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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Seven Doors: sweeping Nigerian Netflix series masters the art of storytelling
From the opening credits of the new Netflix six-part series Seven Doors, the viewer is poised for a captivating cinematic experience. An array of sculptures dot the landscape as a montage of scenes unfolds, establishing the back story of the historical epic that is about to be played out. Femi Adebayo, the actor turned director and producer, had a huge hit in 2023 with the film Jagun Jagun (The Warrior), a historical epic love story that he produced. Now he's back on Netflix acting in, producing and co-directing Seven Doors. As a theatre professor, author, playwright and film scholar I follow the output of Nollywood. Nigeria's thriving film industry is increasingly attracting higher budgets and producing films and series of high screen value. Seven Doors is one of these. Seven Doors has some weaknesses, like not knowing the specific period the beautifully designed costumes represent, but it's mostly a masterpiece. It's a metaphor for Nigeria's current realities. For their leading roles, Adebayo won the lead actor award at the 11th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards on 11 May and Chioma Chukwuka won lead actress. The film also won Best Score/Music. I find the plot very intricate, exciting and engaging. The cast also nails it. Among them are Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Hafiz Oyetoro, Adebayo 'Oga Bello' Salami, Gabriel Afolayan, Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, Muyiwa Ademola and Adebayo himself. No better cast could have interrogated the world of Yoruba culture and myth that Nollywood is currently exploring. Seven Doors opens eerily, with a group of seven female characters who appear as if in trance from a bush path. At the call of their names by a priest, each falls off a cliff into a cascading waterfall, hitting their heads on stones at the bed of the fall. The scene is swiftly succeeded by the introduction of a young family of four on a lawn tennis court in the middle of a game. The line at the end of this scene, 'We all win together in love', resonates throughout the movie's narrative. The story also revolves around them. A door can be an opening or a barrier. The six episodes are each creatively titled: Door Threshold, Door Jamb, Door Frame, Door Lock, Door Swivel, and Door Peephole. The audience is left to imagine and add the title for the seventh 'door', perhaps. Each episode provides access to the intriguing story as it unfolds. The story begins in the ancient town of Ilara and excavates a sacrilegious crime – two princes as siblings aspire to become the Oba (king and ruler) of their kingdom. The Ifa oracle, the last arbiter in such matters, counsels that both princes are eligible and will rule over the kingdom with prosperity following. However, the way forward is for them to have a heart-to-heart talk among themselves so that one withdraws from the race. One remembers that recently, a state government, Oyo, in south-west Nigeria, sought the counsel of an Ifa priest to determine who should be the Alaafin of Oyo, a prominent king. What follows in the narrative of Seven Doors is disastrous: the younger prince strangles his elder brother and cunningly gets the throne, setting the tone for the calamity that besets the kingdom. Flash forward to the present. Adedunjoye, a young prince of the Adekogbe Ruling House, turns down the choice to be the next king, Onilara of Ilara. There is an echo of the recent not-too-young-to-run agitation by a section of the younger generation in Nigeria. Read more: Seven Doors boasts aesthetically designed period costumes (Lola Awe and Yolanda Okereke) and makeup and special effects (Hakeem Onilogbo). The hairstyles (Oyewale Omolara), props, vehicles and other details (Olorunnisola Omowonuola) show that the story is set in Nigeria's 1950s-1960s. I was impressed by the art direction and scenography in the film, handled by Olatunji Afolayan, right from the opening montage, with the credits rolling and superimposed on the sculptured figurines (handled by Gabriel Udeh and Abayomi Olamakinde). To me, this is a celebration of the culture and the past of the traditional institution. The post-production is clinical too. Overall, I like the non-intrusive special effects in the movie. The subtle way the filmmaker used each scene and each episode to make different statements on the past, present and future is commendable. It comes with the impression that the sins of the father can become a stumbling block to the sons. It is a well-handled, visually appealing storytelling. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Adediran Kayode Ademiju-Bepo, University of Jos Read more: Funding terror: how west Africa's deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa's oceans – how to resolve them Why Meta is in trouble in Nigeria and what this means for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users Adediran Kayode Ademiju-Bepo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Hans India
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Rohit Pathak bags key roles in high-profile pan-India films
Rohit Pathak, fondly known for his impactful portrayal of 'Bane Singh' in South cinema, is quickly becoming a sought-after name across Indian film industries. Having impressed audiences with memorable roles in Khakee, Check, The Warrior, Seetimaarr, Sita Ramam, and Waltair Veerayya, the actor is now set to make an even bigger splash on the national stage. Adding to his impressive portfolio, Rohit has secured a pivotal role in director Maruthi's highly anticipated film featuring Prabhas. The project is generating buzz, and Rohit's inclusion only adds to the excitement. What's more, the talented actor has signed three major Pan-India films. In one, he will share screen space with Shahid Kapoor under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj. This project is expected to showcase Rohit in a strong and influential role. Another film, Jatadhara, a supernatural fantasy thriller, stars Sudheer Babu, Sonakshi Sinha, and Shilpa Shirodkar, where Rohit will be seen in a significant part. The third and perhaps most intriguing project has Rohit stepping into the shoes of the main antagonist opposite Fahadh Faasil in a high-budget Pan-India venture. With a mix of villainous intensity and nuanced performances, Rohit Pathak is clearly cementing his place among India's most versatile character actors. His upcoming roles promise to further elevate his stature in the industry.
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Tim Miller obituary
My friend Tim Miller, who has died aged 87, was one of the behind-the-scenes architects of 20th-century London cultural life. In the 1960s he worked with Peter Cook at the start of Private Eye, the satirical magazine, and supported the foundation of Centrepoint, Britain's largest homelessness charity. Film was his main calling, but he shied away from the red carpet. Instead he used his incisive intelligence and deep understanding of the world to guide other people – friends, students, artists, priests and ex-cons – towards their creative potential. Born into an aristocratic family near Woodbridge, Suffolk, Tim was the younger son of Maj William Pitt Miller and his wife, Juliet (nee St Aubyn). Later he dropped the double-barrelled surname. After a stint in the Grenadier Guards, where he felt like a misfit, Tim settled in London. He was a founding shareholder of Private Eye Productions in 1963 and helped manage Cook's rowdy Establishment Club, a magnet for the counterculture. In the early days of the swinging 60s, he forged a path in documentary film-making, working alongside John Irvin at Mithras Films. Their gritty style started a trend for socially conscious films with the camera at the centre of the action. In the early 1970s, after working as location manager on films such as Hannibal Brooks, starring Oliver Reed, and The Lawman, with Burt Lancaster, Tim experienced a Damascene conversion that led him to leave the film industry and become a probation officer in Notting Hill. Over 15 years, he worked with prisoners and ex-cons, becoming a devoted mentor to many. His service extended beyond work. As warden at St Anne's Church, in his beloved Soho, in 1969, he helped the Rev Ken Leech set up Centrepoint in the basement of St Anne's House, and worked the night shift to provide beds and soup to homeless youths. Tim also helped restore the grave of the essayist William Hazlitt in St Anne's graveyard. He returned to cinema in 1989 to lead the postgraduate film programme at the Royal College of Art. His collaboration with the director Asif Kapadia, a former student, resulted in the screenplay for the double Bafta-winning The Warrior (2001). He delighted in introducing his students to friends such as the film-maker Derek Jarman. Tim maintained a deep connection to his Suffolk roots, especially to the Shingle Street cottage he loved. There, a shell line created by friends commemorated their cancer survival. Tim would say that East Anglia's gift to the world was its light. He erected two standing stones facing east towards the rising sun that are engraved with the words of William Blake, one of many poets whose works Tim liked to recite from memory with thundering intensity. They sum up his spiritual quest: 'And we are put on earth a little space, That we may learn to bear the beams of love.'
