October 1 (film)

Plot

The film opens with images of a young lady being raped by a seemingly unknown man. Inspector Danladi Waziri (Sadiq Daba) is summoned by the British colonial military to present a draft of his findings on the series of virgin killings that has occurred in Akote. The film flashes back, as Inspector Waziri narrates his story on his observations and experience from his arrival in the town of Akote; he is warmly received by Sergeant Afonja (Kayode Aderupoko). On arriving the village square, Danladi notices the villagers celebrating a horse-rider, who is later noted by Afonja to be Prince Aderopo (Demola Adedoyin). He just returned from the city, as the first university graduate in the community. Danladi observes physical and circumstantial similarities in the deceased virgins, and deduces it must be serial killing. Danladi and Afonja continue in their investigations; the officers interrogate Agbekoya (Kunle Afolayan), who is the owner of the farm where the last lady was killed. Agbekoya denies any knowledge of the events that led to the killings and is subsequently freed by the inspector Waziri due to a perceived language barrier between them.

After being cautioned by the Oba about his late night movements, Prince Aderopo visits the village bar, where he meets his childhood friends, Banji (Femi Adebayo) and Tawa (Kehinde Bankole); the trio discuss the coming independence and their pasts. One of the guards assigned to protect the prince deserts his post to spend some time with his lover, close to a stream. Afonja and Danladi question the traditional priest, Baba Ifa (Ifayemi Elebuibon) on their way out of the bar; he responds to their questions proverbially and says that the killer will continue to kill until he is satisfied. The next day, the dead body of the lover of the guard who fled his post is discovered. Danladi orders the arrest of Baba Ifa, which Afonja outrightly refuses to carry out; he is thus suspended from his job and replaced by his deputy, Corporal Omolodun (Fabian Adeoye Lojede). Corporal Omolodun, however, is eventually killed by the serial killer after trailing him along the bush-path, following the discovery of another body, this time of an Igbo girl. The girl's father, a farmer Okafor (Kanayo O. Kanayo), along with his tribesmen, capture a travelling Northerner, claiming that he is responsible for the death of his daughter. The accused man is taken into custody by the police, but still maintains his innocence. Danladi informs his superiors that he will be closing the case, since he has found the killer. As he is about to transfer the Northerner away from Akote, Okafor throws a machete at him, piercing his heart. Even with his dying breath, the man insists he didn't kill the girl. Okafor, who repeatedly affirms his actions as doing what a real man would do, is taken into custody. At night, the officers gather to celebrate the Inspector's impending departure following the presumed victory over the killer. Dandali is persuaded into drinking against his will. On his way out he hears someone whistle a tune he was earlier told by the Northerner to be from the killer. The killer approaches him but he is too drunk to identify the face, and is assaulted by the killer.

Afonja sees him lying on the road and takes him to his residence. Afonja and his wife gave him herbs for relief of his constant catarrh. During the process of his recovery from his fever, he recollects the face of the killer. The next morning, he goes to the market square to observe the body language of Prince Aderopo, who suspiciously stares at him in confidence and even winks at him that there is no evidence to prove he indeed killed the girls. Danladi visits Tawa in the school she works as a teacher, in order to question her about the relationship she has with the Prince. Danladi discovers that Aderopo and Agbekoya are both recipients of a scholarship from a Reverend Father in the town, Father Dowling (Colin David Reese). Danladi visits Agbekoya, who reveals to him that they were constantly molested by the Reverend Father in Lagos city. At a celebration on the eve of Independence, Prince Aderopo invites Tawa to their childhood hideout, which has been renovated. Danladi and Afonja try to trail them, but are unsuccessful; Agbekoya, the only other person who knows the location of the hideout, leads them to it. On getting there, Aderopo is about to make Tawa his sixth victim, representing the end of the six years of violation he received from the Reverend Father. Tawa is saved.

The film shifts back to the present day, as Danladi concludes his account to the British officers. The officers are against his desire to speak the truth on the identity of the real killer and they instruct him not to tell anyone about it. He reluctantly succumbs to the pressure for the sake of a peaceful independence.

Cast

Development

Kunle Afolayan wanted a story set in a small community; he had writers submit scripts before he got to meet Tunde Babalola who eventually wrote the script for the film. The script was initially submitted with the title Dust, mainly because the story is set in a very dusty town. Even though Afolayan didn't want to do big budget projects at the time, he knew he had no choice, as he wanted to interpret the writer's vision adequately because it is a "national film with a universal appeal". He expressed that he liked the story of October 1 because it is a period piece, which he had never done before and "it is also significant to the present state of Nigeria". As a result, he decided to explore the film by adding his own ideas to the subsequent drafts of the script. In an interview, Afolayan pointed out that October 1 is not just an entertainment film, but also informative: "For the older generation, especially those who were part of independence, they will be able to see themselves in this film. For the younger generation it's a platform for many of them who don't know the story of Nigeria". He also stated that: "We want the younger generation to know where we are coming from and the older generation to see if we are moving in the right direction".

As with Golden Effects' previous productions, the film got sponsorship from a number of brands: Lagos State Government is the first to be associated with the project and was announced as one of the major sponsors of the film, other major sponsors include Toyota Nigeria, Elizade Motors, Guinness and Sovereign Trust Insurance.

Casting

According to Afolayan, care had to be taken during casting as it is one of the key areas that could make or break a film like October 1. The audition for the film which took place on 6 June 2013 at Golden Effects Studios in Ikeja recorded over 1000 people in attendance.

The lead character of Dan Waziri posed a challenge; a Northerner is needed to play the role, and Afolayan stated that there is a particular "look" that has been associated with people of the sixties. He also pointed out that he needed an actor who could not only speak Hausa, but would represent the ethnic group as well. No one seemed to tick these essential boxes, until Sadiq Daba came to mind. However, his whereabouts were not known at the time as the last time he had been seen was in the 1998 Mahmood Ali-Balogun's short film A Place Called Home, produced by MNet Eventually, Afolayan was able to find a recent interview he granted, thereby getting connected to Daba through the interviewer. Sadiq Daba was prepared for Waziri's character for a period of 8 months before filming commenced. On a day of shoot, a serious disagreement occurred between Daba and Afolayan that Daba walked out on set; the dispute however was eventually settled and shooting was resumed. Daba in an interview expressed enthusiastically that Kunle Afolayan is a filmmaker he was glad to be associated with.

The character of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was another challenging aspect of casting; Afolayan had to research on the Kutis for some time in order to learn about some dominant physical features that might be common with the family. He also announced it on Twitter that he was looking for an actress with close resemblance to the late Funmilayo Kuti, but to no avail. When the director met designer, Deola Sagoe for the costume design of the film, he would always "see this round face like the Kutis" and he eventually asked her out on the role. She agreed to the role after three weeks of Afolayan's persistence and convincing.

Kunle Afolayan like in his previous films featured in October 1 as a farmer with the name Agbekoya. For his role, he had to leave his hair for sometime in order to let it just grow. He also stated in an interview with Toni Kan and Peju Akande on Africa Magic that some other actors were also asked to leave their hair and beard for about a year for the film.

Filming

Filming which was initially scheduled for July commenced in August 2013, with the actors' first reading taking place on 5 August, after four months of preproduction. Shooting began at the old Railway Quarters in Lagos from where they proceeded to Ilara-Mokin, a small village in Ondo State; The director with some other crew members had previously been to Ilara-Mokin to scout for filming locations in May 2013. Scenes were also filmed at Federal College of Agriculture, Akure and few neighbouring villages around Akure. Toyota Nigeria provided transportation for the cast, crew and filming equipment throughout the course of filming. It also provided accommodation for the cast and crew while shooting in Ilara-Mokin, which is the hometown of the company's Chairman. The film was shot using RED cameras. Modern inventions captured during principal photography were all digitally removed during post-production.

Principal photography ended in September 2013 after 42 days of shoot. Afolayan in an interview with Weekend Magazine expressed that it was very stressful shooting October 1 and his previous films were incomparable to it. He stated that it was more challenging, more demanding and it has a budget of over four times that of his previous film. He also said there were times when he and the crew had just three hours of sleep in four days, but however pointed out that he had best hands on deck for the project and he is grateful for that. The film production team on set was made up of about a hundred people; Co-ordinator, Oge Ogu noted that one of the major challenges during filming was co-ordinating and managing the extras to fit into the director's vision, as the crowd often span into hundreds of people.

Design

Almost half of the props used in October 1 were made by Pat Nebo, the art director and his team. Props were also brought from United States and the United Kingdom, including television sets and shotguns from the fifties as they were not available in Nigeria. After writing several letters to the Nigerian Police Department to request for antique weapons and costumes, it was realized that the department didn't archive its artefacts, so most historical items have been destroyed. There were no Toyota vehicles in Nigeria in the sixties; this made it impossible for Toyota Nigeria to provide props for the film. Some of the antique vehicles used in the film were sourced in Nigeria; most were however refurbished for the owners so that they can be used in the film. The props used in the film are currently kept in Golden Effects Studios and can be rented out to other filmmakers that may need them in future. There was also an exhibition at the premiere of the film displaying the antique items used in October 1.

Golden Effects partnered with fashion designer, Deola Sagoe of Haute Couture, who also featured as the late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti in the film to design the primordial costumes used in the film. Costume Designer, Susan Akalazu, noted that she had to watch lots of documentaries and read documentations on events from the '60s in order to understand the kind of style prevalent during that era in Nigeria.

On the visual look of the film; the Cinematographer, Yinka Edward revealed that he didn't want to adopt the high contrast/sharp lighting look, common with most thriller films. Rather, he wanted a more realistic and natural look, since the antagonist has a strong emotional reason for being who he is.

Promotions

During the filming of October 1, Onset pictures were constantly released to the public via the film's social media pages. A first poster for the film was released on 9 June 2013, which depicts a juxtaposition of the Nigerian and British flag backdropped by an ancient town. On 11 September 2013, Golden Effects unveiled a set of character posters for the film at the Toyota office in Lagos; Stakeholders present at the event include Executive Director of Toyota Nigeria and Lagos State Permanent Secretary of special duties. The first trailer of the film was released on 1 October 2013, Nigeria's 53rd Independence day, a date initially slated for the film release itself; the trailer won the "Best Fiction Film Trailer" award at the 2013 International Movie Trailers Festival Awards. A movie teaser and a theatrical promotional trailer was also released on YouTube on the 27 August 2014.

Pre-release

The film was initially slated to be released on 1 October 2013 to coincide with Nigeria's 53rd Independence anniversary, but it got postponed to February 2014 due to unfinished post production. The film was however not released on the specified date and several other release dates were subsequently posted on the internet including 25 April, May and June 2014. Golden Effects eventually announced that a release date for the film couldn't be specified, and that the several postponements were due to the other highly anticipated films that had been scheduled for release in 2014 including: Render to Caesar released in March, Half of a Yellow Sun in April (later shifted to August) and others like '76 and Dazzling Mirage without release dates yet; Afolayan pointed out that the films needed to be spaced in order to maximize box office returns. It was revealed that there will be more than one cut for the film; a cut for the local [Nigerian] audience, a cut for African audience, a cut for film festivals and probably another cut for international release.

A private screening of October 1 organized by Terra Kulture was held at the InterContinental Lagos on 21 May 2014 with many stakeholders in attendance, the film reportedly received positive reactions at the event. The film also had up to five other private and exclusive screenings before its release, all organized by Terra Kulture. "The Making of...." documentary on October 1 started airing on Dstv's Africa Magic channels on 7 September 2014.

Premiere and release

October 1 premiered at the EXPO Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites on 28 September 2014; the theme of the event was "'60s", as a result had most celebrities dressed in primordial native attires and hair styles. There was an exhibition at the premiere, which provided tour of the sets, and also displayed the costumes and props used for the film. The red carpet event was also broadcast live on DStv's Africa Magic channels. The film was first released in selected cinemas on 1 October 2014, and had the cinemas inflate their ticket prices. It went on general release on 3 October 2014. October 1 was screened at the 2014 Cultural Confidence, New York on 11 October 2014; it was also officially selected for the 2014 Africa International Film Festival, where it was reported that tickets were constantly sold out. The film premiered in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2014 at the 2014 Film Africa Festival in London. October 1 also opened the 4th Africa Film Week in Greece.

Critical reception

The film since its release, has been positively received by film critics. Toni Kan of ThisDay praised its cinematography, story and casting, concluding that: "October 1 provokes a lot of questions and provides few answers but what is unequivocal is that at the end of the movie when the picture of the Queen is taken down, Kunle Afolayan, son of Ade Love, is crowned King". Onyeka Nwelue of The Trent, praised the artistic nature of the film, its subtle messages, and concluded: "Mr. Afolayan incorporates facts into fiction to create an everlasting joy in this work. He is not one who is scared of exploring, and he does so beautifully. He takes his time to create. He takes his time to understand the people he is making films for. No matter how intellectually stimulating October 1 is, it can be enjoyed by anybody. At the end, one can easily say, Mr. Afolayan’s October 1 is for everyone who loves great films". Sodas and Popcorn, praised its production design, the performances from the actors, use of costumes, and also described the cinematography as "the best work of art in Nigerian cinematic history". It commended the film for its attention to detail and concluded: "Afolayan obviously had clear vision of what he set out to achieve and pushed his cast to give the best possible performance you could expect from them. The glory of the film, however, is in the fact that the story is not afraid to go there: explore the timeless themes of religion, ethnic rifts, corruption, abuse, pain and privilege. The film plays for 2 hours but there is enough suspense and laugh-till-your-sides-hurt humour to keep you at the edge of your seat".

Efeturi Doghudje of 360Nobs commended the character development, praised the performance of Demola Adedoyin, and the costume design. She rated the film 9 out of 10, and concluded: "Script writer Tunde Babalola, was incredible, as October 1, was much more than just an entertaining feature, it was deep, intense and had that suspense that got us in the hall talking. Asides attention to detail, Babalola paid as much attention to the script trying to relive the experience of the 1960s and tying it perfectly to the British way of governing us, our tribal issues and our eventual independence. It [October 1] was pieced together wonderfully and creatively executed. October 1 is a must see for all". Wilfred Okiche of YNaija praised its production design, and concluded: "In many ways, October 1 is a typical Kunle Afolayan film, what with the ensemble cast, big budget, period setting, ambitious story and dark psychological suspense. But where he does not leave an indelible mark on the film, one that will in future days be identified as the Afolayan touch. He proves once again and maybe for the first time in film this year, that ambition is good and no one can represent Nigeria better than Nigerians. Nollywood is rising indeed, and October 1 is a shining example". Amarachukwu Iwuala of Pulse NG praised the subtle themes in the film, while noting Kayode Olaiya as the highlight performance, and concluded that although "October 1 is not fast-paced, the action nonetheless unravels at a rate that keeps everyone in suspense. The film aptly integrates several interesting subplots; smartly employing subtext and irony. This 140-minute picture is another feat for Nollywood". Augustine Ogwo of News Wire comments: "October 1 is brilliant, thought-provoking and timeless. October 1 preaches the truth and it does so from an artistic point of view. Kudos must be given to Tunde Babalola for writing such an amazing script and also to the producer/director of this movie for breathing life into the story. October 1 is such a good movie that it has the power to plunge every well meaning Nigerian into a reflective mood and possibly positive action".

Isabella Akinseye of Nolly Silver Screen gave a mixed review; while praising the cinematography and generally the production, she talked down on the plot and scripting. She rated the film 3.4 out of 5 stars and commented: "As a film that attempts to teach Nigeria’s history through entertainment, Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 gets a pass. Brand Nigeria is depicted in the language, props and footage, but the problem with the film is that it tries to do too many things".

Box office

October 1 was very successful at the box office. It grossed approximately ₦60 million at the cinemas, making it the second highest grossing Nigerian film in Nigerian cinemas at the time of its release, tying with Half of a Yellow Sun. As of January 2015, The Nation estimates that October 1 had made a revenue of over ₦140 million, when its box office revenue is summed with the revenue generated from its numerous special screenings. In an interview with Nigerian Entertainment Today in February 2015, Afolayan also disclosed that the film had made over ₦100 million in 6 months.

Accolades

October won three awards at the 2014 Africa International Film Festival, including the awards for "Best Feature Film", "Best Screenplay" and "Best Actor" for Sadiq Daba; October 1 was the film with most awards at the event. The film also leads at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, winning 9 awards out of 12 nominations, including awards for "Best Movie of the Year", "Best Movie Director" and "Best Actress" for Kehinde Bankole.

Themes

Sadiq Daba in an interview stated: “It [October 1] cuts across the whole of Nigeria and back to our colonial days. It talks about our ethnic intra-relationships and many more”. The film explores issues on Paedophilia, depicting a young boy, Koya being molested by a western religious leader, Father Dowling, a supposed custodian of societal moral standards; This makes disappointed and angry Koya to hold the belief that "western education is evil", a slogan associated with the present day Boko Haram. Tunde Babalola, the scriptwriter commented: "As a writer, I want to delve into subjects that people don’t want to talk about. I don’t want to write things that people want to say. I would rather write about things that are controversial, and that which will get people talking for weeks". Victor Akande of The Nation comments: "October 1 captures the approach used by two young men who are vexed by a system (Western education) they expect will make them better humans, but which ends up corrupting their traditional upbringing; worse still, by men of same sex".

The film also reflects on the unification of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria up to Independence; there's a plot in the film where an innocent Nomad from the North is killed by an aggrieved Eastern parent, who believes that the man is responsible for his daughter's murder and feared that the suspect may eventually be favoured just because the police officer in charge of the case is a Northerner as well. According to Augustine Ogwo, "the movie is purely the story of Nigeria and the lack of unity and tolerance among the various ethnic groups".

The film has also been described as a metaphor of Nigeria and the discrimination it has experienced as a Nation; The killings in the film for instance depicts the massive stealing of the country’s mineral resources by the West. There are also conversations in the film which suggests that Nigeria got its independence a little too early.

Home media

In December 2014, October 1 was released on DStv Explora's Video-on-demand service. In January 2015, it was announced that Netflix has acquired the worldwide online distribution rights for the film and it is slated to debut on the platform in March 2015.