Blessing Egbe’s ‘Ten Virgins’ Ready to Explode

Supersaturday 

With the trailer of her upcoming movie making waves, Blessing Egbe’s 10 Virgins could be the focus of cinema buffs in days to come, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Blessing Effiom Egbe is, to some extent a feminist, and for some reasons, drawn to marital stories. The ex-model and actress has etched her name with her movies which she has continued to churn out yearly. A look at her productions since she ventured into moviemaking would almost immediately tell the genre of her works.

With her B’ Concept Network Productions, Blessing has produced popular movies like This Thing Called Marriage, One Room, Two Brides And A Baby, She Drives Me Nuts, The Women, Disclosure, amongst other works from her stable.  

Blessing has written scripts, produced and has featured in her own movies including Before The Vow, After The Vow, African Queen, Working The Lane, The Rivals, Survivors and the TV series, Disclosures. Movie buffs would readily remember the profundity of the drama series, Lekki Wives, her other work. So, with the general excitement that The Women, her 2017 movie, brought to viewers within and outside the country last year. The prolific filmmaker is at it again as she released the trailer of her upcoming movie, The Ten Virgins.  

The Ten Virgins, inspired by the biblical parable of the same name is the story of 10 virgins who are betrothed to a great prince and must remain faithful and pure until he returns from a seemingly infinite journey. Egbe says in a statement that she is motivated to tell stories that reflect the everyday lives of people with lessons that would make the world a better place. “I’m motivated to tell stories that reflect the everyday lives of people with lessons that would make the world a better one.”

The new movie, which sources at B’ Concept Network say could turn into series, parades relatively new faces in Nollywood with characters of the biblical 10 virgins and a groom. Known for her penchant to most often cast whole new acts, one would be glad to watch a mix of relatively fresh but talented acts. This she was reported to have justified during a previous work, saying “I was stunned by the talents that abound in this country but for some reason we don’t get to see them.

“What I’ve done is to take the bull by the horns, damn all consequences that come with not bombarding my film with the same old faces and bring to the open these new talented guys who will match any old talent any day, anytime.” Same thing she has done in this new flick. Featuring a cast of mostly new but talented actors, ‘The Ten virgins’ is said to be highly symbolic and represents the relationship between Christ and the church universal.

The movie features Osereme Inegbenebor, Ogechi Aniegboka, Leelee Byoma, Chinonso Young, Bukky Okorodus, Chidera Makatah, Blessing Effiong, Damilare Kuku, Honey Adum, Aanu Adeleke, Priye George and Tumbosin Aiyedehin. Written, produced and directed by Blessing Egbe, The Ten Virgins is told with a lot of compelling theatrics and Egbe says she cannot wait for a final release.  

The CEO of B’ Concept productions, Blessing, not long ago shared via her TV Network, the trailer of the movie. Whether she tells the story well enough or not would be for the transcendent minds after the movie release as what should be expected in the trailer could make difference as foretold in the parable of the 10 Virgins which has been a mystery for some but clear to others.  

Be that as it may, the Nollywood actress and producer could have taken up a theme like that which made her contentious and brought to fore her sex life. Once, she talked about her sex life when she sent out message on the need for abstinence before marriage after a church service. “In church today and guess what is being preached. A topic most preachers run away from in order not to offend their congregations: adultery and fornication! Sex outside of marriage is sin. Ladies, stop provocative dressing, men are attracted to what they see. For fornicators and adulterers will be judged.”

But then in addition, she went ahead to advise married women on the need to submit totally to husbands. She also touched on faithfulness among couples. Blessing, however, admitted she was not a virgin before she got married but upon realising the truth, she went off pre-marital sex. She said: “I wasn’t a virgin but later I came to know the truth. And when I did, I stayed off sex before marriage and after. Then I was a born-again Christian by proxy. You know family values and all of that, but when I had the personal encounter, it changed everything. If judgment had come when I was an adulterer, I would have been on the dark side. I am not forcing anyone. It is the truth that must be told.”

The Cross River State indigene made her name junketing major catwalks and television channels across the world promoting major products and services in places like New York, South Africa, United Kingdom, France and other countries as a super model before returning to Nigeria to pitch her tent in the movie industry. Born Blessing Ibiang Effiom, the proudly married with three kids, is a 2001 graduate of University of Calabar, where she studied Theatre Arts.

Her modeling career began with Silverbird International Fashion show, shortly after, she won the ECOWAS Best Model competition in 2002. Through that win, Blessing got plunged into the world of international modeling and in the process, settled in Cape Town, South Africa. She featured in several television commercials in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and other places for big brands like Investec Bank, Smart Car, and Snickers Chocolate.

The high points of her modeling career was when she represented Nigeria at the Next Top Model Competition in Lebanon in 2003 and then working with Tyra Banks for the America Next Top Model competition. She would, after a while, take the hard decision to stop all that and pursue a career in acting just after being a pretty face and the body of some products brands.

Then her choice of career switch had earned her a degree in Scriptwriting and Production at the City Varsity Film School in Cape Town, South Africa. Four scenes as a barmaid to a renowned female thespian in her first professional appearance earned her N8, 000 in the movie, ‘Bleeding Heart.’

Pics: Blessing.jpg and  Blessing1.jpg