Ireke: Rise of the Maroons

A feature-length period drama from Nigeria, written and directed by Gbolahan Peter Macjob and starring Tobi Bakare, Demetri Turin, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, Alex Franklyn and Westy Baba.

The year is 1697 and British Forces invade West Africa, capture several Africans and bring them to Jamaica for slavery, among them a young boy named Atanda (Bakare). Years later, Atanda is now a grown man, living as a slave in the plantation of Gerard (Turin), a ruthless man. Atanda endures the daily brutalities of the plantation and strikes up a romance with Adunni (Johnson), another slave who works primarily in Gerard's house and who attracts the unwanted attention of Johnson (Baba), an obnoxious slave who has earned a privileged rank that places him above regular slaves. Meanwhile, nearby is a large group of Maroons, escaped slaves who are planning to attack the plantation.

This film is quite hard-hitting when it comes to depicting the viciousness of the British colonial authorities. Unfortunate slaves are whipped, hanged and burned to death, revealing the terrible times that occurred. The screenplay also explores the Maroons, their dedication to training for battle and their strong desire fro freedom. Among this, the audience gets to know the protagonists, their struggles and their motivations. The impressive mise-en-scene effectively creates an early eighteenth century setting, thanks to the costumes and structures.

In terms of acting, the cast could had done a better job. There are moments of strong acting, however, throughout the feature, the performances just fail to be convincing.

Regarding the characters, it is the bad guys that stand out. Turin is rather menacing as a cruel plantation owner who will not hesitate to hurt or kill and his wife, Catherine (Franklyn) is on the same level. Baba is Johnson, the smiling, treacherous fiend who has his eyes set on Adunni. Although Atanda comes across as sympathetic, he is not very engaging. Johnson's character, Adunni, works much better, a good-hearted woman trying to survive.

Obviously, this is a story about slavery and it also acts as an account of the rise of the Maroons against the British colonial authorities. Moreover, it is also about bravery, rebellion, racism, cruelty and the strength of the human spirit.

On one hand, people who watch this film will become familiar with the time when Maroons rebelled against British rulership and on the other hand, they will experience a moving and dramatic story about resisting brutality and pursuing freedom.