Five years after he initiated a conference for the
revival of Ibo language films, frontline Film maker and Activist Madu C
Chikwendu has finally redeemed his pledge to the Ibo nation. His shingle
Kraftman Production has completed Principal Photography on the highly
anticipated Ibo Language film “Nkuma “.
Filmed on High Definition in the highlands of Abia state,
Nkuma goes behind the myth to unearth the realities of being a warrior amongst
the Abiriba people of Abia state .Starring Benedict Johnson, Akeem Rahman, Ben
Onuegbu and Hajiya Abubakar the movie assembles a glittering cast whose mastery
of Ibo language and culture will surely propel the language and culture of the
Ibo’s to new heights.
The Abiriba, Ada, Abam Ohafioa peoples of Abia State
alongside the Ashanti of Ghana and the ancient Romans are amongst the world’s
earliest professional soldiers. They were soldiers for hire used mainly by the
Aro’s for slave raiding operations. But amongst these tribes a precondition for
full manhood is the provision of a specified number of human heads. This was
the ultimate test of Manhood. Some of the warriors never return from this
mission. Okwute’s (Benedict Johnson)
father never returned from his mission. Now he must embark on a similar mission
and raid a distant clan.
For Executive Producer / Producer Madu C Chikwendu:
Making this movie has always been one of my ambitions in life. Growing
up in South Eastern Nigeria it is still difficult to say whether “Ndi Ogbuisi “
( Head Hunters ) were heroes or villains but they were a bit like bogey men
used to scare children…..they were supposedly lurking somewhere in the Bamboo
thicket. As a Filmmaker it was quite interesting to research this phenomenon
and unravel why they existed in the first instance.
Nkuma is helmed by Amayo Uzor Philip (DGN) starring Benedict
Johnson, Akeem Rahman, Ben Onuegbu and Hajiya Abubaker aka Dambaru. Movie is
helmed by fast rising DOP Chukwudi Madu with Phil Collins and Fred Amakom as
Line Producer and Associate Producer respectively.
Director Amayo Uzor Philip declared that it was a
breathtaking experience:
First Madu and I have been very concerned since the revelation that the
Igbo language is dying. So for me it was also a mission...to save the language
of my people. So we had to be careful to cast people with the necessary mastery
of the language plus the physique hence the choice of BJ (Benedict Johnson as
the warrior Okwute.
The movie will go on a global tour after a World Premiere in
November 2015. You can watch the trailer on YouTube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH_dRrmHnPg
or directly from our website here: http://mcmng.org/kraftman-production.html
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