Inale
Inale is a 2010 Nigerian musical drama film produced by Keke Bongos and directed by Jeta Amata. The film which stars Caroline Chikezie and Hakeem Kae-Kazim in lead roles, is set in Otukpo and tells the tale of Inale and Ode, who are both in love with each other but their love is threatened by tradition as Ode must win a customary wrestling tournament before he can take Inale's hand in marriage.
The film premiered in Lagos on 22 October 2010 and was met with mixed reception. It received five nominations at the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards and eventually won the category for Africa Movie [Academy Award for Best Soundtrack|Achievement in Soundtrack]. Inale has been said to be very similar to a folktale about Idomaland.
Plot
Odeh and Princess Inale are in love. However, according to the customs of the land, Odeh has to wrestle several other suitors of Inale in order to be able to have Inale's hand in marriage. Odeh wrestles several men and wins in all the fights; King Oche, the King of Otukpo and Inale's father declares Odeh the winner. Just before the wrestling ceremony ends, a masked stranger appears and challenges Odeh to a fight; the Stranger wins and he's revealed to be Prince Agaba, a Prince from Apah, a nearby village, which has been in a long rift with Otukpo. The king reluctantly declares the new winner and tells Prince Agaba that his wife would be escorted to his village the next day.Inale is thrown in sorrow through the night, but the king refused to compromise despite pleas from the Queen, Ochanya and other palace people. Next day, Inale tells Odeh affirmatively that she'll come back to him, as she's escorted by her sister, Princess Omei and her maid, Omada to Apah. During a break in their journey, in Omei's absence Omada pushes Inale into the river to drown and lies to Omei that Inale has committed suicide. The ladies eventually conclude that Omada pretends to be Inale to Prince Agaba and the people of Apah, who doesn't know what the princess looks like, so as to avoid a war between the two communities. The duo arrive in Apah, with Omada disguised as Inale and Ome as a maid; As soon as Omada is Queen, she begins to maltreat Omei. Omei as a result tries to open up to the people about the state of things, but no one would believe her.
One of the guards in Apah recognizes Omei to be a princess and sets her free from the dungeon Omada has put her in. Omei returns to the river where Inale drowned, and Inale who is now a mermaid appears to her; Inale tells her everything Omada did to her and reveals that she can't leave the river, lest she dies. At another time, Odeh in his grief wanders to the same river, and he sees Inale. She tells him that for her to be able to be with him, he has to challenge Prince Agaba for a re-match and defeat him; only then can she be freed, and if this is not done before the next sunset, Inale would be gone forever. Odeh duels with Agaba once again and he is defeated twice, before Odeh finally defeats Agaba. Agaba hands over Omada to Odeh, and Odeh announces to everyone the true Identity of Omada. Odeh and Agaba rush to the river and rescue Inale, while Omada runs into the forest and was never seen again. Inale and Odeh get married, while Prince Agaba also marries Omei, and the two villages unite to become one great Nation.
Cast
- Caroline Chikezie as Inale
- Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Ode
- Dede Mabiaku as King Oche
- Ini Edo as Omada
- Keppy Ekpeyong as Prince Agaba
- Lola Shokeye as Princess Omei
- Eunice Philips as Queen Ochanya
- Mbong Amata as Keke
- Nse Ikpe Etim as Ori
- Omawumi Megbele as Ene
Production