Entertainment
Nigerian Lesbian Movie Set For Release, Dares Censors Board
Nigerian lesbian movie, Ife, produced by Pamela Adie and directed by Uyaiedu Ikpe Etim is set for release despite stern warning from Nigerian Film And Video Censors Board (NVFCB) that the film which means love in Yoruba language violates the country’s strict laws on homosexuality.
But according to a report by BBC, the film makers are determined to get the film across to Nigerian audience.
The report says the film makers are planning a surprise on line release to catch the regulators off guard. According to BBC in its report, the Censors Board is well aware of the plan and diligently monitoring all digital platforms to checkmate the release of the movie.
According to the censors board boss, Adebayo Thomas, both the producer and the director and indeed all involved in the film could be risking jail terms of 14 years sentence for promoting homosexuality in a country where same sex relationships are forbidden.
The report says the film makers are planning a private screening in Lagos at the end of the month for which they feel they do not need the nod of the regulators to go ahead. It was also reported that the film is billed for international premiere in Canada in October this year.
BBC quotes the producer, Adie as saying that the film was to show an accurate picture of lesbianism and bisexual women in Nigerian movies.” “If a lesbian woman does appear in a standard Nollywood movie, they are often portrayed as being possessed, influenced by bad friends or forced into homosexuality and always needing saving”, she said.
“You rarely see stories about LGBT people especially about queer women that speak to the realities of our life.
‘Ife’ is a story about two women played by Uzoamaka Aniunoh and Cindy Amadi falling in love as they spend three days together? They then have their love tested by the realities of being in a same sex relationship in a country like Nigeria “.
The lesbian ,gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Africa is becoming increasingly vocal and visible, thanks to the internet providing a space for films, talk shows and websites. But that has not stopped film makers from getting into trouble with authorities. The head of the NFVCB said there was no space for Ife or any homosexual movies in Nigeria, citing the law.
“There is a standing law that prohibits homosexuality either in practice or in a movie or even in a theatre or stage if its content is from Nigeria, it has to be censored”, Mr Thomas said.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.