Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Jumoke Odetola, has emphasised the significance of preserving and sharing Yoruba culture through films.
Expressing pride in the resurgence of Yoruba epic films, she said, “I am so happy we are doing epic stories because they are told in our language, and they project our culture and tradition. If we don’t tell our stories, other people will tell them, and give it their own narratives. It is a good thing we are telling our stories ourselves.”
On how the Yoruba subsector of Nollywood can harness the attention its getting through the mainstream acceptance of its epic movies, she said, “Everything unfolds even when we don’t have it all figured out. Opportunities are endless, and though we may not always know where the next step leads, the important thing is that we’re already on the journey. There are no limits to what we can achieve.”
Asked if every story is cinema worthy, the ‘Higi Haga’ actress said, “Every story has the potential to be worthy of the cinema. It depends on how it is told. For instance, if I travel to London, I could simply say I arrived there. But if I wanted to make it more captivating, I’d show myself waking up, preparing to leave, having some challenges in the car, and arriving at the airport. The power of a story lies in its delivery.”