Film Club: June's Picks
A monthly roundup of the best of African cinema.
Every month, B.Side’s Film Club brings you a selection of some of the best motion pictures from across the continent for your viewing pleasure. Even though some of these films aren’t currently screening at the cinema, we are sure to find them for you on various streaming platforms.
For this month, we've highlighted a number of entertaining romantic comedies, Biography dramas, Period pieces, and much more.
THE ORDER OF THINGS
In his debut as a filmmaker, The Order of Things directed by music artist Dr. Sid tells the story of a geeky nerd’s search for love in the messy dating pool of Lagos. Tunde (Timini Egbuson) has his life planned out, with a set age for every milestone event in his life. Now he is 30 and ready to get married but his mother vehemently refuses. His immature and socially awkward elder brother, Demi (Obi Maduegbuna), has to get married first. “That is the order of things,” she says, that’s how it has been all their lives, Demi has to come first in everything. Demi decides to take up the challenge of searching for a bride in order not to be a bump in Tunde’s life path.
WHERE TO WATCH: Currently showing in cinemas Nationwide.
RISE
Rise is a 2022 inspirational biographical sports-drama directed by Akin Omotoso. It is based on the true story of three young Nigerian-Greek brothers, Giannis, Thanasis, and Kostas Antetokounmpo, who emigrate to the United States and rise to fame and success within the National Basketball Association. The film stars newcomers Uche Agada, Ral Agada, and Jaden Osimuwa in the three primary roles; with Elijah Shomanke, Yetide Badaki, and Dayo Okeniyi as supporting family roles.
Rise is produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released as a Disney+ original film on June 24, 2022.
WHERE TO WATCH: Disney+
KHALUSI: THE STORY OF SOLOMON MAHLANGU
Khalushi is a true story about Solomon Mahlangu, a 19-year-old hawker from the streets of Mamelodi, a ghetto township outside Pretoria, South Africa. After being brutally beaten by police during the 1976 Soweto uprisings, he goes into exile and joins the liberation movement; a series of violent events lead Mahlangu on a journey that culminates in his being forced to stand trial for his life, using the courtroom as his final battlefield. A hero of the struggle against apartheid, Mahlangu would become an international icon of South Africa’s liberation.
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
BREADED LIFE
2021 film Breaded Life directed by Biodun Stephens Breaded Life relays the story of an irresponsible young man; Sunmisola (Timini Egbuson), a wealthy brat who has everything but never seems to know how to behave the right way. The movie shows a series of altercations between him and his mother and how she disapproves of his unruly behavior.
Sadly for him, a day he will never forget came so fast and he learns about the reality of life the hard way. On this mysterious day, Sunmi’s mother, his family members, and all the people he knows do not remember him anymore except a bread hawker, Todowede (Bimbo Ademoye). With no place to live or anybody to take him in, he has no choice but to seek refuge with Todowede. Imagine a spoilt rich kid who has never worked a day in his life, out in the cold world without a penny to his name, and knows little to nothing about how the world works.
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
ILE OWO
Ile Owo is a 2022 experimental film directed by Dare Olaitan. The film follows the story of Busola who has had bad luck with love. After a lot of pressure from society and her parents to tie the knot as a means to lift her family out of poverty, she finally meets Tunji - the perfect man. At first, Busola struggles to understand why a billionaire would choose to marry her but after she accepts his proposal of marriage before a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead her to a truth she could never have imagined.
WHERE TO WATCH: Showing in cinemas Nationwide
AFROBEATS: THE BACK STORY
If you love African music, Afrobeats, Pop culture and history, then the “Afrobeats: The Backstory” documentary, which was released exclusively to Netflix on 29th June 2022, is something you need to watch. Produced by filmmaker and culture custodian Ayo Shonaiya, the documentary explores the rise of Afrobeats, and how it has managed to become a global phenomenon.
The 12-part documentary series captures the growth, evolution and export of the Afrobeats genre and features interviews with various culture custodians, artists, and music producers. The documentary is an important aspect of the growth of Nigerian music that deserves to be documented.
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
