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| Ranti Alebiosu, Tunde Kelani & Taiwo Ajai-Lycett |
By ADA DIKE
The
grand premiere of an advocacy and heart touching film that creates awareness about
Sickle Cell, Dazzling Mirage, which took place at the MUSON Centre, Onikan,
Lagos last week Friday, November 7, 2014, attracted Nigerians from all walks of
life including actors and actresses, medical practitioners and the media.
Produced
by Nigeria's best cinematograpgher Tunde Kelani, the film left viewers that
filled the hall to the brim pondered about life’s issues.
Synopsis:
Dazzling Mirage is a story about love, denial, pain, and perseverance, as fate
unfolds through life’s twists and turns.
The
theme of the film centered on creating awareness on the medical disorder known
as Sickle Cell, advocating against stigmatization and to help people make
better informed decisions.
The
story is about a lady who suffers from sickle cell. She was born with it.
Against all odds, she manages to go through the pains and trauma and to
graduate from a university before she finds out that she was actually adopted.
Her father is a doctor and her mother is a nurse who discovered that they are
carriers of sickle cell and decided not to have children.
One
day in their hospital, a woman had a baby girl through operation but died and
they didn’t know her relatives. So the doctors adopted the baby and take care
of her. She has a crisis and asks her parents to explain to her why they put
her in such a situation after all, they are educated and into medical field.
So, they inform her that they are actually not her biological parents and told
her that she’s actually adopted. They try to console her. The question is:
would she make something out of her life?
This
movie is used to sensitise people about sickle cell which is predominantly, a
black man’s disease because it is a genetic disorder and about 150,000 children
are born with the disease every year. Also, 415 children are born every day
with the disease. Its management is expensive and unreliable, but it can be
prevented.
According
to the movie producer, Nollywood veteran, Tunde Kelani, “Dazzling Mirage is an
inspiring story centred on a young advertising executive, a talented
beautiful lady living with sickle cell disorder. Funmiwo
(Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju) overcomes social stigma, prejudice and her own low self
esteem to achieve career success, marriage and motherhood.
“Sickle
cell disease is a genetic disorder primarily affecting people of African ancestry.
The disease causes the body to make abnormal sickle or crescent-shaped red
blood cells that can block vessels, causing organ damage and pain,” Tunde
Kelani said.
In
what ways can sickle cell be prevented? Kelani was asked: “It can simply be prevented if a would-be couple go for a genotype
test before marriage. If you are not AA, you must make sure you do not marry an
AS. The film aims to create awareness about sickle cell. If you are familiar
with films I have made in the past, they usually have a very strong female
character,” he explained.
The
flick is adapted from a novel of the same title by Yinka Egbokhare and
screeplay adaptation is written by acclaimed writer and playwright,
Ade Solanke.
According
to the producers, Dazzling Mirage is proudly Nigerian, with all the scenes shot
in different locations in the country. The seamless transition in the film
directed and produced by iconic Tunde Kelani, is an attestation to an adequate
deployment of human and material resources and the improved production capacity
of film producers in Nigeria.
The
message in Dazzling Mirage is that no one should be considered useless
regardless of his or her medical challenges as noted in the case Funmiwo (Kemi
‘Lala’ Akindoju) who later became all round successful.
Cast
of the film: The film parades the best of Nollywood stars which includes: Kemi
‘Lala’ Akindoju, Kunle Afolayan, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Bimbo Manuel, Carol King,
Yomi Fash Lanso and Seun Akindele amongst others.
The
exclusive event was hosted by Comedian Gbenga Adeyinka 1st. Guest in attendance
included; Kunle Afoloyan, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Tope Tedela, Adebola Williams,
Joke Silva, Iretiola Doyle, Taiwo Ajai- lycett, Ivie Okujaye, Yomi fash Lanso
and others
The film premiere was sponsored by Mainframe Productions in
partnership with Lagos State Government, Still Earth Limited, Access Bank and
other sponsors.
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