Nigerian filmmaker Babatunde Akinnayajo, popularly known as Mr Tunez Filmmaker, attributes the remarkable success of his latest blockbuster movie, ‘Arinfesesi (A Day of Misfortune),’ to the setbacks and challenges encountered during its production.
Mr Tunez, a versatile filmmaker with extensive expertise in various aspects of moviemaking, production, directing, and acting, revealed that ‘Arinfesesi’ faced difficulties in casting, disappointments from actors, and distributors. However, the dedicated crew persevered and remained resolute until they achieved their objectives for the movie, which aimed to shed light on unexpected terrors prevalent in society.
During a heartfelt conversation with esteemed entertainment journalist Adeyinka Oluwamayowa, Mr Tunez Filmmaker stressed the need to address the numerous atrocities, disasters, and bombings that have plagued Nigeria in recent years. He expressed his belief that some of these acts are not solely the work of so-called terrorists, but are sponsored by individuals profiting from these acts of wickedness.
Motivated by a desire to create awareness, Mr Tunez Filmmaker aimed to portray the experiences of innocent people ensnared in such wickedness and shed light on the potential involvement of politicians in these evil deeds. In his words:
“In the last few years, there have been so many atrocities, disasters, bomb blasts, and so many things happening in Nigeria. But we all do not know what is causing them, and why these things are happening. Yes, the only reason the government gives us is some wicked people, so-called terrorists are the ones executing these evil acts. However, from some of my finding as a humanitarian and some things I’ve read, I realise that some of those things are sponsored.
“Some of these things are not what some of us think they are. Some people are somewhere cashing out from these atrocities that are being perpetrated on innocent people. And then I sat down to look at creating an awareness. How about people who have been trapped in such wickedness, in such atrocities? I’m sure that all of these things that have been happening around Nigeria, killings of innocent people, some families have been trapped without knowing anything about it, like they do not have anything to do with politics, they have nothing to do with our government, they’re just living their own life and then one way or the other they walk into a particular place and then there’s a bomb blast and then they die.”
Shooting the multimillion Naira movie came with its own challenges, particularly in casting the actors who would bring the story to life. Many of the intended cast members were either committed to other productions or were out of the country.
The filmmaker highlighted a significant instance of an actor who had been paid in full and had all the necessary arrangements made, only to disappoint the production team at the last minute. Thankfully, as the producer and director, Mr Tunez Filmmaker stepped into the role himself, deviating from his initial plan for ‘Arinfesesi.’
Despite its exceptional storyline written by David Osarieme, impressive clarity, perfect cinematic effects, and featuring top-notch Nollywood actors like Akin Lewis, Jaiye Kuti, Shawn Faqua, and Bolaji Ogunmola, ‘Arinfesesi (A Day of Misfortune)’ faced rejection from distribution companies when seeking nationwide cinema release. Fortunately, FilmOne Entertainment approved the movie for distribution, ultimately contributing to its success. Upon its release in cinemas, ‘Arinfesesi’ swiftly emerged as one of the most sought-after movies, consistently ranking among the top three in Nigerian cinemas.
Mr Tunez Filmmaker not only sought to shed light on crime through ‘Arinfesesi’ but also used the movie as an opportunity to showcase the splendour of Ibadan, Oyo State, as a prime filming location. He emphasised that the movie features two major settings: the bustling city depicted as Lagos and the village scenes filmed in Ijaye, Ibadan.
Surprisingly, all the locations portrayed as Lagos in the movie were actually shot in Ibadan, including the apartments. The use of drones and aerial shots helped create the illusion of Lagos. When asked about the choice of Oyo State, Mr Tunez Filmmaker praised Ibadan for its abundance of hidden locations and peaceful shooting environment, free from the usual challenges encountered in other areas. He said:
“Ibadan, Oyo state is a very good place to shoot your movie. Number one, you have lots of locations that people don’t know. Number two, is extremely peaceful to shoot. No, agbero will stop you when you’re shooting. People don’t demand for money anyhow, owo omo onile. All these owo omo onile and co, you don’t hear about them in Ibadan.”
Later this year, ‘Arinfesesi (A Day of Misfortune)’ will be screened at the Toronto International Nollywood Festival in Canada, further solidifying its recognition and acclaim.
