed by Michael Grandage, My Policeman is a love story that wants to demonstrate the height of passion yet leaves the viewer disappointed. Despite its willingness to show graphic scenes of sexuality, the film feels less like a breakthrough for the LGBTQ community and more of a failed opportunity to process the pain of the past.

Set in the 1990s, married couple Tom and Marion (Linus Roache and Gina McKee) live a contented and quiet life. However, their tranquility is threatened with their friend Patrick (Rupert Everett) suffers a severe stroke that requires Marion to invite him into their home to care for him. When she tells him of her decision, Tom is furious at his wife and refuses to speak with their old friend. Sitting in their grief and anger, Tom, Marion and Patrick reflect upon their youth (played by Harry Styles, Emma Corrin and David Dawson) and the complex and complicated relationships that set their world into motion.

In many ways, the most divisive aspect of Policeman will remain its cast. Led by Styles and Everett, the film has a certain sense of chemistry within the two groupings that helps their performances on screen. However, at the same time, there’s also seems to be something missing. 

Written by Ron Nyswaner, Policeman has an excellent opportunity to explore the injustice of oppression against the homosexual community. Set primarily during a time when homosexuals were thrown into prison for their behaviour, the film highlights their desire to express their love without fear or persecution. At this time, to be known as a homosexual meant imprisonment or worse and they are left to find one another amongst the shadows. Even so, within Nyswaner’s script, this potentially compelling conversation settles for bland romance and leaves its cast adrift in the process.

So, unfortunately for this viewer, the verdict is still out.

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

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Amazon, David Dawson, Emma Corrin, Harry Styles, LGBTQ+, Michael Grandage, My Policeman, Rupert Everett, TIFF, TIFF22

TIFF ’22: Corsage

September 28, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set in Vienna in 1877, Corsage tells the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Vicky Krieps) as she celebrates her 40th birthday with her husband Emperor Franz Joseph (Florian Teichtmeister). Elisabeth lives a life of luxury, yet there is an ache in her soul. Feeling imprisoned in an loveless relationship, she goes largely ignored by her husband. What’s more, as rumours and whispers emerge, her reputation becomes sullied by quiet accusations of infidelity. As she moves to Bavaria to find a new beginning, she quickly discovers that, even in a new location, she will never be free.

Written and directed by Vicky Kreutzer, Corsage is the true story of one woman’s fight for strength at a time of oppression. At the hands of toxic, masculine power, Elisabeth’s life was one of tragedy as she was forced to take on a role that was far beneath her. As the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, her place was meant to be one dominated by male power. In the same way that her bodice around her is gradually tightened, so too is Elisabeth become increasingly strangled within her own home. 

With a deep frustration and an inner rage, Krieps portrays Elisabeth as a woman on the edge. Krieps imbues the Queen with a claustrophic strength that is waiting for the opportunity to explode at any moment. Through her performance, the viewer understands that Elisabeth was a woman of strength who is willing to do whatever it takes to experience life yet remains without room to breathe. Questions of sexuality, indiscretion and speaking out of turn hang over her head, leaving her in the crosshairs of others in the regime.

Yet she continues to kick at the darkness.

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

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Corsage, Florian Teichtmeister, TIFF, TIFF22, Vicky Kreutzer, Vicky Krieps

TIFF ’22: North of Normal

September 27, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Based on the memoir written by Cea Sunrise Person, North of Normal unravels the author’s challenging and eccentric childhood. Living with her grandparents, Cea and her young mother Michelle (Sarah Gadon) retreat into the wilderness of Alberta in order to find a new life. However, when Michelle decides that it’s time to leave their unconventional home and trek on her own, she brings her daughter on a nomadic journey that will shape the way she views the world.

Directed by Carly Stone, North of Normal is an engaging coming-of-age story that comes alive as a result of its performances. Although the script is fairly solid, it’s the cast that is able to make it shine. Although it may have been based on a true story, these sorts of films don’t always feel honest. Even so, Normal wears its heart on its sleeve and charms the viewer. Featuring some wonderful work from Amanda Fix, Robert Carlyle and the rest of the cast, Normal feels authentic.

In many ways, one of the more interesting aspects of Normal are the lines that it draws between ‘running towards’ and ‘running away’. In Normal, every character seems to feel that the best way to face their problems is to avoid them. From cancer diagnoses to legal issues, this is a family that flees into the wilderness when they need a place to start over. However, Normal never judges its central family too harshly. In a fascinating mix, Normal paints its characters with a lens of grace, allowing them to live with their failings but also be loved in the process. Here, everyone’s scars can be seen but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.

To hear our interview with Carly Stone and Amanda Fix, click here.

North of Normal premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Amanda Fix, Carly Stone, Cea Sunrise Person, North of Normal, Robert Carlyle, Sarah Gadon, TIFF, TIFF22

TIFF ’22: Blueback

September 27, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Blueback tells the story of Abby (Mia Wasikowski), a marine biologist who returns home upon the news that her mother, Dora (Radha Mitchell) has suffered a terrible stroke. As she cares for her ailing mom, Abby takes the time to think about the incredible influence that Dora has had upon her life. Passionate about preserving the coral reefs, Dora challenges young Abby (Ilsa Fogg) to fight for what’s right and protect the natural world. As they explore the reef together, Abby befriends a large groper fish that they name Blueback who reminds them of the beauty of the ocean floor.

Directed by Robert Connolly, Blueback is a charming and passionate piece that calls for greater responsibility of taking care of our underwater world. Shot amidst the wonders of the Australian barrier reefs, the film features some stunning underwater footage that captures the vibrancy of aquatic life in all its glory. (In fact, the reef is depicted with such vibrancy the one almost wishes the film would have spent more time there.)

While Connolly is hardly subtle in his approach, Blueback wisely decides to embed its messages within the relationship between Abby and Dora and, thankfully, performances within the film are relatively solid. Together, Mitchell and Fogg have some delightful chemistry and give the film a sweetness and charm above that makes it enjoyable. (Strangely though, the best performance may be from Blueback the groper fish himself. For an underwater puppet—yes, sorry to disappoint his fans—Blueback has remarkable personality and its entirely realistic in its depiction.)

Charming and heart-warming, Blueback is an enjoyable piece that reminds the viewer of the connection between life on land and the wonder of the oceans. Simple and sweet, there’s a joy embedded within the film that makes one want to take their own journey under the sea.

To hear our interview with director Robert Connolly, Radha Mitchell and Ilsa Fogg, click here.

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

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Blueback, Ilsa Fogg, Radha Mitchell, Robert Connolly, TIFF, TIFF22

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: Things We Learned

September 26, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

As always, TIFF ’22 was 10 days of madness! Between endless films, meeting new people and interview ops, the ScreenFish Staff (Steve Norton, Seun Olowo-Ake and Jason Thai) had an amazing experience once again enjoying the Fest! While reviews are still coming in, our team sits down in a special episode of the podcast to discuss the things we learned from TIFF this year + hear from some special guests as well!

To hear our interviews during TIFF ’22, check wherever your favourite podcasts are available or click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, TIFF Tagged With: 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: The Banshees of Inisherin

September 22, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set upon a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of Padraic (Colin Farrell), a man who spends his days caring for the sheep and chatting with his pal Colm (Brendan Gleeson) at the local pub. But today is different. When Colm won’t answer his calls for their daily pint, Padraic is confused. When he confronts his friend, the only answer that Colm offers back is that he ‘doesn’t like him anymore’. But Padraic refuses to accept Colm’s rash decision and decides to do whatever he can to make up for… well… whatever it is that’s he done to offend his friend. But as Padraic continues to push, the gap between himself and Colm continues to widen, further shattering what was once a great relationship.

Directed by Martin McDonagh, Banshees is a surprisingly funny and heartfelt film to add to his catalog. Unlike his most recent Oscar-winning work, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but Banshees is far lighter in tone than its predecessor, allowing the quaint surroundings and quirkly conversations to lead the way. 

At least, at first.

Best known for unleashing man’s inner darkness, McDonagh allows his film to operate on a slow burn. Beginning with one man’s spontaneous decision to end his friendship with his best pal, the film open with such buoyancy that the viewer cannot help but be drawn into the madness of McDonagh’s world. But darkness looms on the horizon. By highlighting the humour of the film, McDonagh somehow makes the inevitable release of rage even more shocking and disturbing.

In this way, McDonagh unleashes the true terror of his Banshees. Although the reasons appear insignificant, the ghosts of the past refuse to allow the present to heal. With humour and a heart of darkness, McDonagh highlights the pain that is caused when people hold on to their hurt and how quickly the damage can escalate.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Barry Koeghan, Brendan Gleeson, Civil War, Colin Farrell, Ireland, Kerry Condon, Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin, TIFF, TIFF22

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