Anikulapo is one of the best movies that has ever come out of Nigeria
The film was shot in Oyo State And Afolayan the producer has described the work as a “Game of Thrones recreated in Nigeria but with a better representation of our culture (Yoruba culture)”
Aníkúlápó narrates the story of Saro (played by Kunle Remi) who has recently arrived in Oyo as a stranger and a traditional textile weaver who uses the “aso-ofi” loom and technique. Saro has an illi.cit r0mance with Queen Arolake (played by Bimbo Ademoye) who has an unhappy marriage because she is ha.ted by the King’s wives and is also uninterested in the king, but it is her duty to lay with him.
She is also young and uninterested in the older king’s constant attention. His favoritism brings up rivàlries with the other, older queens, who mis.treat her.
She and Saro fall in love. As they make plans to elope, word of their affair gets to the king, who sentences Saro to de.ath.
Based on the mythic.al Akala bird which wakes him from dèath, Saro, through the astùte actions of Arolake, gains the power to resurrect the de.ad through a gourd st0len by Aroloke, and earns the name, Anikulapo (Aníkúlápó), which means the “one that holds dèath in his purse.”
As Saro becomes popular in their new village Ojumo, he sets amorous eyes on other women and be.trays Arolake. His excessive pride is his hubris as he begins to make inordinate demands from the villagers before he can raise the de.ad.
When Arolake hears that Saro has asked for the king’s daughter before he can restore life to the king’s heir, she undermines the source of his power and deserts him. Saro fails to resurrect the prince and discovers he no longer has the power to tame dea.ith.
Anikulapo may not have made it to the 95th Oscars nomination, but it is one of the best movies that has ever come out of Africa
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