Hate is Like Party Jollof

When a bomb leads to the death of his mother, Abdallah finds himself swept away from Kano into the life of his uncle, an Ibadan-based motorbike rider and armed robber. Things start off well and he is able to take care of his siblings back home, his mother's dying charge. Until ethnic tensions, long simmering, rise to the surface on a random afternoon.

  • Etubi Haruna
    Director
  • Samuel Tebandeke
    Writer
  • Richard Ali
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 41 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 8, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nigeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Nigeria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Etubi Haruna

Etubi Haruna is a Nigerian theatre & film director/producer, he is the artistic director of Elixir Entertainment and an acting/directing coach at Elixir Creative Academy. He is passionate about telling indigenous African stories that stimulates social-cultural discourse like Story Story;A. Nigerian Christmas and soon to be released Plus Plus & Caged. He is also dedicated to developing young filmmakers and establishing enabling network in his community while functioning as a guest trainer at the Theatre Arts Department -UniAbuja and acting/directing coach at Royal Art Academy -Lagos. As a media consultant, he has through different organizations created media campaign contents for Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, National Human Right Commission, National Orientation Agency to mention a few. Etubi is currently working as a director/producer on short films titled Traveling and Hate Is Like Party Jollof. An initiative of Engaging Borders Africa project.

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Director Statement

I cherish every experience directing this film, especially exploring the various forms hate can be embodied by all the characters and how they tend to manifest. Hate Is Like Party Jollof is inspired by the Shasha market ethnic crisis at Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2021 which started as a minor spat between Yoruba and Hausa descents in the market but escalated to gruesome killings and maiming and destruction of shops and houses by fire.

This story focuses on a teenager who left his family and home after his mom died a victim of a terrorist bombing in Kano, unfortunately for him he is placed in the custody of his uncle in Ibadan who spearheads a crime gang of motorcycle riders. The teenager is forced to take to a life of crime to survive and support his family until he became a victim of the shasha market crisis. Violence has a domino effect be it short or long term and the teenager was an indirect victim of the terrorist bombing that shaped his path becoming a direct victim in shasha.

Hate Is Like Party Jollof is a reflection of the deliberate or passive acts of violence born of ethnic bias that is besetting Nigeria today. This story seeks to change negative narratives of ethnic/regional intolerance and bigotry by dissuading it’s audience with the possible consequences of such violence.
I hope this film brings to our realization the roles we play in enabling various forms of hate, be it religious, politically or ethnically motivated. I believe this story would stimulate it’s audience to a conscious effort to breaking these cycle of bias narratives and encourage tolerance and empathy towards nation building.