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FEATURE FILMS
Kunle Afolayan, director. The Figurine: Araromire. 2009. English and Yoruba. 120 minutes. No price reported.
The Figurine, directed by Kunle Afolayan, is one of the few Nollywood films that deserves acclaim and global attention. The storyline is captivating; the acting, professional; the soundtrack, appropriate; and the production quality captivates the audience. A lot of work went into the film: nine months to come up with the script; five years to develop it; and three months to shoot the film in two states. Substantial financing came from various sources, mainly companies. Indeed, it is to its credit that the film won five awards at the Sixth Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2014.
The Figuiine combines folklore, superstition, and reality into an impressive storyline that creates suspense from the beginning to an unpredictable dramatic ending. The core of the plot is located in Yoruba mythology: there is a statue of the goddess of the village of Araromire (Nigeria) located at an abandoned shrine, where it must not be removed or touched. To touch or carry off the sculpture brings seven years of prosperity and abundance, followed by seven years of poverty and total ruination. This mythology works precisely because there remains a strong set of beliefs and folktales that many still hold to, in spite of modernizing and globalizing forces. The mythology itself becomes an...