Tunde Kelani, legendary filmmaker and recently appointed chairman of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), says his 2008 classic, Arugba, was inspired by the United Nations millennium development goals.
Kelani made this known via his social media accounts, after uploading the full movie to YouTube, ten years after its production.
“Unknown to the audience, the 10-year-old ARUGBÁ which starred Bùkó̩lá Awoyẹmí and Ṣé̩gun Adéfilá was inspired by the MDG program,” he said.
Unknown to the audience, the 10 year old ARUGBÁ which starred Bùkó̩lá Awoyẹmí and Ṣé̩gun Adéfilá… https://t.co/5rfeSoJTRR
Advertisement— Tunde Kelani (@tkelani) February 13, 2018
“Reading through a 45 page UN paper I panicked that Nigeria will not be on the list of few African countries who were going to meet the set goals in 2015.
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“ARUGBÁ is loaded with messages of social change based on the identified goals. I have therefore pledged total commitment to SDG – a set of 17 goals to transform our society through my work and other assignments at National and sub-national levels as a newly appointed SDG Champion.”
Arugba was themed around the popular Osun-Osogbo festival but was aimed to mirror the Nigerian state, the corruption in the system, the economic reforms of that age, and the romance with foreign investors.
It draws parallels between a chief (governor or minister), who kicked against the gods, and the cabal in a bid to fight corruption and a king or president who fought the same on paper.
It also It asks social questions and called for reforms in the Nigerian system.
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Kelani’s classic won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for best costume design, Africa Movie Academy Award for best Nigerian film.
Watch ARUGBÁ full movie again:
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