Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story is truly a delight to watch. As a story-driven film, it captivates viewers with its engaging narrative, often drawing their attention away from other elements of film. The storyline is beautifully embodied and expertly delivered by a stellar cast that includes Stan Nze, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, Alexx Ekubo, Segun Arinze, and Jide Kene Achufusi. And directed by Kayode Kasum who has risen to become a famous Nollywood Director. Kasum’s growth is remarkable considering his filmmaking career trajectory; from a motion graphics designer at Wale Adenuga Productions. The film recounts the journey of a teenage boy named Afamefuna, who ventures from Onitsha to Lagos to apprentice under a master named Odogwu. Through his dedication and integrity, Afamefuna earns a rewarding settlement from his master.
The film holds significant and remarkable importance in Nollywood history as it responds to the industry’s call for cultivating a respectable national identity through cinema and contributes to the decolonization of African cinema by showcasing indigenous knowledge systems to a global audience. The film marks a shift in the ritual genre. With the iconic release of Living in Bondage in 1992, Nollywood established the money ritual genre. In this genre, the wealth of successful Igbo traders is often depicted as stemming from illicit means, particularly through ritualistic sacrifices of loved ones. Against this backdrop, Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story emerges as a refreshing departure.
Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story earns high praise for its dual capacity to both educate and entertain. This film demonstrates its commitment to education right from the start, as it opens with a quotation from the Harvard Business Review which highlights the Igbo apprenticeship system (IAS) as a significant business model, recognized globally for its role as the world’s largest business incubator. The film utilizes its set-up to introduce the IAS. Through the protagonist, Afamefuna, and other key characters, the film weaves a narrative around the benefits and challenges of the IAS system. These characters’ experiences drive the plot forward, effectively fulfilling the film’s mission of revealing an indigenous trade secret associated with the Igbo culture. Through the character of Odogwu, who serves as the master in the IAS, viewers are provided with the history and background information of the IAS system. Odogwu embodies the role of a kind and experienced master who guides and trains teenage boys to become successful traders. During the film’s exposition, Odogwu seizes a conflict scene between Afam and Obum, transforming it into a teachable moment to explain a business concept and the IAS system in general.
Afamefuna, meaning “my name won’t get lost,” truly lived up to the significance of his name. He heeded his mother’s advice, ensuring that through hard work and honesty, he transitioned from an Nwa Boi (apprentice) to an Odogwu (master), a powerful figure of influence. The film’s narrative extends to cover the succession from one generation to another, thereby highlighting powerful cultural values of intergenerational blessings and curses. Afamefuna served his master faithfully and obtained his blessings, which led to his prosperity, establishing him as a master who now also imparts blessings to his apprentices for their good deeds. On the other hand, the dishonest apprentice Paulo left his master without his blessings, incurring a curse for his deceitful actions against his master. Consequently, it ended poorly for him, unlike Afamefuna, who built an enduring enterprise, leaving his name indelibly imprinted in the sands of time. The film, much like the typical Nollywood productions, utilizes the IAS as a backdrop to convey a powerful moral message about reaping what one sows.
The question to be answered is whether the film effectively employed cinematic elements to intertwine education and entertainment. With the party scene, which has become a hallmark of New Nollywood, the film presents a vibrant display of Igbo culture, featuring masquerade performances, traditional and contemporary Igbo music and dance, with the traditional flute adding a distinctive flavor to the soundtrack. This scene significantly contributes to creating a visually stunning backdrop, enhancing the film’s aesthetic appeal. Additionally, the production design, particularly the costumes showcased during the party scene, further enhances the visual allure of the film. The dialogue is richly developed in the Igbo language, incorporating numerous proverbs. The deliberate inclusion of proverbs in conversation serves to reassert Igbo cultural values and evokes memories of classic works such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958).
It is indeed refreshing to witness that Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story is not another blood money tale but rather a narrative of hard-earned wealth derived from sweat and years of labor.
