• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Projecting ‘Naija Street Hustle’ through the movie ‘Three Thieves’

The Three Thieves

The day to day life of an average Nigerian is full of challenges and efforts to escape such challenges come with huge prices. In the centre of this are the youth who struggle to make ends meet.

In the spirit of celebrating Nigeria’s independence, the amazing comedy movie, ‘Three Thieves’ addresses a topical issue; that is, the reality of the present Nigerian youth. It tells the story of three young men who are frustrated with their current employment and then start to rationalise theft since no one will be harmed, especially as they stand a chance to make millions of naira. The movie is however, clear on the message that crime is never an option.

The three award winning actors Shawn Faqua, Koye Kekere-Ekun and Frank Donga featured in the movie share their experiences in the movie and their careers with BDSUNDAY.

Shawn Faqua

Shawn Faqua, one of the major characters in the movie said that the movie ‘Three Thieves’, in his opinion, portrays the Nigerian state in its truest form. “Unfortunate situations where graduates are unable to secure adequate and befitting jobs that are commensurate with the level of training that they have spent years to acquire.”

Speaking on how he merges his multiple skills of acting, directing, modelling, choreography and singing, Faqua said all of his skills require a great level of thought and intentionality to them.

He said there was definitely a healthy blend of two or more in the movie, ‘Three Thieves’, but not all of it.

Having featured in the movie, ‘The Three Thieves’ he said he is expecting positive reactions all round for sure, adding that it was truly fun working on the project. The actor thinks that Spirit of Joy definitely rubbed off on the finished product.

Having studied at Los Angeles, he said there are salient lessons for Nigerian actors, actresses, directors and producers to learn from there.

According to him, one of these lessons is the level of professionalism required for this serious business of film.

“In truth, they work with ideal situations over there as far as film on a global case is concerned and in fairness to us, we’re still growing our industry over here and our case is quite bespoke.

“That being said, it is imperative that we know and understand global best practices, with regards to the different aspects of the film process, in order to compete favourably with our counterparts across the globe,” he said.

Faqua said what sets the movie, ‘The Three Thieves’ apart from other comic movies is the story, everything and everyone else who helped to translate its amazing story arc to screen just as it should be or even better.

Koye Kekere-Ekun’s

Koye Kekere-Ekun, another major actor in the movie who appeared to be a bit gentle amongst his friends in the movie said: “Tega (my character in the movie) is definitely the most laid back and level-headed of the trio, so my portrayal of him had to reflect that. That said, there are sides of me that are in that mold, so I just had to tap into those aspects of myself, to help bring the character to life.”

On how easy it was to blend with the other characters, Kekere-Ekun said: “It was surprisingly very easy to blend with my other co-leads. They are great guys and very talented individuals.

“I would also commend Trino Motion Pictures for providing accommodation for us in the same place while we were shooting. This enabled us actually build a genuine rapport that I believe made our on-screen friendship all the more believable and natural.”

According to him, as an actor, content creator and event host, what sets him apart is trying as much as possible to stay true to himself, his brand of humour and to what people who consume his content respond well to.

“Once you start trying to follow trends, or what is working for other people, at the expense of your own unique selling point, it’s a slippery slope,” he added.

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Kekere-Ekun’s message to Nigerian youths through the movie ‘The Three Thieves’ is that “hardship doesn’t and shouldn’t justify crime, and even when the chips are down and all seems lost, one must just keep going!”

The actor, who is fondly loved for his comedic skits on social media, said his source of inspiration on his skits on Instagram is definitely everyday Nigeria.

“There is comedy all around us, every single day. On your daily commute from point A to point B, if you take time out to just watch people watch, there is so much content to be gotten out of it,” he said.

Frank Donga

Having risen to become one of the most loved comedians in top Nollywood movies, Frank Donga said his journey which started from being a content creator was serendipitous.

He said what has kept me going all these years is simply the love for what he does and ability to constantly diversify the comedy content he creates, adding that he has learned to keep doing what his fans likes about his craft and with a talented team that he works with.

Donga disclosed that the most engaging part for him in ‘The Three Thieves’ which viewers will also find interesting is the fact that the three thieves are very relatable and the story is simple and filled with humour and moral lessons

Having featured on several comic movies and won several awards, the award winning actor said what makes ‘Three Thieves’ totally different is that the characters are believable.

“The medium of communication was Nigerian Pidgin English most of the time. It also addresses major social-cultural issues. Beyond the comic relief, my character was the voice of reasoning among the three and he also upheld strong family values despite his flaws,” he explained.

His message for Nigeria as she celebrates her independence is “just like in reality, the three thieves’ movie captures the struggles of an average Nigerian youth with economic stability. However, the truth is that despite our challenges as a nation, we need to come together for one purpose and put religious, tribal and political biases aside when we chose our leaders.”

Having premiered last week at Genesis Cinemas, Palms Mall Lekki, the movie opened in cinemas nationwide last Friday, October 4th, 2019.

It was a night of fun and laughter as Trino Motion Pictures hosted guests, celebrities and influencers including Mummy Taiwo Ajayi Lycett, Frank Donga, Charles Okocha, Enado Odigie, Shawn Faqua, Koye kekere-Ekun, Omotunde Adebowale, Ayoola Ayolola, Lasisi Elenu, Damilola Ogunsi and many more.

To match the theme of the premiere, ‘Naija Street Hustle’, different guests made diverse interpretations in their outfits which varied from ragged jeans and dungarees with sneakers to Ankara and even a complete agbada set.

The venue set up had an exciting graffiti design reflecting that of an abandoned building; it was no surprise that it became the photo station for all in attendance.

“I believe the timing of the movie’s release is perfect as it puts to picture the mind set of our youth who are underpaid or unemployed and can be tempted to step out of their moral compass. Nevertheless, I applaud the movie for portraying that crime has no excuse whilst giving me a good laugh,” a guest who was present at the premiere said.

Directed by Udoka Oyeka, and written by the fantastic trio Egbemaawei Sammy, Abba Makama and Africa Ukoh, Three Thieves is a must watch that promises to leave you entertained.

 

IFEOMA OKEKE