Deborah Akinyosoye
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Ini Edo has appealed to regulators and the public not to withdraw her new movie, A Very Dirty Christmas, from cinemas, insisting the film does not ridicule Christianity.
The appeal comes after criticism by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), whose President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, described the film’s title as offensive and called for a review by authorities.
In an emotional video shared on Instagram on Sunday night, Ini Edo said the controversy was about the title, not the content, explaining that it was a metaphor for family conflicts during a Christmas reunion.
She said, “When we cooked up this title of A Very Dirty Christmas, we deliberated on the topic, to be honest. The title is derived from just a family reunion that was supposed to be a happy one. Happy Christmas, but the messiness that happened in that revelation, it was a metaphorical way of telling a story.”
The actress apologised to anyone offended by the title and said she was willing to change it, but pleaded that the film should not be pulled from cinemas, citing commitments to investors and its current screening in over 70 cinemas nationwide.
Ini said, “I did take money from investors to do this film. If you pull it just because of the text, perhaps you should see the film. If it dishonours Christians in any way, or God, I will pull it and bear the consequence. I really wish you guys had said something earlier.
“I don’t know what to do. I’ve just come back from Surulere Cinemas. Instead of promoting my movie, there are 70 cinemas across Nigeria. We have to start pulling out the printers, all the materials that have circulated the entire country.
“The movie is at the cinema presently. How do I change the name, the title? Christians are not the people I want a problem with because I’m one. I will try to change the title. Just give us some time. Don’t pull the film. Figure out how to change the title.”
She stressed that the movie contains no disrespect to God or Christians and urged critics to watch it and would personally withdraw the film if it is found to dishonour Christianity after viewing.
“The intention was not to ever dishonour God, Christians or the religion. I know no other religion. So this is just me saying I’m sorry. I don’t believe this is hurting people so much. Since it is, don’t pull my film. Give me a fair fighting ground. Let people go watch the film. Watch the film and come back and say that this film degrades Christians. Or this film degrades Christianity,” Ini Edo said.
“Then I will pull it. But if you haven’t seen the film, and you say that I’m dishonouring God, Christians, then this film has no moral. There’s no negativity. If anything, my character is born again till the end. I’m too much of a believer to do that,” she added.
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) said it had requested the producer to modify the title of the movie.