It feels like it's been ages - 1 1/2 years - since we last wrote about this film; a Nigerian flick called Relentless, shot in Lagos, directed by Andy Amadi Okoroafor, and co-stars Nigerian-German singer and songwriter, Nneka Egbuna.
A film that I never got to see, partly because it hasn't (as far as I know) screened in my neck of the woods (NYC) or even in the USA.
But the film has thankfully surfaced again, and will make what I believe will be its USA (or NYC) debut at the upcoming New York African Film Festival next month.
At the start of the below trailer, you should recognize Haitian American actor Jimmy Jean-Louis.
The feature film did screen at the 2010 London Film Festival, and, thankfully, MsWOO was able to see it there, and also wrote a review of it on the old S&A site, which you can read HERE.
So, what's Relentless about? Its synopsis follows below:
Obi is a Nigerian peacekeeping soldier in war-torn Sierra Leone. He meets Blessing, a Sierra Leonean woman and falls in love for the first time. His world and life are then devastated when he finds Blessing mutilated by child soldiers. On his return to Lagos after the war, he tries to reintegrate into his community by running a small security company with Ola, his best friend and fellow war veteran. At night he wanders the lonely streets of Lagos, haunted by his past. During one of these midnight walks, a high-class call-girl falls into his arms, thrown down from a bridge to die by one of her clients. Obi is thrust back into reality as he once again is carrying a woman in his arms, another victim of violence, another life to save or let die. Relentless is a visually accomplished film debut that laconically narrates a story about love and self-discovery, set in one of Africa's unforgiving capital cities.
By the way, director Andy Okoroafor, has worked successfully for years as an Art Director in advertising, fashion and music videos, with clients that have included Xuly-Bët, Jean Paul Gaultier, Virgin, and others; he also runs the internationally successful Clam Magazine.
Relentless is his first feature film, and I'm glad that I'll finally get to see it next month.
Check out the good-looking trailer below:
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