In light of the new movie that is currently generating a buzz in Nigeria’s moviedom, 76, the Nigerian Army has sought to build ‘a collaborative relationship’ with the Nigerian movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood.
A letter from the Headquarters, Nigeria Army, Department of Civil- Military Affairs signed by Major General R. I. Nicholas for the Chief of Army Staff disclosed why the military institution desires a collaboration with the creative industry.
“This is in furtherance to a need to build a collaborative relationship between the Nigeria Army and the movie industry. We believe that the movie will assist in shaping the current effort at improving the civil-military relations and also educate our people on some of the historic values of the Nigeria Army.”
With a large part of the movie shot at the Mokola Barracks in Ibadan, Oyo State the 200-member cast and crew are said to have stayed together for about seven months, bonding as a family was inevitable.
Executive Producer of the flick, Tonye Princewill says that 76 is watershed of sorts in Nollywood.
“It took seven years to make this movie. We were not in a hurry at all. At the end of the day, some of them had become so used to the character set in 1976 that it was difficult to bring them back to the present. Set designer, Pat Nebo, who also acted in the film did a marvelous job on set. You can see a One Naira note without it being copiously displayed. The table utensils, the walls, the cars were all set in 1976. This was not easy to achieve, but we did not settle for a substitute. For instance, it was difficult to get a 1976 Black Maria, but we persevered and finally we were able to get it,” he noted.
