The Return of Jenifa: eLDee and Area Boys

eLDee arrives on set. Photo © 2010 Bic Leu

I encountered eLDee on set, where he is playing himself in the film. The seasoned musician describes his part as a “responsible role model” to Jenifa. eLDee is also contributing original music to the score–his song Otami will be the theme song for the film and will serve as the background music for the big performance number.

In the afternoon, we ventured further into Ajah, where we encountered local Area Boys. They stopped the equipment truck and demanded N20,000 per car to enter the private housing estate where we had planned to shoot the rehearsal scene.

Setting up on the roof for the night shoot. Photo © 2010 Bic LeuDetermined to continue the shooting schedule, Muhydeen S. Ayinde (Director 1) and DJ Tee (Director of Photography) changed locations to a nearby hotel to film exterior scenes and to capture the remaining daylight. The Area Boys followed us to the hotel, where they watched us film two scenes in which the Gbogbo Big Girl (played by Eniola Badmus) recruit hostel residents.

As day turned into night and as the pile of their discarded beer bottles grew, the Area Boys grew more insistent in their demands for more money. This disruption escalated into a rowdy bar fight and delayed production for another hour. After we had compensated them and shot the final scene for the day, the clock turned 11:00 PM and we marked another exhausting 16-hour day on set.