RISE (The Movie)

 

It is said that one in six Africans is a Nigerian. I can dare say that Nigerians are very adventurous people. Aside from this, they are hardworking, intelligent and resilient people. Unfortunately, the failure of successive leadership has not given many the real chance of discovering and actualizing their dreams in their own country except for a lucky few. This is the major reason why many Nigerians are leaving the country for greener pastures both legally and illegally. And I think, the illegal migrants far outweigh the legal ones.

Charles Adetokunbo and his wife, Veronica took a journey abroad as illegal migrants. Their quest for the good life they sought and the dangers inherent in it forced them to leave their few months old son, Francis, behind.

They were faced with the problems typical of all illegal migrants; dodging the immigration police as the sentence of being caught is immediate deportation and doing menial jobs that pays little as their status cannot get them a more 'dignifying' job with which to survive.

Veronica and her four sons ( Thanasis, Giannis, alexandros and Kostas) born to them in Greece also learnt the skill of selling items as souvenirs to tourists but at the risk of being caught. Their quest to get the residency permit didn't work out as they were made to believe. They worked tirelessly to make ends meet until fortune seemed to smile at them.

Two of their sons, Thanasis and Giannis fell in love with basketball but the long arm of the label 'illegal migrants' threatened to deny them their dream of being drafted into a basketball team in Greece. Despite their status as illegal migrants, the scouting team could not deny their talents in playing basketball.

As with all stories bound to kiss success eventually no matter the mountain of opposition, Giannis gets drafted into the Milwaukee Basketball team in America which gives the entire family the automatic visa amidst a lot of suspense. In fact, the four boys belonged to different basketball teams in America.

This movie tops the list of the movies I have seen so far in 2022. The fact that it is a true story of the Adetokunbos (Nigerians) (Antetokoumpos) sort of warms my heart, it is also a story of dreams and determination and, finally, because it is also about our beloved country, Nigeria.

The movie raises issues such as migration, racism, talents, separation and departure, family togetherness et cetera.

I have always described Nigeria as a 'gifted idiot'. That label fitly describes the Nigerian nation. It is a country blessed abundantly with both natural and human capital but of course, it is massively suffering in the midst of plenty. It is even now described as the poverty capital of the world.The late novelist, Chinua Achebe, father of Modern African literature summarizes Nigeria's problem in his essay, The Trouble with Nigeria as that of the problem of leadership. 

Despite the gifts nature has gifted Nigeria, it has not been able to adequately harness it simply because leadership in Nigeria is a square peg in a round hole. The wrong people assume the role of leadership and or the system is too weak to bring to account every form of bad leadership. 

This problem has resulted in large migration by Nigerians to other countries where they think they can make sense out of their lives. Because of the hardworking nature of most Nigerians even if that hard work is channeled to what their host countries labeled illegal, they have made a mark even when they earned hatred as well as love wherever they went.

The Sahara desert has witnessed a lot of failed attempts by Nigerians and other African nationals to migrate to other countries. This is a pointer that the majority of Nigerians can do anything to jet out of the unsavory condition of the country. The Adetokunbos are one of thousands or even millions in this category. The thought that the land is green on the other side is not always the truth. Those who leave their country for greener pastures must be ready to live above the racial prejudice, loneliness and sometimes hunger. They must also be ready to make their own pastures greener.

Racism is another theme explored in the movie. We see in the movie in one of the training sessions, a 'white' boy making a racist statement at Thanasis. Note also Charles's response to Giannis' question ' why do they hate us so much? The country (Greece) has given us free education, a home to live in....'

Even though this is no fault of any African, it is chiefly an individual problem. Racism is the belief that any person different from you is inferior to you. It is a 'mental disease' that has affected many people, especially the 'whites'. Like Nelson Mandela describes it, the racist is a prisoner that needs to be freed from the prison of his mind.

Talent is like a wind. You can't deny its presence. No matter the level of prejudice, talent will always be as visible as the sun. Thanasis and Gianni's talents could not be denied even though there were several factors mitigating against their selection. Where there are thousands of Nigerians using their 'talents' for the wrong things, millions more are spread out across the world hoisting the flag in dignity. The just concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham gives credence to this truth. Could the story have been different if the Adetokunbos were to be born and bred in Nigeria? You find out in almost all cases that Nigerians tend to thrive better when abroad than when they are at home. The reason is not far-fetched. Countries other than Nigeria or Africa celebrate talent whenever they see it. But what do we find here? Reverse most times is the case!

It is not an easy farewell to bid goodbyes to loved ones especially when they are relocating. Much more difficult is the pain for mothers like Veronica who had to leave her first son behind with her grandmother. There is the fear that they may never see again. It was indeed a huge sacrifice. The journey ahead of them is the kind that is almost potentially doomed. If the brave and courageous hardly make it through, where would the fearful and chicken-hearted hide themselves? It would have been a different ball game if both had their travel documents proper and in recommended order, they could, as soon as they have become stable, come for their child. But that was not meant to be until after a solid 25 years of absence. The couple sacrificed their present to have a firm grip on the future which, in the long run, paid off.

Giannis would not want to travel to Spain or the US without his family members by his side. This speaks volume about the importance of unity in the family. Family members should disagree to agree and not disagree to split in two like P square, who only recently came back together. The journey for Giannis was worth the try when Thanasis would be his travel companion to the US (NBA) where his name was eventually picked by the Milwaukee Basketball team. 

Need I tell you that I am not a film critic. Let's leave the shortcomings and fault lines of the movie to the critics. What I have done in this post is to explore the resilient spirit put up by ordinary Nigerians like you and I who took the bull by the horns not minding if they are gored to death. It is also a subtle cry for the redemption that all these crops of leaders owe to our collective mother, Nigeria.

Let's meet again, well, not at the same time but at the same station. I am yours truly,

Julius Topohozin.