By Samantha Ofole-Prince
Nigerian director Damilola Orimogunje has announced a release date for his latest feature film.
“Dear Ajayi” which will screen at the independent film festival Venice Giornate Degli Autori is the first Nigerian movie chosen for the competition.
Set in Nigeria in the 1990s, it follows sisters Ade and Titi Ajayi whose lives change when their sick mother comes to live with them.
Ade is a devout Christian and the family’s sole breadwinner who struggles to understand her younger sister Titi, an aspiring singer whose independent spirit challenges convention
As the sisters clash, their choices begin to reshape not only their own futures but affect the lives of everyone around them.
With powerhouse performances from Bimbo Akintola and Tosin Adeyemi, whose credits included the drama “My Father’s Shadow,” Orimogunje’s drama is a raw and authentic exploration of grief, sibling dynamics and sacrifice.
His debut feature film, “For Maria Ebun Pataki” received six nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for best Writing and Directing categories and his short films, which revolve around themes of love, depression and death, have screened in festivals including the African International Film Festival and the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
“Dear Ajayi” is slated for release in Nigeria November 13.