“As Nigeria marks her 61st Independence anniversary, we must remember what makes Nigerians a proud and dynamic people. Nigerians are strong, resilient, and shamelessly empathetic to their neighbors in need, we never give up.” says Kunle Afolayan, Nigeria’s leading director and producer.
The rest of the world seems to have finally woken up to the abundance of raw untapped talent that exists on and off the screen. It has been an exciting year for African content, but more especially Nollywood.
Today on Nigeria’s Independence, Netflix is excited to celebrate the launch of Kunle Afolayan’s Swallow, a screen adaptation of award-winning Nigerian author, Seffi Atta’s third novel with the same title, which will premiere on Netflix on October 1, 2021.
Swallow is our gift of appreciation to Nigeria. We hope to continue telling stories that matter and showcase the rich culture and creativity that exists in Nigeria and the continent as a whole. We’re proud of our “Naija to the world” collection and we’re looking forward to improving and increasing this collection with the very best of content from around the continent, says Ben Amadusan, Netflix Director of Content in Africa.
Swallow follows the journeys of Tolani, a young woman living in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria, and her mother, Arike, a middle-aged woman living in Makoku, a town on the outskirts of Lagos. Tolani’s decline from a secretary to a drug mule recruit, and struggles to conceive a child as a young bride, lead them to consider options they would otherwise deem unthinkable. The film reflects real-life societal pressures and stars some of Nigeria’s beloved actors including; Eniola Akinbo, Ijeoma G. Agu, Deyemi Okanlawon, Kelvin Ikeduba, Offiong Anthony, Eniola Badmus, Chioma Akpotha, Olusegun Akinremi, Joke Muyiwa, Omotunde Adebowale, Kunle Idowu, Bala Bello, and Oreofe Lawal.
Read also: Abuja to overtake Lagos as Nigeria’s movie production up by 53%
Swallow is one of three titles that were announced earlier this year to be produced in a multi-title partnership with the acclaimed producer/director and head of Golden Effects Productions Kunle Afolayan. The other two films include; Anikulapo, a Folklore-fantasy drama that revolves around the life of Saro, a young zealous man seeking greener pasture in the great Oyo Kingdom, and a character drama called Recall, which tells a chilling story of a picture-perfect marriage, but soon after a 10th wedding anniversary, the rosy relationship is threatened by unexplainable dementia
Netflix understands that entertainment transcends geographical borders and actively seeks diverse stories that cut across unique genres. The emotions of laughter, joy, grief, pain – we all feel them irrespective of where we live which is why an authentically told story will resonate with viewers around the world because great stories are universal. The reality is that good stories exist in different places on our planet and Africa is the melting pot.
