Meet leading stars of Orimogunje’s for ‘Maria Ebun Pataki’

The follow spot is on the leading man and lady and director of the compelling and audacious commentary on postpartum depression For Maria Ebun Pataki- Gabriel Afolayan, Meg Otanwa and Director Damilola Orimogunje.

The 76 minutes film in Yoruba, but with English subtitle, has been on the lips of moviegoers, particularly the art house crowd since it was released on Netflix days ago. There is a consensus that it is a beautiful and well-made film.

Indeed, there has been sustained applause for the movie globally. The BBC described the film as ‘intimate, artistic, unusual.” The Guardian (UK) aptly described the film as “a quietly affecting Nigerian film.” The reviews have not stopped and they have all been praises not just for the director and the crew, but also for the principal actors who put up a delightful performance.

If the movie has continued to retain number one position on Netflix where it is currently streaming, it is because it’s not just a delight to watch, but Orimogunje pulled a good cast that gave the movie its acting credits and a crew that delivered on all sides.

The spotlight is on the leading actor and actress and of course the director who should take a bow for helming a touchingly poignant narrative that has continued to receive praise, globally.

Gabriel Afolayan (Koyejo)
THE multi-talented Gabriel Olasubomi Afolayan played Afolabi, a husband who watched from the sidelines as his wife Derin (Meg Otanwa) becomes withdrawn from family life after the complicated birth of their first child Maria. And Gabriel, younger brother of the filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, lived the role delightfully.

Son of the legendary filmmaker late Chief Adeyemi Afolayan showed stuff as he interpreted a character that was caught between his bewildered mother who insists that his wife is not a good enough parent, and a wife who became a shadow of herself. The Kokoro Ife (Love Bug) crooner put up a convincing act in the well-helmed movie centered on a depressed nursing mother.

Indeed G-Fresh, as Gabriel is fondly called by close friends and colleagues, has acquitted himself severally as an actor and he has raked in plenty awards as an actor including Most Promising Actor’ award at the 2012 Yoruba Movies Academy Awards and the awards of ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ and The ‘Rising Star’ at the Nollywood Movies Award (NMA). He previously won an AMAA crest for supporting actor.

Born into the arts, Afolayan studied theatre arts at the University of Ibadan (UI). He graduated in 2004, returned to the acting scene and since then he has not looked back. The bearded actor has featured in a couple of movies and television programmes including Ojuju, Kasala, King Invincible, Heroes and Zeros, and Tatu.

Meg Otanwa
THE notableactress and fashionista, most famous for her role as Aisha in the ground breaking TV series, Before 30, played the role of Derin, who became withdrawn from family life after the complicated birth of her first child and was unable to engage in the celebrations around the child. And like Gabriel, Meg lived her role delightfully and believably.

The Polyglot who speaks five languages including Yoruba, Spanish, French, Hausa and her native Idoma Language, fitted snugly into character, immersed herself in the role and left so many moviegoers wondering if she has not actually experienced postpartum depression. Those who have watched the film repeatedly said they have done so because of Otanwa’s strength of character interpretation.

A former banker who quit her job in Tunisia for a career in the movie industry, Meg Otanwa studied English at the Ahmadu Bello University. The star of Pay Day, Knock Out Blessings, Ratnik and Kpians: The Feast of Souls who grew up in the middle belt of Nigeria, holds two Master degrees in Human Resources Management awarded by TIME University Tunis, Tunisia and in Business Administration awarded by Jean Maulin University, Lyon France.

Meg hit the right notes in Nollywood when she starred alongside Ini Edo and Bryan Okwara in Emem Isong’s 2011 dance themed movie I Will Take My Chances. Since then, there has been no looking back for the star of Hush, Ojuju, Doll House and Road To Yesterday amongst many other movies.

Damilola Orimogunje
A SCREENWRITER, film director, and producer with his eyes on the summit, Damilola is the director of For Maria Ebun Pataki, his debut feature film. Before now, the Mass Communication graduate of Caleb University has shot a couple of short films that have screened in over 50 film festivals across all major continents in the world including Film Africa, Luxor African Film Festival, The African Film Festival, African International Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, winning awards for Best Short and Best Actor.

Inspired by the works of Wong Kar-Wai and Ingmar Bergman, Damilola’s films have majorly been surrounded around themes as Love, Betrayal, Depression, and Death. His last short film is titled Losing My Religion adapted from the short-story Losing My Religion from the book Bury Me Come Sunday Afternoon by Nigerian-American writer, Nike Campbell-Fatoki.

A filmmaker who sees himself as part of a new generation of Nigerian filmmakers making visually compelling and unconventional African content for social change, Damilola’s For Maria Ebun Pataki, premiered at Film Africa in November 2020, winning The Audience Award For Best Narrative Feature. The film went on to bag six nominations at the prestigious AMAA awards, including a deserved nomination in the Best Writing and Directing categories. Damilola is currently at the completion stage of his next film project, The Stone Drew Ripples.