Pascal Atuma’s Film ‘Clash’ Goes to Netflix

Vanessa Obioha

Recently, Netflix released ‘Clash’, a film by multiple award-winning film director and producer, Pascal Atuma. The film boasting a star-studded cast drawn from Nollywood, Hollywood, and other film industries, explores the complexities of multicultural relationships.

It focuses on a young Nigerian who for many years lived a lie with a misconception that his uncle was his biological father.

The movie’s storyline also reflects a broad spectrum of experience and nationalities. “Even though it is an African story, it is a family story that connects globally,” said the director Atuma.

“It is a story that has to do with the struggle of a young man whose father died when he was very little and the mum married the uncle. He has grown up thinking that the uncle is his biological father, only for him to find out in Canada, during his graduation, when his uncle came over, that the uncle was not his real biological father. The family had him live a lie for this number of years and when he found out, he was very angry. Amid the anger, he was also dealing with a bi-racial relationship. He was dealing with a lot. That is how the title ‘Clash’ came about.“

In the movie, culture clashes with love. Atuma puts it this way:

“So, we made a movie for the global market, but preaching multi-culturalism, because that is partly what Canada is preaching right now. That is why the film was co-sponsored. The film was co-sponsored through an envelope for FEVA TV administered by Telefilm Canada Media Fund (CMF), and one of Atuma’s Government College Umuahia classmates, Pius Chigoziri Harbor.”

Starring Stephanie Okereke-Linus, Omoni Oboli, Brian Hooks, Merlisa Langellier, Vivian Williams, Atuma among others, ‘Clash’ was originally written by Nigerian-American, George Kalu, and distributed in Africa by FilmOne. It was initially planned for the cinemas last year but due to the pandemic, was cancelled. It is now available on Netflix where the producer hopes it will reach a wider global audience.