Last week Friday witnessed the screening of St Mary. Produced by Obi Osotule and directed by Matthias Obahiagbon, the new Nollywood movie, from the stable of JBIS Intergrated Services Company Limited opened at the prestigious Odeon Cinema in London. The event in Greenwich marked the world premiere of the 110 minutes movie, which centres on the negative implication of sex and human trafficking.
According to the synopsis made available, the movie follows the story of Tejiri, who uncovers a massive web of conspiracy on human trafficking and crime on board St. Mary, an oil vessel on voyage bound for Amsterdam. The well helmed movie also narrates the story of Nonye who gets lured by a facebook confidant and friend into a seeming breakthrough in her singing career.
Her excitement banishes caution and her world is thrown into a spiraling string of turmoil and disaster. She lands in a cabal’s dragnet stripping her away from the safety of family and imposing a terrifying adventure amidst her pleas for survival. The movie also exposes the exploits of Don Daddy, an epitome of success whose massive business empire is built on extraction and sales of human organs.
His tentacles spread out to the frontiers of establishment and he lives his fairy tale life in all the perks of comfort with a consortium of agents luring young girls with a promise of better life in Europe until he attracts the petite framed daughter of Prof. Ojukwu whose search pulls Don Daddy’s empire down. But as the narrative progresses, the scars never heal, the pain disappear and the memories linger painfully. The story taxies off as a story of degradation, torture, pain and loss. It captures the travails of man’s innocence compromised in his aspirations.
Featuring some of Nollywood’s top rated actors like Zack Orji, Ekpeyong Bassey-Inyang, Frank Dallas, Benjamin Joseph, Scott Roberts, Benita Nzeribe, Paul Obazele and Ibinabo Fiberesima, the Executive Producer of the movie Darlington Agha disclosed that the movie will be premiered in the United States and Australia after the London premiere, he also disclosed plans to have the movie premiered in Kenya and Uganda before a grand premiere in Nigeria.
The Executive Producer who led a delegation comprising the Associate Producer Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, the director Matthias Obahiagbon, actor and production manager Frank Dallas and leading actors like Zack Orji and Benita Nzeribe to the London premiere stated that the crew decided on a world-wide premiere because of the import of the narrative.
‘Human trafficking is a world-wide phenomenon so it is not out of place to embark on a world tour with the movie so that people can learn from the narrative. So we will take it round and then hold a grand premiere in Nigeria where the movie was shot’’ Agha said.