1st November, 2022
One of the principal actors in the new movie titled “Ije Awele”, Jide Kene Achufusi a.k.a Swanky JKA has spoken about his role in the movie which brings to the fore yet again the plight of the girl child.
The actor who expressed his excitement for being part of the movie, urges the government and individuals to always look out for the girl child and protect her.
According to him, “The girl child is one child we should not be afraid to empower. To empower her, we honestly need to protect her to the maximum. Individuals and government policies should preach this more than it is doing right now. This takes nothing away from the male child. He too should teach the importance of protecting the girl child. She should be sacred to us like in the days of old.”
The movie, Ije Awélé is a story of a girl who has been molested by her father since the age of 6. She finds out in her later years that her mother has known all along and has been giving her contraceptives, covering up for her father in order to save the family name.
This leaves the young girl scared and betrayed and she begins to search for answers which lead her to discovering more secrets. On her journey to self-discovery, fate brought her in contact with Jide Kene who walks the distance with her while fighting his own demons.
Ije Awele is produced by Victoria Nwogu and directed by Emeka Ojukwu with Emeka Nwhokocha as the executive producer.
The cast of the movie parades veterans and emerging stars of the movie industry. There are veterans such as Onyeka Owenu, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Ejike Asiegbu, Ngozi Nwosu, and younger stars such as Victoria Nwogu and Jidekene Achufusi (Swanky JKA).
Speaking about his character, Jide Kene says, “ I loved my character. What I loved even more was my approach to becoming him. Dubem was a maturity yardstick for me. The energy on set also helped me become him. I love guys that fight for love, that never let’s go. Although he did get in trouble but never say never. I’m also big on being a gentleman. So I always say Viva Amore.
“Ije Awele is a story that advocates change, so it was a brilliant idea. I didn’t take much time thinking about it. I always love a new experience. It was powerful. I loved the graduation and progression. It took time to explore the relationships in the movie. Friends, sisters, lovers, parents etc. Also the other side of things, gangsterism in the average communities is also most times misrepresented. So I was curious to see how we would wing it. I love the casting there too.”