‘93 days’ scores big in Nigeria premiere

Two years after the deadly Ebola virus had come and gone, the story of bravery and doggedness of some Nigerians, who fought the virus with their bare hands at the First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos, has been retold.

The movie ‘93 Days’ produced by notable Nollywood producers namely Steve Gukas and Bolanle Austen-Peters, is a remarkable documentary of Nigeria’s romance with ebola.

The casts of the movie, which include Bimbo Akintola, who played Dr Adadovah, Paul Adams, Danny Glover, Gideon Okeke, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey,Bimbo Manuel, Somkhele Idhalama, delivered the true-life event at the Frist Consultant Hospital with the creativity and skill that produced tears in the audience of the House of the Rock Cathedral, the venue of its Nigeria premiere.

‘93 Days,’ the movie title, is simply the number of days Nigeria battled Ebola from when Sawyer arrived Nigeria to the day Nigeria was declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Memories were refreshed, tears rolled down several cheeks when 93days premiered at House on the Rock cathedral Lekki.

93 Days has also made the nation proud during the Toronto Film Festival held recently, where the cast and crew received a standing ovation from the international audience. It was first premiered in the US, after its media screening in Lagos, with outstanding reviews.

A well written script, beautifully directed and selected casts, 93 Days continue  to hold up the Nigerian can-do spirit in movie production in the world’s eye, even as it serves to only beam the light on the uncanny selflessness of the nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, and the Lagos State Ministry of Health – while necessarily turning the head light at the back of the common people, who only feared and prayed and did not stay still.

But like one of the producers, Bolanle Austen-Peters, said during the movie premiere, “There are so many important stories in Nigeria that could be told but because of lack of funding, we can’t tell these stories; Ebola is one of them.”