Ijé

Ijé or Ijé: The Journey is a 2010 Nigerian drama film directed by Chineze Anyaene and starring Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Genevieve Nnaji, and Odalys García.[3][4][5]

Ijé
Theatrical poster
Directed byChineze Anyaene
Written by
  • Samuel Tilsen
  • Chineze Anyaene
Produced by
  • Paula Moreno[1]
  • Chineze Anyaene
Starring
CinematographyKeith L. Smith
Edited by
  • Eric R. Brodeur
  • Youssef Delara
Music byReuel Meditz
Production
company
Xandria Productions
Distributed byXandria Distributions
Release dates
  • April 1, 2010 (2010-04-01) (United States)
  • July 30, 2010 (2010-07-30) (Nigeria)
Running time
107 minutes
Countries
  • Nigeria
  • United States
LanguagesEnglish
Yoruba
Igbo
Budget$2.5 million[2]

Plot

Chioma (Genevieve Nnaji) travels from Nigeria to the United States to aide her sister Anya (Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde) who is being charged with the murder of three men including her own husband.

Cast

Reception

Nollywood Reinvented rated the movie 68% and praised its ability to touch on a diversity of topics.[6]

The Independent wrote: "Ijé is an unsparing, outsider’s portrayal of America’s social prejudices, one that Hollywood films cannot construct themselves. Anyaene nails social comedy too; my favourite exchange involves the protagonist Chioma investigating an affluent white American home. A petite homeowner swings open the door and chirps, “We already give to the Jolie-Pitt fund every year…thank you though!” ".[7] Film critic Gbenga Awomodu, reviewing for CP Africa praised the cinematography and acting, remarking that the film "brings to the fore some important themes in today's world, including love, racism, culture, stigma and life as an immigrant in a foreign country". He further emphasised that the film is illustrative of culture clashes between Nigeria and the US in attitude towards rape, and the culture of shame, silence and stigma associated with it.[8]

The film garnered the Award of Excellence at the Canada International Film Festival, the Golden Ace Award at the Las Vegas International Film Festival, the Silver Palm Award at the Mexico International Film Festival, the Melvin van Peebles Award at the San Francisco Black Festival,[9] and the Festival Prize for Best International Student at Swansea Bay Film Festival.[10][11]

Box office

Ijé became the highest grossing Nigerian film, a record it held for four years, until it was overtaken in 2014 by Half of a Yellow Sun (2013).[12][13]

See also

References
  1. "Ijé - The Journey - Full cast". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  2. "Box office / business for Ijé at imdb.com". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  3. "Ije Arrives Jos". AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. "Hollywood Stars Arrive For Ije". The Daily Independent. Lagos, Nigeria: The Daily Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  5. "Hollywood stars storm Lagos for Ije". VANGUARD. Lagos, Nigeria: VANGUARD Media Limited. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  6. "IJE the Journey". Nollywood Reinvented.
  7. Chibelushi, Wedaeli (9 December 2015). "Looking for authentic black voices and storylines? Maybe you should pay attention to Nollywood". The Independent. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  8. "Ijé Movie Review". CP Africa. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  9. "Acclaimed Nigerian Hit Drama 'Ijé' ('The Journey') Now Available In North America". Indiewire.com. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  10. "IJE divas Omotola, Genevieve & Chineze rule the red carpet as "IJE – The Journey" Premieres in Lagos". Bella Naija. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  11. "Swansea Bay Film Festival 2010 - List of Winners". Swansea, Wales, UK: Swansea Bay Film Festival. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  12. "Nigerian films try to move upmarket: Nollywood's new scoreboard". The Economist. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  13. Akande, Victor (14 September 2014). "Toronto: Nigerians disagree over new Nollywood". The Nation Newspaper. The Nation Online. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
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