Uzoma Mba
In a stirring tribute to courage, resilience and the urgent need for healthcare equity, the international film Shades of Survival recently held its exclusive pre-release screening in Abuja.
Shades of Survival is a new film, telling an important story of African resilience. It focuses on the journeys of courageous breast cancer patients in Abuja and around the world. Its one core objective is to save the lives of African women – driving awareness of the disease, encouraging self-checking, and smashing the stigma many communities feel around cancer.
The director of the film, David Ayeni, who grew up in Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna before moving to the UK and the USA, has 30 years experience in the broadcast media space across three continents, but Shades of Survival is his first feature film.
Ayeni explained the motivation behind his film: “Because I hate that cancer comes with a stigma. I hate that it is seen as a death sentence. And I hate that health hangs on the shade of your skin. Did you know, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer in Nigeria is 32%? In South Africa, it is 40%. And in most high-income countries it is 90%. We need to do more. And this film is my contribution.”
According to him, Shades of Survival is not just a story of shocking statistics; it has great cinematography, expert insights, and deeply moving personal stories, with scenes from Nigeria, South Africa, UK, France and USA, making it a truly global film, with its roots embedded in Nigeria.
The film stars Victoria Ekanoye, a British Nigerian actress, who is also a breast cancer survivor. Victoria visited her mother’s homeland of Nigeria for the first time to shoot the film. Her last words in the film were powerful: “Nobody should lose their lives because of the colour of their skin… and it’s up to us all to do something about it.”
One of the warriors featured in the film, Ms. Titilayo Wamidu spoke about her role: “It took courage to be in this film, but I knew it was so important. I wanted to speak to other women, to encourage them to go to the doctor early, and to tell every woman with cancer – there is no reason for shame.”
In the same vein, the founder of Jela’s Development Initiatives, Angela Omeiza, who played a significant role in the pre-release screening, commended David Ayeni for using the film to highlight a critical social and health issue, adding that it will help create more awareness for the disease and spark positive action.
Calling for more support to create massive impact with the film, Ayeni said: “We need engagement, sponsors and organisations to partner with to get this film out to as wide an audience as possible. When Shades of Survival has its public premiere, we believe this film will save lives. We would be honoured if you join us on that journey.”
Shades of Survival was screened at the Shabak Centre in Abuja, hosted by Comfort and Sola Adesoye. The heart-wrenching impact of the film was palpable in the auditorium, which was packed with key members of Abuja’s media, health and social spheres, including Chris Chukwunyere, City Manager, City Cancer Challenge(C/CAN); Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, Channels TV Programme Anchor; Linda Akhigbe, SSA to the President on Strategic Communications; Gima Forje, CEO, TY Danjuma Foundation; and Dr Nwamaka Lasebikan, Director, Research & Innovation, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment(NICRAT).
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