By Dayo DaSilva
This July, the world won’t read African history from foreign textbooks, it will experience it through the lens of Africa’s fastest-growing film industry, Nollywood.
"IREKE: Rise of the Maroons" is not just another film. It is a cinematic declaration, visually rich, soul-stirring and historically defiant. Debuting in cinemas on July 25, this 96-minute epic signals not just the arrival of a powerful new story, but the coming of age of Nollywood as a global contender in storytelling.
A Story Etched in Resistance
The seed of IREKE was planted years ago when my friend and course mate from the Mass Communication Department of the then Ogun State Polytechnic, Gbolahan Peter Macjob, fondly called Super Mac made a discovery during a journalistic assignment. He unearthed a truth often missing from the pages of colonial history: our ancestors were not just victims. They were maroons, warriors, rebels, tacticians who fought for their freedom.
As trained cadet officers and committed journalists, we understood that this wasn’t just a story to be told, it was a mission. And IREKE was born, not simply as a script, but as a cinematic resistance.
Nollywood Steps Into Its Prime
Nollywood is no longer emerging, it has arrived. For years, Nigeria’s film industry has been building quietly, passionately and persistently. Today, it stands tall, creative, daring and globally relevant.
IREKE is a bold showcase of this evolution. From production quality to performance depth, it represents the high standards Nollywood now confidently owns. It’s not just “good for Nigeria.” It is good, period.
The brilliance of IREKE lies not only in its powerful narrative but in the evolution of the industry that birthed it. Nigerian cinema has come a long way from humble beginnings. Today, it is bold, experimental and unapologetically African.
Ireke is the first Yorùbá language film to premiere at Cannes Film market and the first Nigerian film to have theatrical release in over 30 UK cinemas across multiple cinema chains.
It is also the first Nigerian film to showcase in the Caribbean as it is set to show in Trinidad and Tobago as part of the country’s emancipation day celebration.
Nollywood is no longer just prolific, it is precise. It no longer just entertains, it educates, stirs and competes on the global stage.
IREKE is proof of this renaissance. It is the kind of high-quality, culturally grounded cinema that shows Nollywood is ready to take on the world and win hearts while doing it.
Nollywood’s Global Moment Is Here
IREKE marks more than the release of a great film. It announces that Nollywood is no longer just prolific, it is prestigious. The industry has moved from quantity to quality with purpose, and the world is starting to notice.
From Netflix deals to international festivals, Nigerian cinema is spreading its wings and IREKE is one of its most powerful flights yet.
Stars of the Soil, Faces of Power
Anchored by the legendary Peter Fatomilola, with powerful performances by Bolanle Ninalowo, Anter Laniyan, Fathia Balogun, Tobi Bakre and Atlanta Bridget Johnson, the cast doesn’t merely act, they invoke history. Each performance is layered, intentional and raw.
The casting of white actors is done with care, not as tokens or stars, but as supporting voices in a story that is proudly and powerfully African. Here, Africa speaks for itself, loudly and clearly.
A Journalist Behind the Lens
Directed by Emmy-nominated BBC journalist Gbolahan Peter Macjob, IREKE blends investigative rigour with visual storytelling. His journalistic eye captures not just moments, but meaning, making each scene a vessel of memory and truth. I am not surprised a bit, it has always been in his system to unearth the truth.
The cinematography is sweeping, the score evocative, the editing crisp. This is craftsmanship that rivals international standards, while staying rooted in African rhythm and tone.
Beyond a Film, A Cultural Reckoning
"IREKE: Rise of the Maroons" isn’t just a movie; it is a movement. It reminds us that our stories are not relics, they are revolutions. And it marks a new chapter where Africa no longer waits to be spoken for.
This is Nollywood, unfiltered. This is Nigerian creativity, rising. This is African cinema, global, grounded and glorious. This is Nollywood reborn, refined and ready for the world.
As someone who has watched this story grow from a whispered idea to a thunderous production, I can say with pride: IREKE is the future of African storytelling. And the world better be ready.
IREKE: Rise of the Maroons will be in Cinemas Nationwide, July 25. Don’t just watch history. Witness the power of a new Nollywood, where Africa tells its story and the world listens.
DaSilva (arpa, amncs) is a Media Professional and Publisher. He wrote via: dsv123ng@yahoo.com
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