Written and directed by Bodunrin ‘BB’ Sasore, creator of ‘Before 30‘ and ‘Banana Island Ghost‘ , the film features a stellar cast made up of Zainab Balogun, Karibi Fubara, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Onyeka Onwenu, Nkem Owoh, Tina Mba, Patrick Diabuah, Chidinma Okebalama (Chee), Eku Edewor, and a host of others.
Synopsis
When Sade, the central character suffers a personal tragedy, she is taken on a journey of self-discovery and faith which transforms the lives of those around her.
God Calling shines the spotlight on modern-day spirituality by imaginatively exploring what it might look like for Abraham or Prophet Elijah to be Nigerian in 2018, and have to contend with disbelief as well as modern-day realities such as smartphones and social media. It also explores faith, hope, healing, and hearing from God.
#SpoilerAlert
The first time I saw the trailer, I had mixed reactions. I was excited about the storyline and the cast line-up, among other things. On the other hand,I was uncertain as to whether to see it or not, because of the longstanding underwhelming quality of faith-based arts, especially in Africa (perfect example, gospel music videos🤦🏿♀️).
However, for the quality of actors in it and the promos that preceded the premiere, I was convinced that it was going to be good.
(Free advice, if you’re like me, who wouldn’t want to buy popcorn for 8 cedis, please take your snack along when you go to the cinemas. Thank me later. *Yes, Silverbird, this is shade to you*🙄😂)
Back to the review. Lol. I loved the use of Computer Generated Imagery (CGIs) and Visual Effects (VFX). From the trailer,one would think Sade (played by Zainab Balogun) actually jumped off the 3rd Mainland Bridge, Lagos. That scene was shot on a green screen, and I must say, it was well-executed. If I hadn’t seen Behind-The-Scene shots, I would have thought otherwise.
The straightforwardness of the core message was very evident. From the first scene, viewers had an idea of what they were in for. The central (I daresay only) theme of God Calling to make viewers think about faith and purpose was at the forefront and I loved that it was not compromised in any way.
Another thing that struck me (in a good way) was, finding out that Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre and Chairperson of First Bank, Ibukun Awosika, was Executive Director of the movie. It was the first time seeing or hearing someone of her caliber (in Africa) deeply invested in the arts and most importantly, the propagation of the gospel. It wasn’t a thing of just giving money to the team to do a brilliant movie. She was involved in every aspect of the movie. Seeing her on press rounds, doing promotions on social media and “making noise” about the movie made me very happy. I hope partnerships like this continue; because there seem to be a lot of talented people with amazing ideas, who find it difficult to bring them to life (due to inadequate funds).
Ibukun Awosika (Founder and CEO, the Chair Centre and Chairperson, First Bank,Nigeria)
The score for this movie was perfect! The music played a key role in ensuring that as an audience, your interest was sustained. It was subtle in the right places and loud, when necessary. One of my favourite songs from the movie was Onos Ariya’s “Alagbara” .
God Calling was not a perfect movie. The sound was not great. There were some echoes here and there,that at some point, became nearly unbearable.
If there were any points I took from the movie, they would be:
▪God is calling every one of us.
Not everybody will wake up one day, like Sade ,pack up their belongings and move “to the East” to do missionary work. Neither will all of us set up a church. However,one thing is for sure; God is calling us all; to and from different things. He may be calling us to our neighbourhoods, our families, our churches, a particular individual or group of people. He may also be calling us from situations, people, places, and behaviours.
“I think it is important to give as much attention to what God is calling us FROM.” – Adaora Mbelu
He needs us,in whatever capacity we’re in. Ours is to pay attention and answer the call when it comes.
▪God’s Call is not a conference call.
For Sade, who at the beginning of the movie was not a believer in God, it was quite hazy to me as an audience as to how she, all of a sudden had become interested in God,and was on the phone with Him, kicking sand along the beach and smiling heartily. Initially, after watching the movie, I was not quite satisfied with how those scenes were played out. I expected the audience to at least get a feel of what was making her so happy.
But after so much thought, it dawned on me that it was the exact description of our walk with God. The human mind cannot understand how you claim to have found so much peace and joy in someone you cannot physically see. It seems to onlookers as though you are doing so much for “something” or someone who does not exist.
They won’t understand that you want to quit your job to go to a faraway village to do the work of the Lord, but you do. They won’t understand that God told you to sell your car and give every proceed to someone, but you do; because it was you God called,and they were not present when He did.
▪ God speaks to us in ways that He knows we’d understand.
Every character had their unique encounter with God in ways which were relatable to them and the individual journeys they were on. E.g. Sade’s dad receiving his miracle, Sade’s friend getting a solution to her problem by the exact deadline her friend gave her, and Sade’s husband suddenly believing what his wife was saying.
I would say, although God Calling was heavy on technicalities, its core message was retained. It is not your usual overly-preachy, gospel-centered movie. You will laugh, thanks to the characters of Nkem Owoh and Onyeka Onwenu, you may shed a tear or two, because of the relatability of Sade’s story, but above all, you will think!! I will rate it a 8.5 out of 10.
Have you seen it? Was it worthwhile?
Go check it out (if you have not yet) and let me know what you think in the comments section. It’s in cinemas until the 24th January, 2019.
Kafui Debss 