With its emergence as the Best Nigerian Film and Best Costume Design at the just concluded African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Aramotu, the traditional movie produced by Yinka Kolapo, and directed by Niji Akanni, has been tipped as a movie to beat when its finally hits the cinemas.
The movie that has Ramesh Babu Raparthy as Director of Photography, Sola Olayiwola, Head of Camera Operations and Bakky Adeoye as Production manager features Idiat Sobande (as Aramotu), Kayode Odumosu, Ireti Osayemi and Ayo Olabiyi, with supporting roles by the likes of Adebayo Faleti , Gabriel Afolayan Tunbosun Odunsi ,Peter Fatomilola, Bisi Komolafe among others.
Aramotu is a fictitious, myth-like tale that is set in the tradition-bound Yorubaland of 1909. It spins the story of Aramotu, a wealthy female trader, who dares to stretch the boundaries that ancient myths and traditions place on the life of the women of her time. Aramotu (Idiat Sobande) tries to employ the social-engineering aspects of the Gelede Cult to realize her progressive ideas about the rights of women and the need for people-oriented governance in her native Agesi Village.
Her crusade, in collaboration with a rebellious artiste Gbegiro (Gabriel Afolayan), not only jeopardizes her unusually beautiful relationship with Akanmu (Kayode Odumosu), her supportive husband, it also dips her life in the venom of the community’s reactionary elements, comprising Olookande(Ayo Olabiyi), the land-grabbing economic shark, an envious women’s leader, Iyalode (Ireti Osayemi) and a puppet-like Head Chief (Tunbosun Odunsi).
