A Nigerian-born American filmmaker, Toyin Adekeye, has concluded plans to launch his cultural documentary, ‘Bigger Than Africa,’ on Netflix.
According to Adekeye’s Motherland Productions USA statement, the cultural documentary will feature prominent Yoruba culture enthusiasts, including the late Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi.
Mr Adekeye also noted that the documentary would debut on Netflix on Friday.
Other traditional leaders in the film include Ooni of Ife, the Alaketu of Ketu, King of Port Novo.
Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, Wole Soyinka, Wande Abimbola, Nike Okundaye, Fayemi Elebuibon, and Femi Kuti, among others, also featured in the film.
The statement also revealed that the well-researched documentary would expose the historical influence of Yoruba culture and how it transcends continents and connects the Black diaspora.
Inspiration
Mr Adekeye, while relaying the film synopsis, said: “Bigger Than Africa” documents the journey of enslaved Africans through the lens of the Yoruba culture of West Africa.
He said this historical documentary would touch on six countries – Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, The Republic of Benin and The United States of America.
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He said: “When the slave ships docked in North America, Brazil and the Caribbean, hundreds of cultures, traditions, and religions landed with Africans on board. One transcended slavery beyond imagination to remain alive till this day in the new world; the culture of the Yorubas. I hope it becomes a unifying documentary for all people of African descent, irrespective of their countries. It is a film that uniquely tells the stories of our commonalities rather than our differences.”
He also described the documentary as a necessary legacy for the Yoruba heritage.
The Los Angeles Film School alumnus has continued to get accolades for ‘Bigger Than Africa,’ which has screened at film festivals worldwide, winning multiple awards, including Charlotte Black Film festival, AFI World Peace Initiative Cannes, Silicon Valley African film festival, among others.
The documentary is distributed by KAP film and management agency EGMNY.
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