May 07, (THEWILL) – Kayode Jegede, the co-writer of ‘Gang of Lagos’, has stated that the movie was not written to belittle Eyo culture.
The script writer made this known in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune.
The movie, which was released last month had been hugely criticised for portraying Eyo culture in a derogatory manner.
Custodians of the culture and Lagos State government had condemned the movie as cultural misrepresentation and mockery of the Lagos heritage.
However, when asked if he felt bad about the negative reactions that trailed the movie, Jegede stated that he can’t describe the reactions as negatives.
He explained what the movie is all about and urged his fans to watch it having that in mind.
“It would be unfair for me to describe those reactions as negative vibes. Our people understand that culture, tradition and even mythology is sacred and we’ll take a stand when we feel that the said culture is disrespected.
“However, the story doesn’t set out to denigrate the Eyo culture. A film is about characters, and if a criminal disguises himself as a revered cultural symbol, surely it does not equate to the filmmakers disrespecting the symbol?
“It literally speaks to the personality of the character portrayed and nothing else. I hope that we’re able to look at this story as what it is; a depiction of the beauty of the human spirit in its quest to triumph despite the limitations of its environment”, he stated.
