I had heard things in the wind about this new project that Mr Afolayan was working on and had great anticipation to see the movie. This anticipation gave me fear; we all know that high expectation most times could lead to immense disappointment. The question that rang through in my head was would he be able to maintain the quality he had introduced the Nigerian movie industry to? or would he be a one hit wonder and fade into the back ground like many producers today.
Finally on Wed 23 Sept 09, I had the privilege to attend a private media screening of the movie
“THE FIGURINE - ARAROMIRE”.
The screening was held at the Odeon cinema in Greenwich London and was attended by a few members of the cast and crew including Mr Afolayan himself and members of the UK / Nigerian media such as DJ Abass (DJA Media), Mr Femi Okutubo (Trumpet Newspaper), Mr Olu (Gbedu Magazine), Myself (Vivacity PR), (Masino Magazine), DJ Ali, Tokunbo Tejuoso, Damola, Tunde Ayodele, Olamide Ayodele, Sola Ayodele, Tutu Atekoja, Shola Bee, Roberta Mayasi, Lola Maja (The Fantastic Make Up Artiste For The Movie) and many more.
Kunle describes the movie itself as multicultural and contemporary highlighting essence and efficacy of tradition, friendship, betrayal and love; that transcends both the ancient and modern day.
The synopsis of Figurine (Araromire) shows that it is a story of two buddies and a girl…all down on their luck have their lives changed when one of them discovers 'Araromire' a mysterious figurine in an abandoned shrine which, according to legend bestows seven years of good luck. But no one told them about the next seven years.
Stars in the movie include Ramsey Nouah Jnr, Kunle Afolayan, Omoni Oboli, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi in lead roles, with Wale Adebayo (Sango), Chief Muraina Oyelami, Jide Kosoko in supporting lead roles.
According to Kunle “it is a story I have been working on for over four years now; even before we shot “Irapada” and I think it’s high time we started showing better movies. For me, “Irapada” was an experiment and we thank God it was well received at home and abroad but now “The Figurine” is a better story and it’s a much bigger, better project in terms of picture, budget, storyline, and everything”.
The Figurine is the English name of the statue-like object that he uses to represent the goddess he portrays in the film. Araromire is the indigenous name of the goddess and the town from which she hailed. Kunle took his time to explain that the film is a fictional story, with no town in existence being called “ARAROMIRE” and as such, nobody can say we are telling a wrong story about his or her heritage.
Another part I loved about this film was the rhythmic traditional soundtrack. Although I found myself singing along by a quarter way through the movie, due to the catchy hook. I was eventually informed that as “ARAROMIRE” was fictional, so was the language in which the soundtrack was sung. So I was singing......?
It is a film that tries to highlight the fact that we are the cause of our own situation without ascribing too much to the gods or God, like we always do. It is a film that deals with the human belief, the human nature and it is going to generate a lot of debate. At the end, it is either you are on one side of the divide or the other.”
Despite the difficulty in getting financial assistance for the kind of project, Kunle brought commendable dynamism into it by collaborating with corporate organisations and individuals to realise his goals. He further adds “There is a way you work around such collaborations”.
The total cost of the movie lies in the realm of 50 million naira and is targeted to be part of about three major film festivals.
When he was asked how good his equipments are, although it is an open secret in the media and movie circles that he owns the best shooting/movie device in town, he said:
“The film was shot using 35mm not celluloid but digital, HD using 35mm adaptors and film prime lenses. All these together give you the same feel, same look of celluloid.
The Figurine has cost a fortune; millions but it will definitely pay because it is not going to be released on DVD/VCD until it has gone to the cinemas all around the world.”
Just as he harbours no doubt in his mind about the fact that the film will definitely sell out, primarily because it is a better story with better input, so does he believe that what the film is all about and its thematic preoccupation represents a deviation from the norm.
Since coming to limelight through “Saworo Ide” in 1998 and eventually quitting his banking job in 2005 to concentrate on where his heart lies, the handsome young man has broken records in Nollywood.
He is the son of the late Ade Love, one of the pioneers of movie production in Nigeria. Kunle is obsessed with the art of filmmaking. With Saworoide, Kunle steadily and steeply climbed to become a recognisable acting spirit. He later confirmed his status with an appearance in the sequel 'Agogo Eewo' and in other critically acclaimed works like 'Dark Days' featuring Zack Orji. Kunle was also a major part of one of the episodes of the popular Super Story series on Television. That episode was titled 'For the love of you' and Kunle lived delightfully the role of Tony Jnr.
An actor who has somewhat remained in the consciousness of most movie lovers, Kunle hops from one location to another and his major artistic contribution entitled 'Irapada' was voted the best indigenous language film in the 2008 edition of the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA).
I wonder what awards “THE FIGURINE - ARAROMIRE” has in store for Kunle.
The Movie premieres in the UK @ Odeon cinema Greenwich London on 31st OCt 2009.
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