Okpue, whose short films like ‘Saving Cain’ Y ‘Cat face’ have been recognized and screened at major film festivals around the world, he says that the film is very inspired by the stories he heard as a child every time he visited the town with his parents.
UK-based multi-disciplinary award-winning designer and creative director, currently dividing his time producing film-based content and working for major media and leading corporate brands in the UK and US/creative direction and 3D animation.
Speaking about the movie Okpue says:
“The inspiration for the story goes back to a certain period in my childhood when my family would visit my grandmother in our village. She turned out to be a highly respected traditionalist. Her stories about her intrigued us, and as she got older, I regretted not getting to know her more. She was an enigma and I wondered what it would have been like if some of her stories had been captured in books. The world of African mysticism has not been sufficiently explored in world cinema. And most of the time it is vilified. America has Superman and Ironman, the UK has James Bond and Harry Potter. Japan and China have flying swordsmen and mystical ninjas, India has tons.”
Okpue believes that Nigeria has its own stories that need to be told for the world to see. “What do we have? I think in Africa, our superheroes have had enough sleep, African stories are as diverse and entertaining as the continent itself, so I thought ‘why not add more African heroes to the fictional world of cinema?’
‘A song of darkness’ it is unlike any film seen in the black cinematic landscape. Some call it ‘Lovecraft Country meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with a Nigerian twist’. With stunning visuals, suspenseful scenes, and engaging performances, ‘A Song from the Dark’ is not your typical horror movie. If anything, it embraces suspense and drama like the great horror classics, so there’s something to the story for non-horror fans as well. At heart, it’s a family drama and cautionary tale with poignant social commentary. Its sure-fire mix of drama and multi-layered subtext will leave viewers looking for a replay of days-long viewing and post-credits conversations.
Scheduled for release in 2023, ‘A song of darkness’ got LOVE TO nominations in categories such as: Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Director’s First Feature Award, Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African Director Residing Abroad and Award for Best Achievement in Makeup.
