Planet Bottling Company, makers of Reaktor Energy Drink, has partnered with EbonyLife Creative Academy to tell stories of resilience, ambition and survival through a short film and documentary exploring the lives of everyday Nigerians in Lagos.

The two productions, titled “On the Move” and “On the Move: Chasing Tomorrow”, were screened at EbonyLife Cinema in Lagos, bringing together journalists and invited guests for an evening focused on the realities of people navigating the city’s demanding informal economy.

The project combines fictional storytelling with real-life accounts, particularly highlighting workers within Reaktor’s distribution chain, street hawkers and others whose livelihoods depend on informal occupations.

The initiative seeks to connect Reaktor’s brand message of pushing beyond limits with the experiences of Nigerians who continue to pursue their ambitions despite economic and social challenges.

The fictional short film, “On the Move”, follows Sadiq, a young Lagos street hawker who is also the sole caregiver to his sister, Zainab, who suffers from asthma.

Faced with the daily pressure of providing for his family, Sadiq is encouraged by his coach to look beyond his immediate circumstances and recognise a talent he had previously overlooked.

His decision to take a risky step towards a different future forms the central conflict of the film, which explores perseverance, purpose and the courage to embrace opportunities.

Director Gbenga Adeoti said the production was intended to encourage audiences to look beyond their present circumstances and pursue purposeful lives.

“The philosophy of Reaktor is pushing your limits, and we just want to reinforce that philosophy. It is important for people to know that they need to live a life of purpose,” Adeoti said.

He said Sadiq’s character reflected the experience of many Lagos residents whose immediate struggle for survival could overshadow their long-term aspirations.

“The idea is that you need to live beyond that. You need to have a life of purpose, and that is where the coach comes in, to help him see beyond his prevalent reality and achieve a goal he did not even know he had within him,” he said.

The film stars Ezekiel Abayomi as Sadiq, alongside Jumoke Omojola, Seun Kentebe, Ajayi Akorede and Adewale Okunlola.

Adeoti described filming in Lagos as challenging but enjoyable, given the city’s busy and unpredictable environment.

The second production, “On the Move: Chasing Tomorrow”, takes a documentary approach, following the lives of three Lagos residents – Kudus Adeyemi, Modupe Adeleke and Abdulakeem Oladele – who work as hawkers while supporting their families.

The documentary examines the economic pressures facing people in informal employment, including difficult living conditions, exploitation and the struggle to earn a livelihood in a competitive urban environment.

It also portrays their determination to provide for their families and build better futures despite the challenges.

Planet Bottling Company’s Marketing Communications Manager, Franklyn Eluagu, said the documentary was created to demonstrate that the struggles portrayed in the fictional film reflected the experiences of real people.

“Reaktor is encouraging everyone out there to keep up with the process, be consistent and stay on the move,” Eluagu said.

He said the company wanted audiences to recognise the people behind the informal economy and understand the realities they face.

“We wanted to document the lives of actual people who are living this life. Hawkers are out there every day. We see them, and we also see those who do business with the hawkers and provide the drinks they sell,” he said.

According to Eluagu, documenting their experiences helped show that the story presented through the fictional production was rooted in the lives of Nigerians pursuing economic stability.

Planet Bottling Company’s Marketing Manager, Naji Awada, said the productions reflected experiences shared by Nigerians across different walks of life.

“Reaktor, as the slogan says, is about pushing your limits. This is a way for us to show that if you have a goal and push towards it, you can reach there, evolve it and make it into something big,” Awada said.

For Michael Oyebade, Head of Administration at EbonyLife Creative Academy, the collaboration provided an opportunity to combine the academy’s creative development work with stories drawn from Nigerian experiences.

He said the partnership brought together the academy’s objective of empowering young creatives and Planet Bottling Company’s interest in telling stories that reflect the lives of Nigerians.

“It is a coming together of ideas and a coming together of missions,” Oyebade said.

He said graduates and alumni of the academy participated in various stages of the productions, including ideation, story development, filming and production.

“We use our graduates, the alumni from the academy, to do the sprints, the ideation, the story development and the filming itself. Everything has been done by students of the academy,” he said.

The screening provided an opportunity for audiences to engage with stories that portray the pressures of informal work alongside the ambition and dignity of those involved.