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| Bíìjà | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Silver Somayina |
| Written by | Ngutor Laazis Farzad Alfa |
| Screenplay by | Guillermo Adesanya Ndidi Dike |
| Produced by | Chioma Asiegbu Ezekiel Amaka |
| Starring | Marco Smith Amachea Jaja Ayotunde Oyo Tari Fasingha |
| Cinematography | Abba Indimi |
| Edited by | Lou Emeke |
| Music by | Carl Singh |
Production company | Sunrise Films |
| Distributed by | North Bahia Film Company |
Release dates |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | Tiwura |
| Language | Estmerish |
Bíìjà is a 2023 Tiwuran epic historical action film directed by Silver Samoyina and produced by Sunrise Films. The film is currently set to be the most expensive film in Tiwuran film history, surpassing the previous record held by the 2007 film The Brotherhood. Bíìjà takes place in the historic event known as the dikebilie, to which the film primarily uses the Zamga Codex story as its inspiration as well as the Gundaya tale of Ogun Jagunjagun, one of the most popular oral traditions passed down regarding the dikebilie. The plot centers around the semi-historical warrior king and eponymous protagonist Bíìjà. The film follows the perspective of Bíìjà from his childhood and his adult life as one of the warriors of the Kingdom of Adilun and eventually his role in the war between the warriors and the rulers.
The film is set to premier at the 84th Montecara Film Festival.
Plot
The movie begins with a brief explanatory prologue about the Kingdom of Adilun and how it was able to defeat Zamga Empire and unite an empire. The scene then flashes foward through images of different kings on the throne, and in each flash more and more gold accumulates by his side until it stops at King Toyin (Ayotunde Oyo). Toyin is cleaning his sword of blood and admiring the gold reflected behind him as the blood wipes away. He in interrupted by an advisor (Sotirian Owono), who tells him that another village in the south had been overrun by rebellious forces. Toyin, panicked as it this news became more common, left the walled city to speak with Kitu the Oracle (Kofoworola Momodu). He demands Kitu to give him an answer as to the fate of the empire. Kitu, after performing a ritual, then tells him that "the empire's fate is sealed, and the lands of your rule and rule of your vassals will soon be under the rule of the sword and smoke." Toyin returns back to his palace, pondering what the oracle was meaning by her statement.
The scene then shifts towards a battleground, with houses burning in the background and screaming filling the air. Here Bíìjà (Marco Smith) is leading a group of soldiers in a raid on a Sira village. Bíìjà and his fellow men pillage all the valuables they could find and also search for the village's Oba, who had been disloyal to Toyin. Bíìjà's second-in-command, Alagbato (Tari Fasingha), finds the leader and hands him over to Bíìjà, who kills him and then the scene cuts to a short montage of the warriors returning to Adilun. Here Toyin sees the celebration as they return and the cheers that Bíìjà and the warriors recieve, and he comes to the epiphany that the oracle meant a warrior, and Toyin believed this to be Bíìjà as he was one of the most successful and popular of the warriors.
That night, Bíìjà goes to the home of Alagbato where he sees Binẹwa (Amachea Jaja). Alagbato introduced the two, and they eat together with Alagbato and the other members of his family. Binẹwa talks about her life among the warriors, and her training that her father had given her. Bíìjà asks why, to which she says that her father, a spiritual man, saw trouble was rising across the empire and that she should know how to fight if something comes to Adilun. The two continue to converse, but Toyin enters the building with his guards and orders that everyone inside be restrained. Bolanle (Michael Adetiba), Alagbato's brother, attempts to fight Toyin, and is killed. Alagbato and Bíìjà fight off some of the guards, but are eventually knocked out. Toyin takes them to the wilderness and banishes the two, ties them to a horse, and sends the horse across the Cogoday.
After a day of travel the horse is stopped by a group of Mwo warriors who untie the two warrios and take them to their leader, an agheze named Ndịda (Theophilus Greene). They are forced to kneel to Ndịda. Bíìjà demands to know who this ruler was, since he did not recognize him. The agheze tells them that he is a warrior like them based on their clothing and explains to the two that he was one of the rebellious warriors that had been creating havok for Toyin in the south. Bíìjà questions his legitimacy, but that leads to Ndịda explaining his belief power is fought for, not inherited. He asks why the two came in bonds, to which they explain that they were warriors of Toyin and were banished for reasons they do not know. Ndịda tells them that they are welcome to stay as fellow warriors, but warns that his hospitality only goes so far. The two see a society ruled by warriors, and the head of the old eze on a spike. Bíìjà then goes to sleep.
As Bíìjà drifts off, he is awoken by dream. In this dream he sees a waterfall, and immediately gets up and goes outside to breath, and sees the waterfall in the distance. He immediately is drawn to it, and when he gets there he is enveloped by a light and out from behind the falls comes a man (Eze Chidike). Bíìjà asks who he was, to which he tells Bíìjà he was his Chi, his guardian spirit. Bíìjà kneels before him, fearing what news he brings. The Chi lifts him up and tells him that he has been woven into the fate of the world. Bíìjà asks what he means, to which the Chi tells him that he must return to Adilun and seal the fate of the city and oust Toyin. The Chi then tells him he is always with him and that together, they will fulfill Bíìjà's destiny. Bíìjà returns to Alagbato, and tells him they must return to Adilun. Ndịda catches the two leaving, and asks that if they overthrow Toyin and bring down the empire, that Ndịda and his warriors will be given protection in whatever new empire reigns. The two make the agreement, and the pair are given horses by the villagers to ride off back to Adilun. Alagbara asks Bíìjà how they can do this, to which Bíìjà does not answer. On the first night of rest before they cross the Cogoday, Bíìjà goes down to a small tree and meets with his Chi. The two converse and the Chi says that he will meet with the of the few who knows about his destiny the next day. The next day, the two cross the Cogoday and see the walls of Adilun from a far.
The film cuts to Binẹwa, imprisoned by Toyin. Binẹwa sits alone and convinces the guard to let her out by telling him what happened to Bíìjà, and the two find the other warriors who were told Bíìjà abandoned them. Binẹwa and the warriors escape Toyin's loyal forces.
Cast
- Marco Smith as Bíìjà, a high-ranking member of the warrior caste who had been banished by his king for suspicion that he was plotting a revolt.
- Amachea Jaja as Binẹwa, a wealthy woman who is the daughter of another warrior but had been imprisoned due to her proximity to the warrior caste.
- Ayotunde Oyo as King Toyin, ruler of the Adilun Kingdom who had become suspicious of the warrior caste and worried that the rumored uprisings across the empire may soon reach the central city of Adilun.
- Tari Fasingha as Alagbato, a fellow warrior banished alongside Bíìjà, cousin of Binẹwa.
- Eze Chidike as The Chi, Bíìjà's guardian spirit who has come to guide him on his path and protect him from spirits that wish to do him harm.
- Theophilus Greene as Ndịda, a Mwo warrior king(agheze) who helps convince Bíìjà and his fellow soldiers to revolt against Toyin.
- Kofoworola Momodu as Kitu the Oracle, Toyin's spiritual advisor.
- Ozioma Ihejirika as Young Bíìjà, Bíìjà as a child.