‘Listen, do you know what it means to see the women you love naked in the streets, children howling and throwing things at her’ says Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) in one of the scenes of the moral-packed movie 4-4-44 a Winifred Mena Ajakpovi production.
4-4-44, a film reflecting the decade of pure fun, fashion, relationships and trends of the 40s, seeks to champion undiluted love and empathy for sufferers of mental health, and their loved ones.
Every scene evokes emotions. There were moments of joy, sorrow, anguish and uncertainty. Yet, love took the lead.
Some of the casts that breathed life into the script include ace actors like Richard Mofe-Damijo, Teni, Brodashaggi, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Alibaba, Chiwetalu Agu, Seun Akindele, Shan George, Efe Irele and Blessing Onwukwe among others.
These Nollywood stars stormed the movie premiere at Imax Filmhouse, Lekki Phase 1 on Thursday.
Addressing the scourge of stigmatization in our society among those who are going through mental health issues, RMD expressed, “I think we have lost our humanity at some points. But so our reaction is to ridicule people with problems and stigmatize them instead of embracing them.
He added: “And finding solutions to their mental health or challenges. I think if we embrace that simple injunction, loving your neighbour as yourself then if your neighbour has challenges, your next reaction is to take care of them or find out how you can help.”
Speaking also at the movie premiere, Ajakpovi enthused: “It is a true story and brought one of the people in the story. When I heard the story I just fell in love with the story because it touched on important issues like love. We have seen a lot of divorce cases and I saw mental health issues which is a global topic where we come from.”
“Well we have to take care of all the rights, we have to find the right casts to interpret the story, find locations with details (east) where we could find the colonial buildings, cars which we had a hard time finding.”
Meanwhile, to spice up the movie, the producer listed Broda Shaggi as a perfect fit. “Both he and Teni did awesomely,” she expressed.
4-4-44 is a psychological tale set in the early 40s that chronicles a non-fiction account of two perfect individuals who will have their world rattled after a harrowing event on a fateful day.
“In a series of occurrences that unfold the ugly head of social prejudice against mental health, the couple must now. And how to navigate a world full of nightmares, either together or on their own,” says Ajakpovi.
