British actor and model, Oris Erheuro, who plays the lead role in Genevieve Nnaji’s film, The Road to Yesterday, speaks on his experience, AKEEM LASISI writes

British actor and model, Oris Erheuro, will, for a long time, relish his experience playing the led role in Genevieve Nnaji’s first film, Road to Yesterday. For him, the movie has provided an opportunity to ‘return’ home, and to a yesterday he grew to know about Nigerian art and entertainment industry before he travelled out decades ago.

According to him, while his family abroad love watching Nigerian films, and he too had hoped that one day he would have the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Nollywood, he never imagined that Nnaji would be the person that would make the dream to materialise. He said he was touched when he got the call to be part of Road to Yesterday.

He notes at a briefing at the African International Film Festival in Lagos, “They gave me the idea of the story and I liked it. I like the way the story was told. We must encourage Africans to tell their stories. This is my first Nigerian film and it is awesome. The market is huge, and the time is ripe.”

He commends AfricaMagic for collaborating with Nnaji and for making its platforms available to spread the gospel of Nollywood.

In another interview, he salutes Genevieve as a great professional.

He says, “Well, it has to be from her. Okay, I’m saying that the movie has to be that type of quality. You know, Genevieve really stepped up on this movie and only a few people around can get it. She is seasoned and ready to rival the world.”

On her part, Nnaji expresses happiness that she worked with Nigerian talents, especially the younger ones who, she believes, did not bungle the opportunity to prove their worth as far as the Road to Yesterday is concerned. She notes that all the time she had wanted to produce a film but none of the scripts she got, even from foreign experts, impressed her. She is, however, happy that the one that became Road to Yesterday came from a compatriot.

She says, “ It took a Nigerian writer to give me what I want. There is talent out there. We have to give room for young talents to rise. We need to produce films by us and for us.”

The film which centres on a couple in dire need of a solution to their marital issues was directed by Ishaya Bako and stars Majid Michel, Ebere Okaro and Chioma Omeruah.

[Punch News]