A Nigerian movie which plot is based on love between two lesbianism, produced by Pamela Adie and directed by Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim is set for release despite stern warning from Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) that the film (which means “love” in Yoruba language violates the country’s strict laws on homosexuality.
According to the Censors Board boss, Adebayo Thomas, both the producer and the director, and indeed all involved in the film could be risking jail terms of 14 years sentence for promoting homosexuality in a country where same-sex relationships are forbidden.
Though the filmmakers are determined to get the film across to the Nigerian audience. To get around, the report says the filmmakers are planning a surprise online release to catch the regulators off-guard.
In an interview with BBC, Adie, the producer says the film is highlighting the accurate picture of lesbian and bisexual women in Nigerian movies.
“If a lesbian woman does appear in a standard Nollywood movie they are often portrayed as being possessed, influenced by bad friends or forced into homosexuality and always needing “saving”, she told the BBC.
“You rarely see stories about LGBT people, especially about queer women that speak to the realities of our lives. “Ife was made to bridge the gap and to get the conversation going in Nigeria”
Ife is a story about two women falling in love as they spend three days together. They have their love tested by the realities of being in a same-sex relationship in a country like Nigeria”.
In 2014, Nigeria’s then-president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed a law that banned gay marriage, membership of gay rights groups and same-sex public display of affection. Nigeria is one of 30 countries on the continent where homosexuality is criminalised and this movie will be the first movie where homosexuality is highlighted.