By Ayo Onikoyi

Nigeria’s encounter with the dreaded Ebola virus is one that can never be forgotten in a hurry. Even if our memory tend to be so slight the film 93 Days is always there to remind us of the pains, sorrow, deaths and ultimately triumph that greeted the country in those ’93 Days’ the virus ravaged the country. For those who could not have a full view of the impact of the virus, 93 Days gives the whole account, bringing honour and respect to Nigeria among comity of nations, especially, due to the way the virus was contained.

The movie is a reflection of the sacrifices and the sheer will of certain people to ensure that the disease is contained and wiped out of the country. Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh’s was one of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

“The story of  93 Days  centres on the sacrifices made by men and women who risked their lives to make sure the  Ebola virus  was contained, before it became an epidemic, when it was imported into Nigeria by a Liberian-American diplomat. 93 Days  is also dedicated to Ameyo Adadevoh, a Nigerian physician who played a key role in the containment of Ebola in Nigeria. The movie was directed by Steve Gukas and was shot in several parts of Nigeria.”

In a country where history and heroic feats are not well documented, 93 Days saves the day with proper and accurate representation of the sad event in Nigeria. 93 Days have been able to document a segment in the history of this nation for future reference so accurately. Shot at multiple locations in Nigeria, 93 Days movie has gone on to become one of the highest grossing movies in Nigerian cinema.

The movie has premièred in both African and international countries with loads of positive reviews from the audience.

One of the ways to know a good film is by the quality of festivals it has shown or will show. This is so because reputable international festivals have stringent rules and standard which the movie must meet. Notable festivals among others where 93 Days was shown and sold out include Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Chicago International Film Festival where it was the only Nigerian film to show , Johannesburg Film Festival and LA Film Festivals.

This movie deserves all the accolades that it’s currently getting. One of such is the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards where it topped the list with 13 nominations. The movie is expected to cart away most of the categories it’s been nominated for.

Even though most of the categories are voting categories, the producers are counting on the goodwill they got from most Nigerians at the cinemas to work in their favour again this time. They enjoin lovers of the movie to vote enmass for them.

A movie directed and co-produced by Steve Gukas. A production of three giant entertainment companies: Native FilmWorks, Michel Angelo Production and Bolanle Austen-Peters Production.   It stars Bimbo Akintola, Bimbo Manuel, Charles Okafor, Danny Glover, Gideon Okeke, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Somkhele Idhalama, Tim Reid, Sola Oyebade, Charles Etubiebi, and Seun Kentebe.

Beyond the accolades from both the media and the cinema audience who have seen the movie, the image of Nigeria’s as a slow respondent to epidemic disease outbreak has been re-branded.

In one of her interviews Bolanle Austen-Peters said, “We did the Ebola movie because we wanted to add value. I didn’t want to do just any movie

“We told a story that needed to be told. I felt that if we did not tell that story, foreigners, as usual, could come and tell of the brave and courageous people who fought against the Ebola virus to save all of us. For me, it was very important that the story was documented for posterity.”