I had the opportunity to watch a Nollywood (Nigerian movie industry) action thriller movie directed by Fred Amata on Africa Magic yesterday, titled: Anini. The movie was released in 2005 and features Nollywood stars like Bimbo Akintola, Fred Amata, Jeta Amata, Segun Arinze, Chidi Mokeme, Ashley Nwosu among many others with Jonathan Gbemuotor as Director of Photography.
Jonathan Gbemuotor is with Tade Ogidan and you can expect the best of camera works whenever Jonathan Gbemuotor is behind the camera.
Synopsis: True life story about a notorious criminal who terrorised the city of Benin and the high profile mission to apprehend him.
I heard about the escapades of the likes of Anini and Shina Rambo who were both notorious armed robbers in the late 1980s. I am thus assuming that this movie titled Anini is based on a real-life story.
The movie set in 1986 when the military still ruled Nigeria, starts with Anini in the hospital with an amputated leg, telling the story of his life, of how he turned out to be a deadly armed robber. As a young boy who left his village for Benin city in search of a brighter future, he joins a mechanic workshop as an apprentice, learning to fix automobiles. He soon learns through another apprentice, how to steal car spare parts and sell to a certain unscrupulous spare parts dealer. For the fine details, grab a copy of Anini.
Eventually, he becomes a hardened, much feared armed robber on rampage who goes about shooting police men. The important thing for me about the movie is that it highlights the entrenched corruption in the Nigeria Police. In a scene, Anini is seen lamenting that men of the Nigeria Police give them tips about where to rob, hire weapons to them for use in robbery, come back to arrest them for robbery, and then harass them to part with bribes so they could walk free. What an irony.
The movie also brings to fore, the failure of the past Nigerian governments to adequately cater for the citizenry. Corruption in government is one thing that has brought Nigeria to its knees today and just about every problem in Nigeria today can be traced back to corruption in high and low places: erratic power supply, poor security, poor roads, poor air safety records, poor telecom facilities, etc.
Well, Anini is a movie worth watching – if you can get a copy.
Yeah, I watched the movie in 2005 when it was released. The movie further confirmed what majority of people suspected during the period of Anini travails, that most of the armed robbery wasnt perpetuated by him. The movie itself was also slated to have been released much more years earlier than 2005.
i put my country nigeria in the hands of GOD because the problem is not from the rubbers alone, is the country itself if there is employment i dont think there is anyone who enjoy taking risk all in the name of surviving, if the police can offer GUNS to rubb i think there has to be a re think, but if the police are well paid, i dont think they will focus on the money gotten from rubbering. nigeria government are mostly focus on irrelivant issue in the country. trying to bring people who are already out of the country, back in the country, the government shouldnt bother about people outside the country if the country is ok, everyone will run down the country.
The movie, of course, has revealed Nigerian putrid state. It is not just only from the government or its citizens as some accuse, it is a very long time nurtured culture that will take a long period of relentless efforts to cure. All Nigerians have to believe that corruption is bad and should be willing and ready to combat every trace of it being fully aware of the sacrifices involved. It is only the Nigerians at home that can solve Nigeria’s problem. External support is secondary and complementary.
I agree with you. Nigerians must help themselves. Like the Yorubas say, “Eleru ngbe eru e nibi to ti wuwo”. The owner of a luggage lifts the heavier part.
I am really impressed with this site, but what do you mean by “Nigerians must help themselves”? Are you not a Nigerian? The mere fact that our country is yet to perform up to our desired expectation shouldnt make us feel that we are not part of it.
That statement does not necessarily imply that I am not Nigerian. You are doing the permutation wrongly.
I believe Nollywood film industry is actually helping the African film industry. It helps Nigerian writers and directors tell our own stories from our own point of view and not Hollywood’s point of view. The quality is also getting better and will soon catch up to international standards. Take this new Nollywood film “Anchor Baby” for instance. It was written and directed by a Nigerian director Lonzo Nzekwe and the lead actress is also a Nigeria actress Omoni Oboli. The picture quality is on the same standard as most films shot in Hollywood. Here’s a link to their trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yx_kiBOZDA