With six nominations at Africa Movie Academy Awards 2022, slated for this weekend, UK-based filmmaker and multimedia creative designer, Ogo Okpue, has unveiled the first glimpses of the film, ‘A Song From The Dark’, his first as a feature film director. Starring Nollywood’s Nse Ikpe Etim, Wale Ojo alongside gripping performances from British Ghanaian Vanessa Vanderpuye, Lola Wayne, Garcia Brown, Peace Oseyenum and Paul Coster amongst others, the film is a fantasy-horror, positioned to project heroes and heroines of African traditional mysticism with similar audacity as western films have entrenched the Superman, Wonderwoman and Ironman. Okpue, whose short films like Saving Cain, Cat Face have been recognised and screened at major film festivals around the world, says the film draws a lot of inspiration from the stories he heard as a child whenever he visited the village with his parents.

He says: “The inspiration of the story dates back to a certain period of my childhood when my family would visit my grandmother in our village. She happened to be a well-respected traditionalist. Tales of her would intrigue us and as I grew older, I regretted not knowing her more. She was an enigma and I wondered what it would have been like if some of her tales were captured in books. The world of African mysticism has not been explored enough in world cinema. And most times it is vilified. America has Superman and Ironman, the United Kingdom has James Bond and Harry Potter. Japan and China have Flying Swordsmen and mystical Ninjas, India has Tonnes. I think in Africa, our superheroes have slept long enough, African stories are as diverse and as entertaining as the continent itself, so I thought, ‘why not add more African heroes to the fictional world of cinema?’ ‘A Song From The Dark’ is unlike any film seen in the black cinematic landscape. Some call it ‘Lovecraft country meets Buffy the vampire slayer but with a Nigerian spin’. With striking visuals, suspense-filled scenes and engaging performances, ‘A Song from the Dark’ is not your typical horror film. If anything it embraces suspense and drama like the great horror classics so there is something in the story for non-horror fans as well. At the heart of it, it is a family drama and a cautionary tale with poignant social commentary. It’s confident blend of drama and multilayered subtexts will leave viewers reaching for repeat viewing and days long post credit conversations.”

Slated for release in 2023, ‘A Song From The Dark’ got AMAA nominations in categories such as: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Award for First Feature by a Director, Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African-born Director Living Abroad and Award for Best Achievement in Make-Up.

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