The US consulate general in Lagos has partnered with Bolanle Austen-Peters, the filmmaker, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.
The partnership birthed the screening of the film on Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the late foremost human rights activist, at the Terra Kulture center on Wednesday.
The event was attended by schoolgirls from different communities in Lagos and Ogun states, ahead of Girl Child Day, celebrated annually on October 11.
Schools that participated include Heritage Global Academy, Covenant of Zion School, New Era Secondary School, Fountain College, and Slum2School among others.
At the event, the students were enlightened on the film’s powerful message of creating a world where all girls are protected, respected, and empowered.
In her remarks, Amanda Roach Brown, deputy public affairs officer at the US consulate general in Lagos, encouraged the students not to conform to societal expectations and standards.
“When we knew that the International Day of the Girl Child was coming up, we decided that we must do something,” she said.
“I hope that just like myself who is so inspired after learning about the story of a Nigerian woman who did so much for her community.
“We are today, many years later, still talking about this story. And Bolanle took it to another level so that we can all see it, not just here in Nigeria but across the world.
“We want to thank all the girls who came out to be here. And I loved hearing all the cheers when the women were standing up against people trying to put them down. As girls, we will grow up into womanhood, we must stick together and there’s nothing more important than that.
“People will try to say that girls can’t do this, only boys should do this, but that is not true and we saw a great example of that in this film.
“Times have changed and there are so many more opportunities for girls today, so we have to continue to use them and open the door for other girls and those who will come after us.”
On her part, Austen-Peters, the film’s producer, thanked the US consulate for the initiative.
She urged the schoolgirls to take inspiration from the movie and reminded them that they can be agents of change, regardless of gender.
“I am super excited that the girls got to see this film. This has made me emotional today because doing this film took a lot of guts and people said it will not sell,” she said.
“But today, this film has been viewed worldwide, it will be there when I’m long gone and it will continue to inspire young people.
“Every single child in this room is a Funmilayo. All of you have the potential to be great and to be instruments of change in spite of any circumstances.
“But if we don’t tell these kinds of stories, you won’t know where to draw inspiration from, that women that came ahead have done great and powerful things that we need to tap into.”
See more photos below:
‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ tells the story of the activist; from her pioneering days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti.
The family challenged oppression and created the Abeokuta Women’s Union, igniting a fierce battle against colonial and traditional rulers.
The biopic won the ‘Best Overall Feature Film’ and the ‘Best Screenplay’ categories at the 2023 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Globe Awards.
It also snagged the ‘Best Writing’ at the 2024 AMVCA.
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