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| Emelonye |
The producer adds in a preview of the movie, “On a fateful night, an old English man called TJ (Stephen Moriaty) is chased by some masked men, into a party organised to welcome Metu to London and shot in front of his eyes. As party goers run away, Metu attempts to help the man. The dying man squeezes an envelope and a bunch of keys into Metu’s hand and whispers a message as he takes his last breath.“From that point on, Metu becomes involved. And no matter how much he runs from it or how long it takes, he knows he must deliver the message as he promised. Now his two-year plan has become a psychological adventure that will change his life and the lives of those around him forever.”One of the tricks that Emelonye plays well in OnyeOzi is that, apart from the fact that it is inspiringly subtitled, the environment of each scene helps the viewer to understand the utterances of the actors/actresses. This is apart from the fact that their actions – especially those of Bakassi – are so vivid that they help to reinforce the translation that guides the viewer. Of course, many Yoruba film producers, who though may be telling good stories but demonstrate illiteracy in subtitling, have something to learn from Emelonye. Barring a few punctuation mishaps, he is very painstaking in the translation of his dialogue to English.It is also good that he makes the white man to speak Igbo in the film – and someone strives to be exact in different scenes. According to the producer, he had to coach the cast to speak the language well, to the point of sending tapes to the English actors to rehearse with. He feels proud to have produced the film in his mother tongue.He says, “OnyeOzi is based on a story my wife initially told me. I then developed it into something funny. I initially wrote it in English and later translated it into Igbo. I believe it is a good thing to take Nollywood back to its root. The film that marked the beginning of Nollywood 20 years ago – Living in Bondage – is an Igbo film subtitled in English. So, OnyeOzi is, to me, is a humbling personal project. It is the first Igbo film to go to cinemas. I am happy that, through the film, I am making a white man to speak Igbo. My son acted in the film. When we were starting, he could not speak the language. But now, he not only does so in the movie, he has mastered what he can build on.”But unknown to Emelonye, he will also be indirectly teaching non-Igbo speakers some lessons in the language. That was one of the things that struck this correspondent when he saw a part of OnyeOzi in Lagos on Tuesday. Some Igbo expressions about which he used to have vague or vain knowledge really began to assume meanings.Emelonye is also happy that Okey Bakassi has not disappointed him based on the way he handled his role in the film.“Okey is a very intelligent comedian. I had worked with him before in Lucky Joe and The Asylum. Well, at a point he went into politics. When he came he had been doing is comedy. I think this is his first comeback film for him,” he explains.OnyeOzi will be premiered in Lagos on Friday, November 22, the day it is also expected to be in the cinemas.
Award-winning producer, Obi Emelonye, initiates English men into Igbo in his new film, OnyeOzi, writes AKEEM LASISIThe lull in the Nigerian film industry has pushed a good number of producers and actors to the background. Since distribution, marketing and piracy began to pose major challenges, many of them seem to have lost the confidence to produce and release new works. That is why some now identify more with the politics of the business or industry.But London-based Obi Emelonye can hardly be scared into oblivion. The ‘new generation’ producer is one of those who have kept the flag flying, with a personal touch that situates his stories among the most interesting to watch. He is the brain behind award-winning movie titled, The Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja, two of the Nollywod movies that have made a lot of impact in recent years.Now, he is back with something relatively unique. His new film, OnyeOzi (The Messenger) is delivered in Igbo, despite the fact that it was largely shot in the United Kingdom. Based its theme and freshness of its treatment, the film that features ace comedian Okey Bakassi as lead character once again proves that movies produced in indigenous languages have the potential to get global appeal once they are well treated.“After the many successes of Last Flight to Abuja and The Mirror Boy, I feel that the time was right for me to do what I have been holding back for many years – to make a personal but important film that makes my mother tongue Igbo the star attraction,” Emelonye says. “OnyeOzi is my humble attempt to contribute my little quota to the preservation of the Igbo language and to take Nollywood back to its roots.”OnyeOzi tells the story of Metumaribe (Okey Bakassi) who arrives in London with high expectations and a two-year plan to return to Nigeria a rich man. However, life in London with his new wife Mkpurunma (Ngozi Igwebike) is not going according to plan.
The producer adds in a preview of the movie, “On a fateful night, an old English man called TJ (Stephen Moriaty) is chased by some masked men, into a party organised to welcome Metu to London and shot in front of his eyes. As party goers run away, Metu attempts to help the man. The dying man squeezes an envelope and a bunch of keys into Metu’s hand and whispers a message as he takes his last breath.“From that point on, Metu becomes involved. And no matter how much he runs from it or how long it takes, he knows he must deliver the message as he promised. Now his two-year plan has become a psychological adventure that will change his life and the lives of those around him forever.”One of the tricks that Emelonye plays well in OnyeOzi is that, apart from the fact that it is inspiringly subtitled, the environment of each scene helps the viewer to understand the utterances of the actors/actresses. This is apart from the fact that their actions – especially those of Bakassi – are so vivid that they help to reinforce the translation that guides the viewer. Of course, many Yoruba film producers, who though may be telling good stories but demonstrate illiteracy in subtitling, have something to learn from Emelonye. Barring a few punctuation mishaps, he is very painstaking in the translation of his dialogue to English.It is also good that he makes the white man to speak Igbo in the film – and someone strives to be exact in different scenes. According to the producer, he had to coach the cast to speak the language well, to the point of sending tapes to the English actors to rehearse with. He feels proud to have produced the film in his mother tongue.He says, “OnyeOzi is based on a story my wife initially told me. I then developed it into something funny. I initially wrote it in English and later translated it into Igbo. I believe it is a good thing to take Nollywood back to its root. The film that marked the beginning of Nollywood 20 years ago – Living in Bondage – is an Igbo film subtitled in English. So, OnyeOzi is, to me, is a humbling personal project. It is the first Igbo film to go to cinemas. I am happy that, through the film, I am making a white man to speak Igbo. My son acted in the film. When we were starting, he could not speak the language. But now, he not only does so in the movie, he has mastered what he can build on.”But unknown to Emelonye, he will also be indirectly teaching non-Igbo speakers some lessons in the language. That was one of the things that struck this correspondent when he saw a part of OnyeOzi in Lagos on Tuesday. Some Igbo expressions about which he used to have vague or vain knowledge really began to assume meanings.Emelonye is also happy that Okey Bakassi has not disappointed him based on the way he handled his role in the film.“Okey is a very intelligent comedian. I had worked with him before in Lucky Joe and The Asylum. Well, at a point he went into politics. When he came he had been doing is comedy. I think this is his first comeback film for him,” he explains.OnyeOzi will be premiered in Lagos on Friday, November 22, the day it is also expected to be in the cinemas.
