Nigerian lesbian movie sets to debut

… as NCC nabs man for watching DSTV channels without subscription

Etim Ekpimah

First Nigerian lesbian movie, “Ife” (love) which is produced by Pamela Adie and directed by Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim is set for release.

The filmmakers are said to ignore strong warning from the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB against the release of the movie as the board contends that the video violates Nigeria’s laws on homosexuality.

A report by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, said the filmmakers are determined to get the movie across to the Nigerian audience.

The report added that the filmmakers are planning a surprise online release to take the regulators off-guard.

The BBC in its report, stated that the board is aware and diligently monitoring all digital platforms to prevent the release and spread of the video nationwide.

The Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, said both the producer and the director, and indeed all involved in the film could be risking jail terms of 14 years for promoting homosexuality in a country, where same-sex relationships are prohibited.

The report averred that filmmakers 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 being billed for international premiere in Canada in October.

The report quoted the producing Adie as saying the film was to show an accurate picture of lesbian and bisexual women in Nigerian movies.

The reported added that if lesbian women do not 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.”

“You rarely see stories about LGBT people, especially about queer women that speak to the realities of our lives. Ife was made to bridge the gap and to get the conversation going in Nigeria.”

“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”, according to the publicity for the film.

“Before now, we have been told one-sided stories. What we are doing with this film is normalising the queer experience, we are normalising the LGBT romance. It will begin to erase that shame that LBQ (lesbian, bisexual and queer) women face.

“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 filmmakers from getting into trouble with authorities. The head of the NFVCB said there was no space for Ife or other homosexual movies in Nigeria, citing the law.

“There’s a standing law that prohibits homosexuality, either in practice or in a movie or even in a theatre or on stage. If it is content for Nigeria, it must be censored,” Mr Thomas told the BBC.

He said that whatever the platform was, “as long as it’s Nigerian content and it’s telling a Nigerian story, then we have a right to it”.

But there is no plan for large-scale screenings of Ife in Nigerian cinemas or selling the DVD, as the producers want to make it available online as pay-on-demand.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Copyright Commission arrests a man for hacking into DSTV system, watching channels free without subscription

The NCC Director in the Lagos Directorate Office, Mr Matthew Ojo, stated this while speaking with journalists in Lagos, on Tuesday.

He noted that the suspect used to watch DSTV channels free without subscribing to any of the channels on his Android phone via an app which he downloaded on google play store.

“This suspect distributed the know-how to his telegram followers and on his blog with the aim of gaining more followers and viewership on his blog and makes more money through google ad-sense.

“The operation was based on surveillance which had earlier been carried out by the Multi-choice team and verified by a copyright inspector,” he said.

He added that the arrest was made in collaboration with a team of copyright inspectors led by the Head of Enforcement Department, Mr Charles Amudipe.

Others included a team from Multichoice Nigeria led by Mr Umar Ibrahim and policemen from Lagos Command Headquarters, Ikeja.

He added that investigation is ongoing and that if the suspect found guilty, the case will be charged.