Nollywood actress Efe Irele has said that Nigerian filmmakers should prioritize emotional storylines to grow. She recently revealed that Nollywood needs more emotionally engaging movies to thrive globally.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Efe Irele shared that even though catchy titles attract attention, the real power of a film lies in the emotions it evokes.
According to the moviestar, her new film “My Mother Is a Witch” tells a deep story that explores the complexity of African mother-daughter relationships, and she fell in love with the script as soon as she read it.
Efe stated that she has always been of the opinion that producers need to shed more light on the relationship between an African mother and a girl child.
“I believe that in order for Nollywood to thrive, we need to tell stories that are commercially viable and emotionally engaging.
The title definitely grabs attention, but the real power lies in the emotional depth of the story.
When I first read the script, I was drawn to the complexity of my character — a daughter navigating deep emotional scars from a traumatic childhood.
African mother-daughter relationships are complex, and this story doesn’t shy away from the emotional weight they carry,” she said.
Irele further noted that her project’s N100 million box office success is proof that emotionally charged stories can guarantee commercial success.
The actress concluded by saying that despite being discouraged when her Nollywood career first started, she persevered and proved her doubters wrong in the end.
“There were instances when people told me that I could not act, that I should quit the movie industry,” she added.
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