The internet does not forget, and neither does Nollywood.
Just weeks after filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde publicly declared that she would not dance on social media to market her movie, a video has surfaced of her daughters doing exactly that inside a cinema to promote her directorial debut, Mother’s Love.
The clip, shared on Instagram on Tuesday, shows Princess Ekeinde and Meraiah Ekeinde dancing with others inside a cinema hall, rallying moviegoers to watch the film. It is the kind of moment that writes its own caption.
Back in February, Omotola had been clear about where she stood on the trend.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be dancing to market or promote my movie. It’s not professional. I’ve done the movie, now I have to go around and promote it,” she said during an interview on TVC Entertainment.
She was careful to add that she has nothing against dancing itself, just against treating it as a compulsory promotional tool for actors. The distinction made sense. The execution, courtesy of her daughters, landed differently.
Mother’s Love opened in Nigerian cinemas on March 6, following its Lagos premiere on March 1.
The family drama explores the relationship between a mother and daughter and features a cast including Ifeanyi Kalu, Lilian Afegbai, Nosa Rex, and Olumide Oworu.
Before its Nigerian release, the film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, a strong showing for a directorial debut.
At the box office, the film has grossed about 25 million naira since opening, a modest start that explains why the Ekeinde daughters decided the situation called for some choreography.
Omotola may not be dancing. But her family clearly got the memo that the movie needed a push.
