Invasion 1897: Benin Crown Prince to visit Calabar

As part of the activities lined up ahead of the global release of Lanelot Imasuen's big-budget film,”Invasion 1897”, the crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eheneden Eradiauwa has concluded plans to pay a royal visit to the area where Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was kept, and later, died while on exile in Calabar.

This latest move, by the Benin Prince is coming two months after Imasuen gathered friends, colleagues and the media in Lagos, to mark the centenary of the death of Oba Ovonramwen on January 14, 2014.

Prince Eheneden Eradiauwa, whose pet project, Benin Royal Dynasty Trust, has endorsed “Invasion 1897”said, part of the reasons he wants to visit Calabar is to meet with the traditional ruler of the area as well as to implore the community's dance troupe to accompany him to the United States, where he has been invited to be the guest speaker at this year's edition of the annual Arts and Culture Expo/Award, holding in Altanta. The dance troupe, according to him, will be expected to mount a cultural display at the two-day event that will reflect the culture of the area that played host to Oba Ovonramwen while he was on exile in Calabar.

On the film, the Prince who was Nigeria's former Ambassador to Italy and Norway said, besides “the Royal Dynasty Trust, I will throw my weight behind that kind of film because it is telling the story of the Benin kingdom from the perspective that the international community ought to know about. The trust is endorsing the film.”

Interestingly, “Invasion 1897” will premiere at the event, which will also showcase the cultural heritage of the Benin kingdom.

 Last year, the Benin monarch, Oba Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopolo Erediauwa 1, endorsed the film as well as honoured Lancelot Imasuen with the 2013 Oba Erediauwa Excellence Award.

The historical film highlights the restoration of the looted priceless ancient artifacts of the Benin kingdom, including the famous commemorative head and pendant of ivory mask representing Queen Idia (from court of Benin, 16th century) who was the mother of Esigie, the Oba of Benin who ruled from 1504 to 1550. The commemorative head is at the British Museum, while the pendant is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.

Imasuen's most ambitious film production may become the most expensive Nigerian film so far according to details of the cost of making the movie. The budget may end up almost twice the budget of Biyi Bandele's "Half of A Yellow Sun" that cost about $8 million.

"Invasion 1897" parades an international cast, including famous British actors Rudolph Walker and Charles "Chucky" Venn and top Nollywood actors, Charles Inojie, Paul Obazele, Segun Arinze, Mike Omoriegbe as Oba Ovonrawmen and the late Justus Esiri in a cameo role.