Why 'Black Market' is Aiming for a Guinness World Record, Omowunmi Dada

Actress Omowunmi Dada has shared why the team behind the new film 'Black Market' chose to try for a Guinness World Record instead of a normal premiere.

Directed by Fatimah Binta-Gimsay, the movie follows five women involved in smuggling across borders during fuel scarcity. Their lives change dramatically when one of the daughters gets kidnapped.

The film features Dada along with Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, and Uzor Arukwe, among others.

The producers plan to hold a screening at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos on September 26. They are trying to set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in one location.

Dada, who is also an executive producer for the film, said they wanted to create an experience that is more than just a typical film premiere. They aim to make a larger cultural statement.

She said, “We just thought, instead of the regular ‘take your film to the cinema’, let’s do something more iconic with it, something that goes beyond Nollywood, something that is a cultural statement, not just for Lagos, not just for Nigerian creatives, but for young people and Nigerians as a whole.

“We thought, as filmmakers, the best way to put Nigeria on the global map would be through our craft, and that was why we decided to do this, to go for a Guinness World Record attempt with our film.”

Talking about the production journey, Dada called it stressful but rewarding. She mentioned that planning for the record attempt started early in the project.

“The journey so far has been stressful. Right from when we were writing, way before casting or going on set, we knew this was exactly what we wanted to do. We had even locked down TBS before we went into principal photography.

“From the writing and back and forth, making sure we get the best script, to pre-production itself and bringing actors on board, it’s been such a tough journey, but it’s been a very beautiful one. Thanks to the team that we have, all the cast and crew. We are grateful to Nigerians and everyone who has been supporting us.”

Dada is confident that the story will connect with Nigerian audiences. She also said that the experience around the screening will be just as important as the film itself.

She said, “The story will resonate with Nigerians. They will love, laugh, maybe cry as well. They will have a great time watching the film. But beyond the film, the whole experience will be an unforgettable one.”