Nigerian filmmaker Charles Okpaleke has announced his upcoming film, “Ekwumekwu,” which will be based on the Igbos’ opposition to the British.
The upcoming project will be developed in collaboration with Play Network Studios, his theatrical production company. The project, written by Max Siollun, investigates the Igbos’ series of resistance uprisings against the British Empire’s Royal Niger Company.
Announcing the exciting news online, Charles Opaleke, the CEO, said, “I took personal interest in this story because of the role the Aro people played with the people of Anioma to protect the Igbo land. I am from Arondizogu, the largest settlement of the Aro people (believed to have migrated from Arochukwu) and ever since we started making feature films our focus has been centered around retelling our African history.”
The upcoming title is the studio’s second project related to the Igbos’ historical roots. Igbo Landing is the first.
The film, directed by Ramsey Nouah, tells the tragic story of the Igbos, who chose to drown their captors and themselves in the sea rather than be enslaved in 1803.
As a result, some consider Igbo Landing to be the first major freedom march in American history. Ekwumekwu does not yet have a release date, but Igbo Landing is set to premiere in 2025.
