Oloture, the voice of the voiceless

Bukola Olafenwa
4 min readOct 4, 2020
nollytrailers.com

The season is here. Since its release on Netflix on October 2, 2020, Oloture has been trending for a worthy reason. Of course, it is one which compels every advocate for women emancipation to part with a commending review. Therefore, I feel obliged to be an early bird, and contribute a short one while the excitement generated by Oloture is at its peak.

Oloture (Sharon Ooja)

About Oloture

In a nutshell, the 2019 Nollywood movie, Oloture, gives an unsentimental account of a heart-rending story of human trafficking. Set in Lagos, contemporary Nigeria, the narrative revolves around the main character, Oloture. She makes an adventuresome journalistic enquiry into the evil shroud of secrecy into which the sex industry is cloaked. Her heroic investigation unveils shocking discoveries.

Sharon Ooja (Oloture)

Lamentably, she gets stung by the scorpion of overzealousness and bitten by the python of unwariness in the course of the findings. And the story continues, grows bigger and bigger than anyone can imagine every passing moment until it ends in a manner that makes one to thirst for a sequel on the spur-of-the-moment. Oloture is a tragedy that frankly expresses reality in simple language with most characters defining their roles effortlessly in pidgin English.

Lala Akindoju (Blessing), Omoni Oboli (Alero), Ikechukwu Onunaku (Chuks) and Sharon Ooja (Oloture)

Moral significance

Have you watched Oloture? If yes, do not be surprised to read that Oloture as a movie is revolutionary and pure. That thought-provoking feeling you must have sensed just the way I had experienced it while I watched with my eyes boiling and my heart pounding afterwards is a living proof.

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Oloture is revolutionary because it purges the content of the intestine of a bedeviled human-trafficking industry without hesitation in a modern world. Also, its purity lies in its outburst of anger at the despicable motives of a preposterously prevailing sexual exploitation of women and its ruinous effects. No doubt, Oloture successfully decries humans’ inhumanity to women. It is the voice of the voiceless.

Omoni Oboli (Alero) and Sharon Ooja (Oloture)

Gendered significance of characters

Watch Oloture and you will agree with me that Oloture embodies the ideal woman figure, the authentic woman spirit. Her gallantry is an unrelenting feminist struggle by women to set the female gender free. Besides, Emeka is a male feminist figure whose moderate course clashes with the extremity of Oloture’s. Moreover, Chuks, Sir Philip, and Tony epitomize a ruthless patriarchal force while Alero projects the compromised and sabotaged aspect of womanhood which promotes, sustains its subjection to perpetual abuse. Obviously, Blessing is well-known for always being on the rebound and representing the constant rebound of the female gender languishing defenselessly in gender abuse. And it is so fascinating that Beauty personifies chastity and the hope for women liberation, whereas Linda depicts the exact opposites.

Relevance in the 21st Century

As the international community anticipates the achievement of gender equality in all parts of the world by 2030, Oloture comes into limelight for the right reason at the right time. The 21st century is the opportunity that global communities have to make the needed change, restore the dignity of women and empower them. Oloture preaches all and more; it tells the story of women exploitation in a unique way and activates the desire for change.

Cast

Oloture features famous actors, including Sharon Ooja (Oloture), Omoni Oboli (Alero), Omowunmi Dada (Linda), Blossom Chukwueje (Emeka), Lala Akindoju (Blessing), Bukola Oladipupo (Beauty), Patrick Doyle (Sir Philip), Ikechukwu Onunaku (Chuks) and Sambasa Nzeribe (Tony).

Mo Abudu

Writers and Producers

Based on a screenplay written by both Yinka Ogun and Craig Freimond, directed by Kenneth Gyang, Oloture has a chain of executive and associate producers. They are Mo Abudu, Wale Tinubu, Bola Atta, Heidi Uys, Temidayo Abudu, James Amuta, Omoni Oboli and Nicole Ofoegbu. Above all, Oloture as a character is the most daring and Oloture as a movie a violent darling.

OLOTURE

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Bukola Olafenwa

Alumna, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; University of Westminster, London. Academic Mentor at The LETTA Trust, London.