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The Abuja premiere
of Inale, Nigeria’s industry’s first musical, on Thursday, October 28,
marked a turning point for an industry slowly rising from the ashes of
mediocrity. It was a star-studded affair, as many Nollywood players
turned up to welcome the latest addition to their pantheon.

For the night of
the premiere, the Silverbird Galleria in Abuja played host to some of
the nation’s most powerful, including Senate president David Mark, who
stopped by with a retinue of ministers and directors that took up
several rows in the overhead gallery. Red carpets and ushers dressed in
traditional red and black cloth, added to the spectacle. Inside the
theatre, an excellent live band played smooth Afrobeat and Highlife
tunes.

The premiere went
off without any of the logistical hitches that have been known to
plague such events. Programmes started on time and each segment of the
night flowed smoothly from one to the other – though a good deal of
time was spent introducing the politicians and other VIP guests.

The film itself was
lush and imaginative, showing off the beauty of the Benue rainforest.
Its cinematography was complemented by a captivating soundtrack, which
was composed entirely by Bongos Ikwe – popular singer of the theme song
for the classic television series, “Cockcrow At Dawn” – and his Double
X band. However, the otherwise beautiful production of the film was
marred by stiff dialogue and a scanty storyline that kept peeking
through.

The story is based
on an Idoma folktale about a beautiful princess who is married off to a
man she does not love for the sake of peace between two villages. She
is betrayed by a servant who kills her and takes her place. Will the
princess be rescued from death and allowed to be with her true love in
the end? It is an exciting premise that, unfortunately, is never mined
for any true feeling or depth.

Director Jeta Amata
does a wonderful job of pulling in high-class acting talent of Nigerian
extraction from across the globe, but once in the movie, there is
little for them to do. Both UK-based Caroline Chikezie (Inale) and
US-based Hakeem Kae Kazim (Ode) are excellent actors with wide ranges,
but in this movie they are reduced to longing looks and worried frowns.
Their lines sit too heavily in their mouths. The end result is a
beautiful movie that feels like an overly long music video.

While the movie may
have disappointed somewhat, the premiere did not. The crowd was treated
to an impromptu concert by Bongos Ikwe, who is also the executive
producer of the movie and whose daughter Keke Bongos-Ikwe co-directed;
and Tuface, who was a guest at the event.

Inale represents another addition to the rising ranks of “New
Nollywood,” movies which are abandoning the poor lighting and cheap
theatrics that have come to characterise the industry. It is emblematic
of the return of committed professionals to the scene and; both
insiders who make the films and the outsiders who watch them will only
benefit.