Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has continued to defend his colleague, Ini, over her battle with CAN.
Kemi Filani reported a day back that Ini, in an Instagram live video, revealed that the Christian Association had threatened to take down her movie. She said if she had known that the title would cause a problem, she would have changed it.
Showing support for her, IK expressed disappointment in the Association. He noted how they had seen the promotions for months and said nothing, but now have issues with it now that the film is out nationwide and doing well. He questioned how Christian it is to stay silent all along, then speak only when progress has been made.
In a lengthy post, he noted that artists have creative rights, and those rights should not be dictated by external bodies. He noted how this is one of the reasons why the Film Censors Board exists to properly review and approve films before they are released to the public.
Ogbonna noted that no one has complained about the film’s content, and the work has been widely praised for its creativity.
The light-skinned actor said he believes asking for a title change at this point doesn’t reflect the values of understanding, fairness, and compassion that Christianity teaches.
“As artists, we have creative rights, and those rights should not be dictated by external bodies. That is why the Film Censors Board exists to properly review and approve films before they are released to the public.
It is truly disheartening that, despite all due diligence and official approval, we find ourselves in this situation.
Producing a film takes an enormous amount of money, time, labour, sacrifice, and personal commitment. Promotion for this movie ran openly for over three months. Billboards were raised across the country, commercials aired, banners displayed, and promotional materials printed, running into hundreds of millions of naira. A grand premiere was also held with this same title. During all of this, not a single concern was raised by the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Now that the movie is already in cinemas, after the work has been done, and it is time for the film to be enjoyed by audiences, this issue has suddenly come up. At this stage, changing the title is not only impractical but extremely damaging, both financially and emotionally, to everyone involved.
It is important to note that no one has complained about the content of the film. In fact, the work has been widely praised for its creativity. This makes it difficult to understand why the focus is now solely on the title, especially when there is no intention to insult or belittle Christmas in any way.
I believe asking for a title change at this point does not reflect the values of understanding, fairness, and compassion that Christianity teaches. There are many serious issues facing Nigeria and even the Church today, and respectfully, this title should not be one of them”.
Recall that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had expressed deep concern over the title of Ini Edo’s new movie, A Very Detty Christmas’, labelling it offensive and disrespectful to the Christian Faith.
In a formal statement, the association argued that Christmas is a sacred season representing purity and redemption, and linking it to the word ‘dirty’ diminishes its spiritual significance for millions of believers. The association called on the producers and Ini Edo to reconsider the title, issue a public apology, and treat sacred seasons with the dignity they deserve.
Responding to them, Ini noted that art is meant to provoke thought, spark controversy, and reflect the complexities of the human experience. The thespian noted that she is a devoted Christian, and her faith is deeply personal to her; hence, she would never knowingly disrespect, or undermine her religion or the essence of Christmas.