The United Nations Headquarters in Abuja recently played host to leading Nollywood actors for the trailer of the soon to be released anti-gender-based violence movie, ‘Deafening Silence.’
The film directed by Biodun Stephen is a joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and in partnership with The Foundation for Resilient Empowerment and Development, FRED. It stars top Nollywood stars including Toni Tones, Kate Henshaw, Femi Jacobs, Daniel Etim Effiong, Chidi Mokeme and Bimbo Akintola. Others are Debby Felix and Ekamma Etim-Inyang.
The trailer highlighted critical and important aspects of the movie that will keep Nigerians on edge, agitate their minds, and invoke important lessons about the gender-based violence issues in the society. It showed moments of reflection, sober mood, anger, and scenes that will stimulate unwavering resolution to join hands in the fight against the scourge.
In his opening address at the event, the Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, Mr. Blessed Chimrimuta said that the collaboration of the EU-UN, UNDP, and FRED with the Spotlight Initiative aligns seamlessly with the plans of the government of Nigeria and the EU-UN Gender Action Points. “This intervention”, he said, “seeks to challenge and reshape prevailing gender norms not only in Nigeria but beyond.”
He admonished the audience at the event to reflect on the significance of the transformative journey they are embarking on, reminding them that “Deafening Silence is not just a movie for entertainment. It is a movie in search to deliver a compelling and thought-provoking moments that will serve as a catalyst for sparking wider conversation around gender inequality, and gender violence, against women.”
The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mattias Schmale, in his own remarks, expressed satisfaction for being part of the intervention against GBV, which is a priority for his organisation. He emphasised the need to find better ways of communicating and engaging the people on the issue of gender-based violence and stressed the need to produce more films on how to tackle the issues of human rights, which are as relevant today as they were seventy-five years ago. He reiterated that the human rights of vulnerable people including women and children, particularly girls, should be protected.
The Deputy Head of Mission, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, emphasized that gender-based violence is a global problem. He said that there is evidence to show that one in every three women is subjected to physical, sexual, or any other form of violence, in their lifetime and affirmed that in the 21st century, gender inequality remains among the key drivers of poverty and this undermines cohesion and balance in our society.
The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Charles Ebuebe, commended Spotlight Initiative and the partners and collaborators who joined forces to conceive and work on the project.
He promised to stand behind the partners on the project and pledged to give all the necessary support within his jurisdiction. He also frowned at a situation where people who suffer gender-based violence shy away from speaking up against abuse because of socio-cultural reasons. He also spoke about the challenges of ineffective laws to tackle the problem frontally.
In her overview of the Film ‘Deafening Silence’, Onyinye Belinda Ndubuisi, UNDP Gender and Human Rights Lead, said that “The title ‘Deafening Silence’ has been carefully chosen to encapsulate the profound paradox inherent in the issues, the movie and television series aim to address: Gender Equality, Gender Empowerment, and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).”
She further explained that the movie film was to showcase to the world the transformative result chain intervention Nigeria is capable of doing. “Anchoring on the UNDP Human Development Report on Gender and Social Norms, there is need to showcase what we are doing global. We know that there are different types of gender-based violence, and we also understand that to change norms requires time – so it is not an overnight venture. This is why we are starting with a 5-Year plan, and also to call on all our partners to come together for collaboration rather than fragmenting our efforts”, she stated.
She said that ‘Deafening Silence’ is an exciting and captivating drama project that aims to deliver an immersive and compelling cinematic experience to its audience. The project story revolves around spotlighting the issues, challenges, and victories surrounding survivors of gender-based violence and spotlighting all factors relating to it.
According to Onyinye, the film is weaved “Through a carefully crafted narrative and dynamic characters, as the project intends to engage viewers emotionally and intellectually, leaving a lasting impact. The aim, she said, is to capture the imagination and attention of the target audience, providing an enthralling and memorable viewing experience, while spotlighting the vices surrounding GBV.”
She added that the project is committed to achieving a high level of artistic quality, utilizing innovative storytelling techniques, exceptional cinematography, and engaging performances.
Fielding questions from reporters at the event, she said that, “The project is a splendid pointer to a public investment through meaningful storytelling that showcases various instances of abuse and injustice, such as rape, human trafficking, forced surrogacy, blackmail, and marital abandonment. It highlights the role of agencies in helping victims seek justice and support.”
The movie which tells the horrible story of the social impact of GBV and its effect on people, families, and society in general, will be available in cinemas and selected TV stations as a series. The main aim is to inform, educate, and curb the issue of Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria.
IMAGE CREDIT: Deafening Silence, The Movie
