The film, which hit
cinemas last weekend, offers fresh perspectives on the life of the famous
educator, activist, wife, mother, and giver of good trouble than any Social
Studies class ever would.
This impressive debut not only places the film at the top of
the weekend charts but also sets a new record for the highest-grossing opening
weekend for a biopic in Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Box Office (NBO).
Directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, the film chronicles the
life of the remarkable Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a renowned educator, political
activist, and women’s rights advocate who also happens to be the mother of
Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Here are some key details about the film’s success:
Box Office Domination: “Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti” dominated the
box office for its opening weekend, continuing the trend of Nollywood films
leading the charts in 2024.
This year, Nollywood films have topped the box office for 11
out of 21 weekends so far, surpassing last year’s total of 14 out of 52 weeks.
Award-winning team: The film is directed by Bolanle
Austen-Peters, a prominent figure in Nollywood, and features Kehinde Bankole,
the 2024 AMVCA Best Actress winner.
Stellar Cast: The biopic boasts a strong ensemble cast,
including veteran Nollywood actors and rising stars.
Compelling story: The film explores significant moments in
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s life, highlighting her education, marriage, fight
against colonialism and patriarchy, and the creation of the Abeokuta Women’s
Union.
But above all, the film, which hit cinemas last weekend,
offers fresh perspectives on the life of the famous educator, activist, and
giver of good trouble than any Social Studies class ever would. How is it that
a woman so resplendent and noble could have been reduced simply to the first
woman to drive a car in Nigeria?
Austen-Peters could not have sought to answer this question
at a better time. The parallels between Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and modern-day
Nigeria are stark, or maybe nothing has changed all these years since British
colonial rule was brought to its knees.
By focusing on the singular Abeokuta Women’s Revolt (also
called the Egba Women’s Tax Riot), a resistance movement led by Ransome-Kuti,
in the late 1940s against the imposition of unfair taxation by the Nigerian
colonial government, Austen-Peters streamlines the scope of the movie into a
useful trojan horse to smuggle contemporary irritations about the government,
death of protest and hope and a need for a provocative leader at a time of
great economic upheaval. For the Abeokuta Women, it was unfair taxation, the
local chiefs and the law enforcement officials who sought to enact the will of
their colonial masters.
The life of Ransome-Kuti is as inspiring as it is defiant,
even years before she founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU). As the first
female student at her secondary school, she warded off bullies who told her she
didn’t belong in a school because she was female.
In the film, there is no shortage of great performances.
Kehinde Bankole delivered a terrific performance as a middle-aged Ransome-Kuti
leading the charge for fair taxes, as did Ibrahim Suleiman as her lover and
husband, Isreal Ransome-Kuti.
The success of “Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti” signifies more than
just box office figures. The film sheds light on the inspiring story of a
powerful Nigerian woman and her lasting impact on the country.