The Funeral
Rita Osakwe, a recently dead young woman attends her funeral in spirit form, urged by a celestial guide, and wants to leave to find peace almost as soon as she arrives. Rita believes everyone at her funeral is there to perform; they never cared about her when she was living, and they don't now that she's dead.
Her decision to leave changes when her brother Stanley gives a eulogy and she finds out how he really feels about her. Rita decides to find her body so she can live again, which forces her to choose between the life she desires and the peace she deserves.
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Ashimedua OdiachiDirector
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Godwin NzekweDirector
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Mfon-abasi Michael InyangProducer
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Phebe AtsemudeProducer
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Maryrose EmekaProducer
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Adunolaoluwa OsilowoKey Cast"Rita Osakwe"
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Ebube NwaniKey Cast"Stanley Osakwe"
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Mayowa DaramolaKey Cast"Asher"
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Susan IbangaKey Cast"Chioma"
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Drama, Dark comedy
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Runtime:10 minutes 16 seconds
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Completion Date:July 29, 2022
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Production Budget:280 USD
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Country of Origin:Nigeria
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Country of Filming:Nigeria
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Black & White and Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Ebonylife Creative Academy
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Edo State Film FestivalEdo
Nigeria
September 9, 2022
Best Student Film -
Indieview Film FestivalLagos
Nigeria
August 28, 2022
Audience Choice -
Black Cat Award Film Festival
Official Selection -
Student World Impact Film Festival
Official Selection -
The Lit Fest
Official Selection -
Luanda International Pan African Film Festival
Official Selection -
Lift Off Global Network Sessions 2022
Official Selection -
Lift Off Global Network First-Time Film Filmmaker Sessions
Official Selection
Ashimedua Odiachi is a highly imaginative writer/director with a strong drive for conscious filmmaking. She studied Directing at Ebonylife Creative Academy and Royals Arts Academy in Lagos and graduated with accolades. She has worked as an editor and assistant director on multiple short films.
Most recently she could be found working on the production and marketing team for Greoh Studios. She has been nominated for the best director award at the Edo State Film Festival where her short film “The Funeral” won best student film.
She hopes to revitalize African cinema and become a prominent name in the horror and psychological thriller genres.
I am familiar with loss, perhaps too familiar. This might be a little morbid but I laugh in the face of death. I’ve recognized that finding humor in death has kept me from shutting down completely. As someone who has lost both parents and all grandparents this early, I know what being truly alone in the world is. Perhaps all this is what drew me to the story in The Funeral. This is the story of a girl who dies abruptly but has also come to terms with that fact. She is happy to move on with the assumption that she won’t be missed. However, she comes to realize that her death affects people in ways she could never imagine.
Thematically, the story is influenced by life, death, and gratitude. As we see in Rita’s case, our relationships can always be misinterpreted because we never really know what people think or how they feel about us. It’s not until death that we see the truth and then it’s too late. This brings us to a place where gratitude is important.
The film is to be shot in black and white in a 4:3 aspect ratio to represent Rita’s point of view. We’ll employ the use of the 16:9 aspect ratio and return color once Rita’s mindset has changed to be more accommodating of the people around her. Using a mostly static camera that moves with Rita’s POV, we’ll employ carefully choreographed long takes and a range of motivated shots to adequately tell the story. Films to be used as references include Frank Oz’s “Death at a Funeral” for mood and its American counterpart for tone. An important reference is Jim Cummings’ “Thunder Road” for its subject matter and cinematography.
We need to appreciate the life we live and the people around us. This is the lesson Rita ultimately learns too late. That is what I want audiences to take away from this film. We must learn to think about others and what they go through so as to see the world objectively and optimistically.