Odera storms Nigeria with Soul Diaspora

Award winning American based Nigerian film maker, Odera Ozoka who co-produced the highly funded $2 million film “Ije: The Journey”, starring two of the country’s greatest actresses, Genevieve Nnaji, and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has done it again.

The young producer has completed work on his $20,000 budget movie, ‘Soul Diaspora’ and it is due to be premiered in the country today, January 28, at the Ozone Cinemas, Yaba, Lagos, with a red carpet starting at 6:30pm.

The movie, already enjoying effusive attention globally has been nominated at several film festivals, and won many laurels regardless of its budget constraint. Odera says he shot the thriller in ten days under harsh conditions.

Odera Ozoka

He described the film as “a modern tragedy”, adding that the film has travelled across several countries getting its notoriety and gaining momentum ahead of its official premiere in Ozone cinemas, this Saturday, and its onward release also in June in several parts of the country and Africa as a whole.

“It is a modern tragedy dealing with human relationships, tolerance, and redemption, it highlights how important it is to understand and care for one another from the perspective of a multicultural youth in places like Los Angeles.” Odera said, in a chat with HVP during the week.

For Odera, his priority is to make films with content that is personal or that he feels deeply passionate about. And “Soul Diaspora,” his first feature length project, which he also wrote, and co-produced with a French actress, Clotilde Delavennat who is based in Los Angeles is another such film:

“Saidu, a Nigerian immigrant living in Los Angeles, must overcome sleepless nights due to his family’s tormented lineage in Africa. He is alone in the world, often hearing voices in his head. The film interweaves through colours of black and white to illustrate Saidu’s erratic behaviour and mental state.

On a limited budget, “Soul Diaspora” was shot in only 10 days, most of which was done “guerrilla style” throughout downtown Los Angeles. ”