Nigerian filmmaker shines with Hollywood-bound movie, Legacy

Nigerian-born-London-based writer and director Thomas Ikimi recently made history and attracted global attention, especially from Hollywood and other serious filmmaking nations, when he held the world premiere of his new movie, Legacy. The well-publicized event took place at the closing gala of the Glasgow international film festival, Scotland. The highly commendable feat, alongside the film, are still enjoying rave reviews among some leading Western media organizations, especially those based in Hollywood. Legacy, a psychological thriller produced by Scotland-based Black Camel Pictures in collaborations with Deal Real, Nigeria, stars international actor and one of Britain’s brightest acting talents, Idris Elba.
Legacy, which revolves around a traumatized US black soldier that went AWOL after an assignment in Eastern Europe, is the second feature film from Ikimi, which he equally co-produced. According to elated Ikimi, all the funding for Legacy, came from Nigerian corporations and individuals. Speaking further, he said: “Without a doubt, this film couldn’t have been made without the support I got when I came to Nigeria to raise capital. None of the investors had been involved with financing films before, but they wanted to support me because they believed in the idea of a young Nigerian making a mark on the international motion picture scene as a creator, not as an actor.”
Elba, who’s fondly remembered for his role in The Wire, portrays the character of Malcolm Gray in Legacy. Other international thespians that supported Elba in the film are: Clark Peters, Eamonn Walker, Richard Brake, Monique Curnen and Julian Wadham. Commenting on the movie, Elba had this to say: “The script was phenomenal and halfway through reading it; I was convinced I wanted to do the film…” Also, with an executive producer role in the movie, Elba was very involved with the project. “There are many themes in the film, but you are allowed to walk away at the end with your own idea of what you have seen… It was a very complex film for me to make as an actor,” he added.
Interestingly, Ikimi’s first feature film, Limbo, was made in 2005, while he was still a student at the Columbia University, New York. It was financed on his student’s credit card. According to Amrit Walia of Deal Real Entertainment who partnered with Ikimi on Legacy, they were delighted working with Ikimi on the first ever movie of its kind, written, produced and directed from Africa for Hollywood and the global film audience. Legacy was made on a budget of fewer than one million Dollars, and Ikimi believes that was a proof that developing a more robust media production studio representing Nigeria, West Africa and Africa as a whole, is possible. Ikimi hinted that he intends to develop films and media linked more directly to Nigeria and African stories and themes. He also believes that it won’t be long before Nigeria can produce films that regularly compete for top honours and acclaim at the international box offices, awards and festivals.
In a telephone chat with us, Mr. Paris Harcourt, the media consultant to the producers of Legacy, disclosed that a world premiere of the movie would hold in Nigeria, towards the last quarter of 2010, adding that it vividly tells the psychological story of two brothers in conflict.