Netflix’s Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10. This Netflix and EbonyLife collaboration is an adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s anti-colonial stage play Death and the King’s Horseman and is the very first time that a Yoruba language film is featured at TIFF.
Since this is the final film directed by late writer-director and novelist Biyi Bandele, TIFF dedicated this presentation of Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman to the memory of Biyi Bandele (October 1967 – August 2022). The film was showcased at TIFF in the Special Presentation Category.
The premiere was attended by executive producer Mo Abudu, creative producer Heidi Uys, and the lead cast including Odunlade Adekola, Omowunmi Dada, and Deyemi Okanlawon. The film will premiere in movie theaters on October 7.
The description of the film is as follows:
The day has come for Elésin Oba (Odunlade Adekola) to accompany the Alaafin of Oyo, King of Yorubaland (contemporary Nigeria, Togo, and Benin), into the afterlife. Celebration is in order! As the King’s Horseman, Elésin is responsible for the political ruler’s smooth travels in life and in death, making this day the long-intended end of his honourable, fleshly commitments to the Yoruba people. Since the Alaafin is dead, Yoruba religious tradition insists Elésin must commit ritual suicide. On his final ceremonial procession through the market, Elésin notices a passing bride-to-be and decides to delay the evening’s sacred ritual in order to marry her first. Iyaloja (Shaffy Bello), “mother of the market” and mother to a newly jilted son, cautions Elésin not to let his earthly desires interfere with his spiritual duties. Unfortunately, neither are aware that the British military plans to stop the evening’s ritual from happening, setting off a sequence of events no one is prepared for.
Congrats to the cast and crew of Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman! We are so proud of your achievement and for representing Nollywood at TIFF 2022.
Scroll down to see the highlights of the premiere and the regal outfits worn by the cast and crew.
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Executive producer Abudu shared her delight at being able to premiere the first African language film at TIFF. In an Instagram video recording, she exclaimed, “This film cannot be whitewashed. The film gives you a greater understanding of Yoruba people and our culture. More than an adaptation however, The King’s Horseman is a classic preservation of the original work.”
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Cast member Dada wore a beautiful blush pink gown to the TIFF premiere and shared her passion for the film. In her Instagram caption, she said, “I am so proud that we made a cinematic adaptation of a classic and the world got to see it. We told an African story, by Africans in Yoruba language to the world.”
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During her speech at the premiere, Dada spoke about the importance of making this story visible to the rest of the world and wished that Bandele could get to see his film come to life. Dada and the rest of the cast became teary-eyed, while acknowledging Bandele’s legacy in light of the film’s world premiere.
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