Yesterday evening was the premiere of A Sunday Affair, which stars Nse Ikpe-Etim, Dakore Egbuson-Akande and British actor Oris Erhuero. I arrived at the Ebony Life Place, the venue of the premiere, by 4pm–an hour before the event was to begin. Ushers were already dressed in their pyjamas outfits, following the dress code: Netflix and chill in your Valentines pyjamas.

Before the stars started arriving, I took note of a couple of foreigners at the event. One of them happened to be a Korean who has been living in Nigeria for over twenty years. He said, “I love Nollywood films. There are so many things that are happening in the storylines that are so addictive”. He also said he was not tired of seeing romantic films, and was looking forward to A Sunday Affair, because “it is about a love triangle. I just hope the women don’t reveal the man’s secrets.” Another foreigner said even though she had seen so many other romantic films, she was still looking forward to A Sunday Affair. When asked if she was tired of romantic films said, ” No, not at all. I would never get enough of those“. She also added, “I think the intrigue and suspense is different” when asked what she was expecting to see in the film. The first guest I saw walking into the venue was Alexx Ekubo. He wore a wine robe over a black two-piece outfit. 

Another guest said, “I’m just happy to see African cinema running at the forefront. I love to see that we are telling stories for us and by us. It’s so exciting.” She replied a resounding “Never!” when asked if she would stop seeing romantic films, adding “We all want romance and love, so I’ll never get tired of it. Never!”. She went on to comment on Ebony life Media, which I like how Ebony Life is doing storytelling and it’s relevant for the whole world, not just for Nigeria. You can have someone in the UK or US relating to the story that is being told. 

Mo Abudu, the owner of Ebony Life, attended the premiere and looked stunning as ever. Other stars such as RMD, Rita Dominic, Sharon Ooja, Ini Dima Okojie, Bisola Aiyeola, Lily Afe, Broda Shaggi, Chioma Akpotha, Eku Edewor, and Boma Akpore were also present amongst others. 

Nse Ikpe-Etim said people should see this Walter Taylaur-directed film during Valentine’s with their significant other because “Haven’t they picked worse?“. Dakore, on the other hand, said “This is a movie to see year after year after year during Valentine’s, because it’s a classic and it’s sexy. It is about complicated mature love and I think we’ve been starved of that kind of content”. She loved playing her character, Toyin, and bringing out the complexity in her life. When asked if it was challenging playing the role, she replied “Absolutely! Every role is challenging because you’re not sure if you’re really able to convey the person’s reality. I had to make sure I was doing something different, because I have played a lot of other different roles. So, I always want to keep it fresh”. She said you should choose to see this film this Valentine’s because “it is an authentic love story set in Nigeria that reflects our own challenges and also shows the beauty and messiness of love. I think there are a lot of films that are ‘happily ever after’. These films are not real all the time, and that’s okay. Watch our film; it’s real and it’s fun!“

The film screening started about 8:30 pm, and just before the film started, we were all given a proper welcome by Mimi Onolaja. The film written by Darrel Bistow-Bovey opens with younger versions of Uche and Toyin on a beach, establishing their friendship. In the next scene, we are introduced to the present-day Uche (Nse) and Toyin (Dakore). It does not take long to understand that while Uche is a risk-taker and lives somewhat recklessly, her best friend Toyin is cautious with life. We see this when she warns Uche about not pursuing a married man (Oris Erhuero) she is interested in at her sister’s wedding. As the story unfolds, a love triangle begins to develop among Toyin, Sunday and Uche.

The film also stars Alexx Ekubor, Uzor Osimkpa and Hilda Dokubo. Uzor Osimkpa, who plays Uche’s sister in the film says. “Because they should pick it. It’s talking about love and how people complicate their lives for nothing. Netflix and chill with your significant other and see a sunday affair. On her experience playing the role, she said, “it was normal. It was nothing. I’ve been doing this for too long for it to be anything special”. 

Like many people who attended the  film premiere, I believe many Nigerians still desire to see romantic films on their screen. And like Dakore said, this film does not have the usual ‘happily ever after’ ending that most Nollywood romantic films do. A Sunday Affair can be accessed on Netflix beginning from tomorrow, Valentine’s day. Like the guests, dressing up in your valentine’s pyjamas and seeing the film with your significant other wouldn’t be such a bad way to spend the evening.