Posted by 
As a lover of historical movies, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was one movie I highly anticipated and literally broke the bank to watch. Best believe, it is everything a historical movie is made of.
A story of “A fearless female leader [who] sparks a revolution against colonialism and patriarchy in Nigeria, forever transforming the destiny of her nation.” – Synopsis from IMDB
A tale that demonstrates the power of a woman fueled by passion to fight for a cause dear to her heart, backed by the love of her man (Israel Ransome-Kuti) and the support of her family.
The movie traverses the life of Funmilayo as a teenager (played by Iyimide Ayo-Olumoko), an adult (played by Kehinde Bankole), and an older lady (played by Joke Silva), who narrates her story for all to see.
Produced and directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, and written by Tunde Babalola, the first thing that caught my attention was the casting and the set.
From Kehinde Bankole to Ibrahim Suleiman, the legendary Joke Silva, Omowunmi Dada, and Adunni Ade, to veteran actors, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, and Dele Odule, the casting was a 10/10 and just the right set of actors was assigned to each role. Let’s not forget the Kutis’, Yeni Kuti (playing the role of her aunt Dolupo), Dotun Ransome-Kuti (played as his father Olikoye Ransome-Kuti), and Kunle Ransome-Kuti (also played as his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti).
While the casting was great, a deeper dive into the history of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, as not just a women’s rights activist who spearheaded the Abeokuta Women’s Revolt (also called the Egba Women’s Tax Riot) which shook the foundations of the colonial government in Nigeria and led to the temporary abdication of the Alake (Oba Oladapo Samuel Ademola), and tax reforms for the women, but also as a political leader would have been a great angle to explore.
History has not been fair to the great “Lioness of Lisabi,” who oftentimes is only recognized in our textbooks as the mother of Afrobeat legend, Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì and the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. And as time progressed, her story began to fade, until the release of this movie, which I believe shows the strength of a woman living in a patriarchal society that views them as merely a commodity for the pleasure of men.
We see this mentality playing out with the way the adult Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was disregarded and ill-treated when she peacefully tabled the excessive taxation on the Egba Market Women and the bullying of the Parakoyi to The Alake and his chiefs.
It was necessary to share the story of the Egba Women and their fearless leader during the colonial period from the angle of unbiased storytelling and while this movie was able to achieve this to a great extent, it would be amazing to extend the story to cover Funmilayo’s nationalism and political exploits as she became one of the founding members of Nigeria’s first political party, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC).
You can’t review this movie without talking about culture. From the set that took us back a few decades to old Abeokuta town, to the vibrant colors of the Adire materials and Oleku style rocked by the women, which was not only a physical representation of their unity as members of the then newly-formed Abeokuta Women’s Union but also a resplendent display of the trending fashion of the day.
The highlight of the movie for me and the display of culture was when the Oro (which no woman is meant to see) was released by the Alake to scare away the Abeokuta Women, who had gathered at his palace to request the abolition of excess taxes.
“Where there is a will, there is a way” – Chief Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas (Funmilayo’s Father)
This saying is very prevalent here as the women sought out the elderly amongst them, who bared their chests to nullify the effect of the Oro. This scene alone got me on the edge of my seat, screaming “Girl Power!” “You Go Girls!!” And I am not ashamed of this.
As the movie came to an end, the saying between Funmilayo and her loving husband, Israel, “No hands” and its meaning that “even an elephant cannot stop a determined lioness” remained with me as I reminisce about how the movie played out and the life of the great woman Olufumilayo Ransome-Kuti…
From becoming the first female student in her secondary school – Abeokuta Grammar School, to meeting her would-be husband, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (then head boy of her school), the exchange of correspondence (or letters) in the absence of WhatsApp or Instagram to the blooming of friendship and escalation of love that grew a family that is still renowned to date.
“Beating the colonialist is by knowing what they know” – Chief Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas (Funmilayo’s Father)
In relation to the above quote, education, an encounter and determination can change the course of history. One of such encounters was Funmilayo’s visit to the market and her experience with the Parakoyi, which brought her face-to-face with the plight of the Egba Market women and gave her a harsh firsthand understanding of what the women had been going through at the hands of the Alake and colonial officers.
Their plight, coupled with the “Just A Woman” thinking of the Alake would prove to be his downfall.
Change, they say, is the only constant, and this was proved as the burden on the Egba women increased. With the refusal of the Alake to install a new Iya Loja and the tax increase, the Abeokuta Women’s Club (made up of the elite women of the society at the summon of Mrs. Ransome-Kuti) and later, the Abeokuta Women Union (that included women from all walks of life) was birthed and facilitated a revolution that changed the course of Egbaland history to date.
I will leave you with this to take home, “Never underestimate a woman!”
The post Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: A Tale Of Perseverance, Comradeship, And Love appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
