Deafening Silence Project to Unveil TV Series Production after Premiere 

Tosin Clegg

After a premiere in June and screening in July, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative that advocates for gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria would be moving ahead to take the Deafening Silence project to another level.

This informative film was produced by Emem Isong and directed by Biodun Stephen with a star studded cast of Kate Henshaw, Chidi Mokeme, Bimbo Akintola, Femi Jacobs, Toni Tones and a host of other prolific actors. 

The project is in three components: First of which is the released film that is compelling, impactful, and thought-provoking has since sparked broader discussions in Nigeria about gender equality, empowerment, sexual and gender-based violence, and violence against women.

Since its release the movie has gone ahead to captivate audiences emotionally and intellectually, providing a forum for critical debate and action. 

Following up on this would be a Limited Series of 8 Episodes in collaboration with Netflix. These episodes were created to delve deeper into the movie’s narratives and themes. It aims to further educate viewers about the complexities of gender-based violence and empower them to effect positive change.

Lastly on this path would be a Television series which is set to be a three to five-year series, beginning with a one-year series it will expand on the stories told in the movie and Netflix episodes. This concluding path will advance the narrative, question traditional roles and expectations, and advocate for a more inclusive and equitable society. 

The joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, funded by the EU, is a global, multi-year partnership between the European Union and United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. 

It sought to pull together substantive work that has been done around GEWE and SGBV, leveraging on the power of storytelling and media to create a transformative impact in Nigeria, a country where gender-based violence and harmful gender norms persist.