President Kabbah Previews "Bai Bureh Goes To War

By Yusuf Alghali
26th March 2004 - Retired Major Abu Noah, author, poet and Executive Producer of one of the latest films to be shot and produced in Sierra Leone in recent times, "Bai Bureh Goes to war," has given a special preview of the movie at the Hill Station Presidential Lodge Friday 26th March 2004. Realised in collaboration with professional Nigerian moviemakers, the film also featured a large Sierra Leonean cast and a cream of award winning Nigerian directors and actors, including Fred Amata, Olu Jacobs, Zack Orji, Omotola Jolade Ekeinde and Genevieve Nnaji.

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who along with selected viewers sat through the entire two-hour long film, saw an artistic portrayal of the beauty of Sierra Leonean culture and tradition as epitomised by the northern Temne people of the late 1800s
According to an overview by Nigerian-born Inaju Rueben, "the film x-rays the inbuilt educational values of the much-maligned traditional "Bondo Society" and dares its detractors, who know little about it, to take a second look and fault such worthy civilization in the art of producing quality women. The film boldly tells the world the other side of the "Bondo Society, which its detractors shy away from!"
"It reinforces the value of women in the African society; it celebrates their courage and cheerfulness in the face of daunting sacrifices when the nation demands it of them. Most of all, it challenges today's men and women to do an intra personal self appraisal and to ask themselves the question, 'How far can I go to save my country'? It poses challenges to the youths of today whose desire to get rich quick has blunted their sense of love, patriotism and national service".
"Finally 'Bai Bureh Goes to War' forces us to come to terms with the fact that love for one's nation must be matched with action. We must be ready to do anything, including paying the ultimate price, to save our nation if and when it becomes necessary! The film reasserts the place of 'Sacrifice' in the daily life of man".
Rueben also notes that "when a leader works for the good of a people, he can count on their loyalty and willingness to make necessary sacrifices when the need arises without compunction. In Bai Bureh, we find a leader that has the love of his adopted home and people at heart; the support he enjoyed amongst his adopted people was not surprising and the people's willingness to help actualise his dreams as a leader is legendary. It is this legendary leader that the film Bai Bureh Goes To War celebrates".
"Abu Noah, the researcher, author and executive producer of Bai Bureh Goes to War has opened a new page in the Nigeria-Sierra Leone relationship. It could be recalled that decades ago a lot of Nigerians came to Sierra Leone for their education. When the Sierra Leone civil war broke out in the 90's Nigeria provided Sierra Leone with military assistance. Abu Noah has cemented this relationship culturally by asking for assistance from Nigerian professionals for the realisation of this film.
"It is hoped that this film might be shown far and wide and might make a lot of festivals and possibly win awards for the man - Abu Noah - as a way of encouraging him in the uphill task he has set himself," Rueben concludes.