Exploring the rich and colorful culture of the South-South region of Nigeria, Warri in particular, filmmaker and author, Laju Iren, mixed cinematic excellence with a rich display of culture at the premiere of Onobiren, which held in Lagos recently.

Executive producer and writer, Iren shared the inspiration behind the project, highlighting her personal connection to the story and its cultural significance.

“As an Itsekiri girl myself, this speaks to the fact that women can be underrepresented in terms of storytelling and the kinds of stories women are told. We see women in stories, but sometimes it’s always the same kind of stories. I am also from what some might consider a minority tribe, and we are not really as represented as we should be. It was just really nice to do something unique. We shot some of the scenes in my grandma’s village, Koko. It’s a beautiful place. So it was really nice to be able to represent the South-South in that regard. At the end of the day, it’s one Nigeria. Bringing different perspectives and different cultures makes the storytelling even more beautiful.”

Iren who said she has come a long way, noted that she has done virtual cinema with her work appearing on Amazon Prime, YouTube and even on airlines.

“Every time we make a film, we ask ourselves what the best mode of distribution would be for it and we wanted this film to reach the right audiences. It can only get better,” she said.

She revealed that the film which challenges gender norms, represents women and every woman’s multi-faceted layer.

Drawing some inspiration from her own mother who she said was a teacher, tailor and business-owner, she said her parents inspired and led by example in appreciating and honoring women. “I also drew inspiration from different aspects of life and from the lives of women whom I haven’t even met,” she said.

On the impact it would make, she said it would elevate women’s stories, spark conversations around gender roles, showcase resilience and highlight the importance of hard work and how it can elevate one despite one’s background.

“Whatever I do, you are going to find elements of faith in it. Sometimes it might be very pronounced, other times it might not be as pronounced, but that’s the beautiful about being a storyteller -the versatility and the ability to simply tell different stories to different people and we are hoping that this inspires in more ways than one. It was great to explore my roots in this story,” she said.

The premiere, themed “South-South Royalty,” transformed the venue into a bright showcase of Niger Delta heritage.

Onobiren which began screening in cinemas nationwide from yesterday, features Ruby Akubueze, Bisola Aiyeola, Deyemi Okanlawon, Patience Ozokwor, Norbert Young, Desmond Bryce and others.

Speaking on her role, Ruby Akubueze, who played Roli, said, “I played Roli in Onobiren: A Woman’s Story. Roli is a very determined woman who faces life’s difficulties, leaves her home to pursue a dream and finds greener pastures. Onobiren is going to inspire conversations around women’s stories. More filmmakers telling women’s stories, most especially more women telling women’s stories.”

Desmond Bryce also spoke about what drew him to the project. “I was first intrigued when I got the script. When I read a script, a lot of times I begin to see pictures. I visually read scripts. I saw how it was different, how it involved water, fish and so on. So I was intrigued by the nature and the feel of the story when I first got the script. The film is different visually; it’s about a young woman who, despite life’s struggles, chooses resilience,” he said.