As part of their 10 year celebration BFI African Odysseys will show two films made by the legendary Nollywood Director Ola Balogan, born 1945 he is at the forefront of Nigerian and Yorùbá cinema both as pioneer and artist. His career goes beyond making feature films, he has published theatre plays, a photo book, documentaries and music albums. From being a 22-year-old student when he published “Shango, suivi de ‘Le Roi-Èlephant’” in Paris to his more recent documentary “Gods of Africa in Brazil” his work has focused on traditional culture in the global setting of modern life. His political work includes working with the Pan-African movement and he is known for his critical voice, Only five of his ten feature-length films are available, many of them in a fragile condition.
Cry Freedom!
1989
Black Goddess
Saturday 05 August 2017 16:20
NFT3
Dir Ola Balogun
Balogun assembled a fine array of Brazilian actors and crew members to create probably his most elaborate film – the story of a young Nigerian‘s journey to Brazil in search of his ancestral roots. Balogun’s recurring thematic interest, the ‘cracks between the two worlds’, the intertwining of reality and the world of myth and ritual, is represented here by the arcane Candomblé cult.
