By Christian Agadibe
Nollywood movie, “Oloibiri,” inspired by the plight of the indigenes of the town in Bayelsa State where oil was first discovered in Nigeria in the in ’50s was screened recently at the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos, and is set to be premiered on Thursday, October 20, 2016, at the same venue.
The movie, which will be in cinemas nationwide, brings to the mind the present conflict the Nigeria government is embroiled in involving Niger Delta militants, as Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and his gang wage war against the government, expatriates and their fellow indigenes whom the group claim exploit natural resources in their land to the detriment of the people.
Speaking at the screening of the movie, the producer, Mr. Rogers Ofime, said: “I think, basically, because we had cast and crew from about four countries, coordinating was a bit difficult. We had to shoot between Nigeria and Canada. We had a very wonderful experience. The community where we shot was part of our crew. We spent one year doing pre-production so they already knew our intentions. They knew we were not coming to exploit them.”
Among A-list entertainers who graced the red carpet to show support for “Oloibiri” were Joke Silva, Funmi Holder, Ali Baba, Chelsea Eze and host of others.