‘A Song From The Dark’: Ogo Okpue’s Award-Winning Film For Release On Amazon Prime

Mary Nnah

After winning Best Director (First Feature Film) at the Africa Movie Academy Awards 2022, as well as Best Director at the 2023 American Black Film Festival, ABFF (the world’s largest black film festival), filmmaker and multimedia creative designer, Ogo Okpue, has announced at a press briefing that his first feature film, A Song From The Dark, will be released on Friday, July 12, 2024, on the streaming platform, Amazon Prime.

Starring Nollywood’s Nse Ikpe Etim, and Wale Ojo alongside gripping performances from British Ghanaian Vanessa Vanderpuye, Lola Wayne, Garcia Brown, Peace Oseyenum and Paul Coster amongst others, the film is a fantasy-horror, positioned to ingrain heroes and heroines of African traditional mysticism with similar audacity as western films have entrenched the Superman, Wonderwoman and Ironman. Okpue, whose short films like Saving Cain, and Cat Face have been recognised and screened at major film festivals worldwide, says the film draws a lot of inspiration from the stories he heard as a child whenever he visited the village with his parents.

He says: “The story’s inspiration dates back to a certain period of my childhood when my family would visit my grandmother in our village. She happened to be a well-respected traditionalist. Tales of her would intrigue us and as I grew older, I regretted not knowing her more. She was an enigma and I wondered what it would have been like if some of her tales were captured in books. The world of African mysticism has not been explored enough in world cinema. And most times it is vilified. America has Superman and Iron ManWhy, and the United Kingdom has James Bond and Harry Potter. Japan and China have Flying Swordsmen and mystical Ninjas, and India has Tonnes. What do we have? I think our superheroes have slept long enough in Africa. African stories are as diverse and as entertaining as the continent itself, so I thought, ‘why not add more African heroes to the fictional world of cinema?’. ‘A Song From The Dark’ is unlike any film seen in the black cinematic landscape. Some call it ‘Lovecraft country meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with a Nigerian spin’. With striking visuals, suspense-filled scenes and engaging performances, ‘A Song from the Dark’ is not your typical horror film. If anything it embraces suspense and drama like the great horror classics so there is something in the story for non-horror fans as well. At the heart of it, it is a family drama and a cautionary tale with poignant social commentary. Its confident blend of drama and multilayered subtexts will leave viewers reaching for repeat viewing and days-long post-credit conversations.

In 2022, ‘A Song From The Dark’ got AMAA nominations in categories such as Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Award for First Feature by a Director, Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African-born Director Living Abroad and Award for Best Achievement in Make-Up.