OLUWATOPE Lawanson l Saturday, March 20, 2022
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Convener of Best of Nollywood (BON), Seun Oloketuyi, says the movie ‘Last Man Standing’, a biopic of ex- governor of Lagos State, Sen. Bola Tinubu has received applause from his associates after a private screening.
Oloketuyi disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
According to him, on Thursday, in Abuja, a select number of Tinubu’s associates were hosted to a private screening of the soon-to-be-released film.
He said that former governor of Osun, Chief Bisi Akande, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State ,his counterpart in Ogun, Gov. Dapo Abiodun and a few others were present at the private screening.
“The private screening was not part of the original plan. We had planned to simply hold a premiere at the end of March, but a lot of things informed this private screening.
”First was the fact that people were talking about the movie a lot and both cast and crew were worried that the film may be misinterpreted, misrepresented or even maligned before it was made public. We also needed to be sure that we had gotten things right.
”Based on the remarks I got from Tinubu’s close associates; people who know him well, that have worked with him and can tell you facts about his life. I think we have done a good thing that we can be proud of,” he said.
Oloketuyi noted that the movie was not a political material, but a record of facts in history.
”I think people are getting tired of watching only feel-good movies, drama, comedy, and other genres,” he said.
Oloketuyi said it was important to celebrate people while they were alive, so that they could speak their truth while still alive.
“As an industry, we are now waking up to our responsibilities as gatekeepers of history like the bards of old. Aside from entertaining, we are learning to make movies that matter, and ‘Last Man Standing’ is one of them.
“At the point of scriptwriting, we had problems because a lot of people could not even remember key events from Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor. That is rather sad and we are trying to correct these things through film documentation.
“The personalities had at the private screening understood what we are trying to do, and I am glad that they found the movie both factual and entertaining. I believe that when people watch the movie with an open mind, they would feel the same way,” he said.
Oloketuyi also disclosed that his company was set to produce a number of historic movies on late Lamidi Adedibu, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande and late magician, Professor Peller. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
