Love Castle showcases Nigeria’s rich culture

After months of anticipation, Love Castle, a movie written and produced by Beatrice Funke Ogunmola, has premiered at Terra Kulture in Lagos.

The movie is a captivating story of culture interwoven with disability and a long held African culture of silence surrounding taboos. It’s centred on Adetutu, who had to leave her family — husband and daughter — behind in America against her wish to become a regent in Nigeria following the demise of her father.

Adetutu is trapped in a web of emotions and culture with deadening taboos staring her in the face. Speaking about the project, Ogunmola said she had the concept of the movie for almost a decade before writing the first draft in 2018, and it took her over a year of several drafts, revisions and research to finally get the script ready in 2019.

“I have always wanted to tell a story that shows Nigeria’s culture to people in America. My aim is to change negative perceptions as well as address the way disability is treated and change the narrative,” Ogunmola said.

The movie’s star actors are Kehinde Bankole, Jide Kososko, Lateef Adedimeji, Zack Orji, Rachel Oniga, Desmond Elliott, Femi Adebayo Salami, Halima Abubakar, Jumoke George and Beatrice Funke Ogunmola.

Adedimeji, who played Chi Joshua, a swimmer with disability in the movie said: “Nigerians would love their culture even more and embrace it after watching the movie. Love Castle is filled with culture and tradition, while the central theme is about being a positive addition to humanity and helping others to become better people.”

Describing the story as exciting, Kehinde Bankole, who played Adetutu said: “The route the movie producer went in telling this story is different. It’s entertaining; it’s rich in culture. I enjoyed every bit of the filming.”

The movie director, Desmond Elliott, said: “Culture is well captured in the story. I love the way the story transitioned from western to eastern Nigeria.”

Already, the movie has received six nominations at this year’s edition of Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF).