By JOAN ODAFE

A political thriller, ‘Kalakiri – The Price of Freedom’, has reignited debates around democracy, state oppression, prison abuse and freedom of expression, with filmmakers and actors urging Nigerians not to stay silent on injustice.

The filmmakers made the call during a private media screening on Friday in Lagos, ahead of the film’s nationwide cinema release on June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kalakiri, adapted from Prof. Chudi Uwazurike’s ‘Prisoner of the Kalakiri’, revisits the nation’s military-era experience of repression, political betrayal and resistance, while drawing parallels with contemporary governance concerns.

Set against the backdrop of the 1990s military regime, Kalakiri explores the lives of inmates, journalists, activists and ordinary citizens trapped within a system driven by fear, silence and abuse of power.

The film opened emotional wounds through the story of Akin, a young medical undergraduate who died from gunshot injuries after medical personnel refused to treat him without a police report.

Other scenes portrayed harsh prison realities, including starvation, intimidation, sleeping on bare floors and attempts by prison warders to break the spirit of inmates held inside the correctional facility.

One of the film’s central characters, Manga Goc, a detained journalist nicknamed “Mr Resistance”, was imprisoned for allegedly spreading propaganda against the government and became a symbol of defiance against oppression.

Earlier, the Executive Producer and screenplay writer, Henry Chinweuba, said the project was conceived to remind Nigerians of the sacrifices behind the country’s democratic journey.

“It talks about the struggle for democracy and narrates the experiences of our pro-democratic experience as Nigerians.

“So many people paid the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy that we are enjoying today,” he said.

Chinweuba, who is also the Managing Director,

Triatlantic Films International Ltd., said the film intentionally mirrored recurring issues within Nigeria’s political landscape, including oppression, betrayal and suppression of dissenting voices.

“One of the similar things that you can find is betrayal in politics, oppression by people in power, activism as is common within our democratic space today.

“It’s unfortunate that even with our democratic governance in place, we still have these experiences,” he said.

Veteran filmmaker and director of the film, Dr Chika Onu, said Kalakiri was designed to provoke reflection and awaken public consciousness about the state of the nation.

“You are going to go out reformed.

“You are going to think; what is actually happening to this country,” he said.

According to him, the production team carefully recreated elements of Nigeria’s post-independence and military-era atmosphere through locations, prison settings and costumes to preserve the historical essence of the story.

Actor Segun Arinze said the movie goes beyond prison walls to interrogate the broader condition of Nigerian society and governance.

“Are we prisoners inside our country?

“Do we have the freedom to express ourselves?

“Are we in tandem with the leadership?

“Are we in tandem with governance?” he asked.

Arinze also called attention to the condition of correctional centres and the need to treat inmates with dignity.

“These guys are humans,” he said.

Actor Ayodeji Akinwale, who played the character of Alonzi – a drummer in the correctional facility – said the film also addressed poverty, political manipulation and voter responsibility among Nigerian youths.

“The people that are trying to enslave the masses, they have a strategy of trying to make you hungry.

“My message to the youth is, don’t just make noise on social media, try as much as possible to get your PVC and make sure to exercise your right,” he said.

NAN reports that the screening also highlighted the role of Nollywood as a vehicle for civic engagement and social commentary, with stakeholders describing the industry as a mirror of society and a platform for difficult conversations around governance and justice.

United Nigeria Airlines, one of the corporate partners of the film, said its collaboration with the project was driven by the movie’s message of national unity and collective responsibility.

Marketing Manager of the airline, Ebele Nebolisa-Mokaogwu, said the themes of the movie aligned with the company’s vision of connecting Nigerians across cultures and destinations.

“We also fly to unite cultures, to unite people, and so we see that this aligns with us, where the film is trying to unite Nigerians with democracy,” she said. (NAN)

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