Abdourahamane Diallo, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative in Nigeria, says the organization is ready to provide technical support for the development of Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry.
This was stated at the exclusive premiere of 'When Wolves Cry', a film about the negative effects of fake news.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that government officials, members of the diplomatic community and stakeholders from the movie industry attended the event organised at the UN House on Thursday evening in Abuja.
The film, an advocacy film by 2ET Media Network, is produced and directed by Emmanuel Eyaba, an award-winning Nollywood filmmaker.
Mr Diallo said the release of When Wolves Cry reflects the aspirations of UNESCO's 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Expressions.
According to him, the Convention was designed to support Member States in creating an institutional and professional environment conducive to the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions in various forms and domains.
He said this includes, but is not limited to, videos, films, books, designs, culinary arts, crafts, fashion, motion graphics and theatre.
Article page with promotion of financial support
“This is an opportunity to let them know that UNESCO is ready to provide technical support for the development of the Nigerian film and video industry.
“To further support Nigeria in developing implementable policies, UNESCO organized the first National Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries and the Sustainable Development Goals in October 2023.
“UNESCO is also the main technical development partner for the continuous review and updating of Nigeria’s cultural policies.
“In addition, UNESCO is the lead implementing agency for the UNESCO-EU programme, which promotes evidence-based policies and actions and supports policy formulation to enhance the contribution of creative sectors and industries to sustainable development.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate 2ET Media for the great work they have done on ‘When Wolves Cry’ as well as other projects they have undertaken,” he said.
NAN also reports that 'When Wolves Cry' focuses on an intriguing fake news story that nearly pushed the government of Cameroon and Nigeria into war after a diplomatic standoff.
The plot centers on Raymond Chukwudi (Ray C), a handsome actor looking for a breakthrough in his career.
Ray C was involved in a number of allegations including a rape case and the dramatic ripples that follow are what make the film an intriguing blockbuster to watch.
The cast of the film includes Francis Duru, Steve Eboh, Sydney Diala, Happy Julian, social media influencer MC Mbakara, Alex Nwankwo and Cameroonian star actress Syndy Emade, among others.
The star-studded film, which is acted in English and French and is fully subtitled in English, features experienced actors from four countries: Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of Benin and Togo.
Earlier, Eyaba, who is also the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), FCT Chapter, said the project was conceived out of his passion to produce advocacy films that address social ills.
“When Wolves Cry is actually a pan-African project in the sense that it features actors from four different countries in Africa.
“Governments and institutions have consistently called for greater awareness of the dangers of fake news due to its negative impact on society.
“To curb the spread of fake news, we plan to screen the film at major film festivals and cinemas as well as secondary schools and colleges across Nigeria,” he said.
(YAYA)