Onye Ozi reawakens Igbo language movie

SILVERBIRD Cinema, in the popular Ikeja City Mall was full to the brim on Tuesday, November 12, when multiple award-winning movie Director, Obi Emelonye unveiled his latest work, Onye Ozi (The Messenger) to the press. It is his first comic Igbo language film.

The movie could be aptly described as another attempt to reawaken the Igbo language genre. The movie has men and women with painted bodies and fabric wrapped across their waists and chests, dictating the unique style the filmmaker has put into the work.

The Director revealed how it was possible for the white men he featured in the movie to learn how to speak the Igbo language. “It took a lot of time for us to introduce our language to them and to get a good result at the end. My son, who played Osita, was also taught the language within a short period of time, to be able to fit into the role. I discovered that I may want to speak to my son in a public place in a language that I do not want people to understand what we are communicating,” he stated.

Asked why he decided to use just one A-list star, Emelonye explained; “the movie is actually a small project that along the line became a big one. I did Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja and used A-listers. But it will be fulfilling for me, for someone to look back tomorrow and say I got known through Obi Emelonye’s movie Onye Ozi.

“Ngozi Igwebike, the lady who played the lead role is someone I didn’t know from anywhere. She came for the audition and got the role, likewise all the other people including the whites,” he added.

The movie was first screened on October 18, 2013 at The Lighthouse in London. And according to reports, it was awash with glamour, fun, Nollywood stars and huge laughs as Okey Bakassi worked his on-screen magic and showed once again why he is one of Nigeria’s biggest comics.

With the cinema and online premiere happening simultaneously, this appears a good business for the Director who is working in partnership with Iroko TV, Ibaka TV and Afrinolly, three leading Nollywood online/mobile film distributors.

Emelonye also stated that, over 60 countries were able to take part in the online premiere with surprisingly Saudi Arabia proving to be the 2nd most popular country for the online premiere after the United Kingdom. As Onye Ozi continues to rack up online sales since the premiere, many are saying this is the future for Nollywood and international world cinema.

Subtitled in English, the psychological comedy thriller tells the story of an immigrant fresh into London with high expectations and a two-year plan to return to Nigeria a rich man. He gets caught up in an unexpected set of circumstances that changes his life forever. The film stars British lawyer turned actor Stephen Moriaty and Da’Kachy Ob-Emelonye, the first son of the director.

Onye Ozi is produced by emerging UK based film producer Emmanuella Ngozi Ideh alongside Obi Emelonye on behalf of The Nollywood Factory with support from Nollywood Movies, M-Net Africa and Screen Nation Pictures.

The post Onye Ozi reawakens Igbo language movie appeared first on The Nation.

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