Nigerian actor Timini Egbuson, known for his excellent delivery of roles in films, has worn a double hat this time – a producer’s hat and an actor’s hat, to give us a gripping social commentary, Shínà.
Shìnà is set in Lagos, Nigeria, with its major event happening between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
The film is a lens through which we view the corrupt and rotten society we live in, while also serving as a beacon of hope that a better Nigeria is possible.
Shínà Akanji (Timini Egbuson) has a past he is not proud of. With his past locked and thrown away, Shìnà starts afresh as a taxi driver. On the eve of a gubernatorial election in the state, Shìnà’s grandmother is in dire need of medical attention.
As Shìnà rushes to the hospital, he is told that his grandmother needs surgery immediately at the cost of 4 million naira, with a 1 million naira deposit required to begin.
Not having that kind of amount sitting pretty in his account. Shìnà goes out in search of the initial deposit. It is through his desperate search for money that we are shown what a typical Nigerian society has come to look like.
If you ask ten Nigerians about the state of public hospitals in the country, 8 out of 10 will give you a negative review.
Everybody prays to not be at the mercy of the Nigerian public health system. At the hospital, the first thing we noticed was an interruption of the electricity provided by the electricity providers.
The hospital lacks staff and has a policy that a deposit must be made before medical attention is given to a patient. This is because enough funds aren’t being provided by the government to keep up with the day-to-day running of the hospital.
So the doctors have to make do with whatever is available. And like many Nigerians out there, Shìnà’s grandmother would have been a case of ‘Nigeria happened to you’ if not for Morenike (Linda Ejiofor Sulaiman), a kind doctor who stepped in and bought Shina more time to raise the money.
On Shìnà’s drive to pick up a customer (Neo Akpofure) and raise money for his grandmother, he nearly runs a policeman out of the road.
On his way back, he runs into the same police officer. As a form of personal vendetta, he is delayed by the policeman and his colleague, who request to be bribed before he is allowed to go his way.
With no penny to spare, Shìnà pleads with them, but his pleading falls on deaf ears. When a tattoo is seen on his hand, he is profiled and accused of being a part of the armed robbery gang terrorising Lagos.
This is an all-too-familiar scene in Nigeria: police officers demanding “small things” and falsely accusing Nigerian youths based on their appearance.
And lastly, that night, the people’s favourite candidate for the gubernatorial election, Mrs. Ali Aranda, and her campaign manager were attacked by the henchmen of Chief Bamidele ankole (AkAkin Lewis), a man synonymous with a political godfather.
According to him, he decides who stays and who goes, and Mrs. Atanda is not his preferred candidate for the election, Seeing how she has gathered so much support from the citizens, she has to be taken out of the picture.
An attack that Shìnà witnesses. However, a turn of events sees Mrs. Ali Atanda alive, only bruised, rekindling hope in the state.
Over the years, citizens of Nigeria have stopped participating in electoral activities because events have shown that it is a waste of time because the winners are predetermined.
Shìnà is more than just a personal story; it is a reflection of the broader societal issues that impact many in Nigeria.
The film tackles corruption as a parasite that has eaten deep into Nigerian society and is refusing to remove its teeth.
Our Take
While the themes of the film hit close to home and resonate with his viewers, we feel the narrative could have been better. The film’s subplots were too much, taking light away from the actual message the movie wants to pass across.
Rating
7/10
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