'76 (film)
| '76 | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Izu Ojukwu |
| Produced by | Adonaijah Owiriwa Izu Ojukwu |
| Screenplay by | Emmanuel Okomanyi |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Yinka Edward |
| Edited by | Emeka Ojukwu |
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Production
company |
Adonis Productions
Princewill's Trust |
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Release date
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| Country | Nigeria |
| Language |
English Igbo |
| Budget | ₦600 million ($3 million) |
'76, formerly Lions of '76, is a 2016 Nigerian historical fiction drama film produced by Adonaijah Owiriwa and Izu Ojukwu and directed by Izu Ojukwu. It stars Ramsey Nouah, Chidi Mokeme, Rita Dominic and Ibinabo Fiberesima.
Set six years after the civil war, a young officer from the Middle Belt gets into a romantic relationship with an O-level student from the South-eastern region. However, their relationship is strained by constant military postings. The soldier gets accused of being involved in the 1976 unsuccessful military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, and the heavily pregnant wife, gets entangled in an emotional dilemma.
The historical account in '76 went through a seven-month approval period at the Nigerian Military before filming started. The film which is set in the '70s was shot in Ibadan, Oyo. The film has been in production for about five years.
Ojukwu has always had fantasies about making military movies, so much that he follows many coup stories. When the '76 project came along, he had to do a lot more readings and research, and also consult scholars on the crucial aspects of the story, to ensure historical accuracy; over a year was spent on the pre-production stage of the film. The historical account of '76 has the support of the Nigerian Military as the script went through a seven-month investigation and approval period before filming started. The military also assigned personnel to train the actors and guide the military aspect of the film. During the film's development, the director tried to minimize violence as he wants people to focus on the story and not get distracted or pissed off by gory images. Eight period cars of the 1970s were refurbished to be used in the film.
Filming took place mainly at Mokola Barracks, Ibadan, Oyo. The film was shot using Arri Super 16 cameras; It was initially meant to be shot on 35 mm film cameras, but the ground glass of one of the cameras to be used got damaged. As a result, the director opted to shoot on 16mm film cameras instead. The used for filming, along with other equipments used for production were subsidized by the Nigerian Film Corporation. After over four months on set, Principal photography was concluded in July 2012.
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