Movie Stars Grace Funmi Fibresima’s ‘Onikola’ Movie Premiere

Last Sunday, it was an exciting moment for visitors at the Ikeja City Mall in Lagos as several movie stars stormed the premiere of an anticipated flick, 'Onikola', produced by a charming and intelligent actress, Funmi Fibresima.

The colourful event started with a red carpet, followed by screening of the film, which many critics adjudged as one of the best films from Nollywood in recent time. Ronke Ojo Kunle Afolayan, Sunday Afolabi, Essence, and Yinka Salau led other stars to the event.

Big names like Dejumo Lewis, Bunmi Olatilewa, Tola Oladokun, Ibrahim Chatta, Sunday Afolabi and some others gave award-winning performances in the flick that was directed by Dotun Taylor and written by Gbenga Adesanya, Steve Anu Adesemoye and Abosede Oshin.

Speaking on the event, an elated Funmi Fibresima disclosed that, “I thank God I had a very responsive crowd. Hearing their responses was like wow. I could have communicated it in any other language but Yoruba Language film seem to reach out to people more a whole lot of Yoruba people are still been subjected to circumcision.

“I have watched the clip of a live circumcision and I was tormented for days by the child's scream. Anytime I hear the child's scream what comes to my mind is the joy of the mother. So I see that the mother did this out of love for her child but we know better. There is information now and it is from the experiences of people that we know that this is not what you do to your child.”

'Onikola', set in Iseyin, Oyo State, is a fiction film that has the feel and workings of real life situation. Many scenarios appear as if they have been lifted directly from traditional realities of Nigerian life and living.

The intrigue-filled, informative and educative film centres on Kumbi (Funmi Fiberesima) who is firm on her resolve to not to be circumcised. She sacrifices everything including her love for Okiki (Sunday Afolabi) and risks being rejected by her people, most of all her mother Abebi (Bunmi Olatilewa).

On the other side of the wall is Omosewa (Ronke Ojo), who is circumcised and as a result becomes emotionless and suffers ridicule in the hands of her husband. She however develops the courage to express her feelings about a tradition which challenges her sexuality and those of her friends.

Onikola is a movie that evokes emotion, love and regret.