The premiere of the movie ‘Kill Boro’ marks another milestone for the First Feature Project, a director training program spearheaded by Nollywood veterans Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas. Continuing its ongoing film releases, First Features Project recently hosted a private screening of its thriller, ‘Kill Boro’ slated for an April 12, 2024 release on Prime Video.
The project, designed to cultivate a new generation of filmmaking talent, has been guiding 12 aspiring directors, with Courage Obayuwana emerging at the helm of ‘Kill Boro’. This thriller movie signifies a significant step forward for the initiative, showcasing the potential the project nurtures within the Nigerian film industry.
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‘Kill Boro’ is the fourth film from ‘First Feature Project’ spearheaded by Nollywood veterans Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas to give more talented director options to film producers. The project has seen the release of ‘Cake’, ‘Love and Life’, ‘It Blooms in June’ and now ‘Kill Boro’ by Courage Obayuwana.
Courage Obayuwana, in the film explores the complexities of family, survival, the consequences of choices, and the enduring possibility of redemption. Actors in the film include Kosisochukwu Ogboruche, Ini Dima-Okojie, Philip Asaya, Greg Ojefua, Hilda Dokubo, Beloved Osagie, Yibo Koko, and other stars.
Obayuwana, who has always had a passion for film and made his first short film during his university days, told BusinessDay that Steve Gukas saw his short film titled ‘Fejiro’ and decided to add him to the 12-man ‘First Feature Project’ list.
“When I saw the casting list, I was a little nervous but I figured it was more like talking to strangers and the good side about it is, that they ceased to become strangers afterward. I met with the cast and crew via zoom to discuss the characters and our vision for the project. Getting on set, it was already easy to communicate ideas easily,” Obayuwana said.
The movie director said that stories relating to domestic violence are hardly told in Nollywood and the movie on the advent of its release will spark debates and conversations online.
Ini Dinma-Okojie, a Nollywood actress plays the character ‘Boma’ who is a victim of domestic violence and is willing to stay in her home despite living in fear of her abuser.
Expressing her enthusiasm, Dinma-Okojie said in the movie, ‘Kill Boro’ her character Boma explored the life of a mother torn between love, family conflict, domestic abuse, and sacrifice. “These are common vices families face daily, and the film showcases the impact these conflicts have on the home and a child’s behaviour, as illustrated by Elijah,” She said.
Dinma-Okojie tells BusinessDay that her character, which had a lot of range, is the heart and glue of the film.
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The narrative, situated in the rural outskirts of Port Harcourt, presented Dinma-Okojie with the task of speaking a significant amount of Pidgin English, a dialect she admitted she wasn’t accustomed to. Portraying the character Boma in the story tested her acting abilities.
Dinma Okojie who has been looking forward to working with Steve Gukas, one of the two men behind ‘First Feature Project’ says that Obayuwana on his debut as a film director came in with confidence and was open to collaboration and ideas and has all the making of being a Nollywood great.
Speaking of his role as Ogboruche, the lead child actor says, “Playing Elijah challenged me to push my limits as an actor. Elijah is the rugged street boy, brilliant and strong-willed, driven by love, anger, and desperation for a better life. This role was emotional for me. I was captivated by the character because he was trying to protect his mother from his abusive father, leading him to make hard choices with dire consequences.”
The 14-year-old told our reporter that he only got the role while following his mother to the audition and decided to join the list of people for the audition on that day and after auditioning he was surprised to land the role.
Courage Obayuwana, who directed Kill Boro, notes that the film portrays the harsh realities faced by individuals residing in abusive households. “We often wonder why people stay in abusive relationships, and this story explores a little bit to see the inner mind of those who choose to stay in abusive homes and how it affects the children. I hope people take note that they have to seek help; if not, it can also affect people around them,” he said.
On playing Boro, Asaya says, “In this gripping story, Boro is a troubled character battling his demons while on a quest for redemption. The film portrays the negative impacts of family violence on the home and children in particular. I believe there are many lessons to be learnt from the life Boro lived.”
Asaya pointed out a key benefit of filming outside Lagos, noting that filmmakers encounter fewer area boys and street thugs demanding illegal payments to allow filming to proceed smoothly. This issue is more prevalent in Lagos, whereas shooting experiences fewer interruptions in locations like Port Harcourt, where ‘Kill Boro’ was filmed.
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Expressing their thanks to the Kill Boro cast and crew, Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas called for wider industry involvement in the career development of these young directors and emerging actors being discovered and promoted by the First Features Project.
