Ahead of world premiere of Lanelot Imasuen's big-budget film,”Invasion 1897”to the people
of Benin, the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty,
Eheneden Eradiauwa has set plans in motion to pay a royal visit to
the area where Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was kept
This latest move, by the Benin Crown
Prince is coming two months after Lancelot gathered friends,
colleagues and the media in Lagos, to mark the centenary of the death
of Oba Ovonramwen on January 14, 2014.
Prince Eheneden Eradiauwa, whose pet
project, Benin Royal Dynasty Trust, has endorsed “Invasion
1897”said, part of the reason he wants to visit Calabar is to meet
with the traditional ruler of the area as well as to implore the
community's dance troupe to accompany him to the United States, where
he has been invited to be the guest speaker at this year's edition of
the annual Arts and Culture Expo/Award, holding in Altanta. The dance
troupe, according to him, will be expected to mount a cultural
display at the 2-day event that will reflect the culture of the area
that played host to Oba Ovonramwen while he was on exile in Calabar.
On the film, the Crown Prince who was
Nigeria's former Ambassador to Italy, Norway said, besides “the
Royal Dynasty Trust, “I will throw my weight behind that kind of
film because it is telling the story of the Benin kingdom from the
perspective that the international community ought to know about.
The trust is endorsing the film.”
Interestingly, “Invasion 1897” will
premiere at the event, which will also showcase the culture heritage
of the Benin kingdom. It would be recalled that last year, the Benin
monarch, Oba Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopolo Erediauwa 1, endorsed
the film as well as honoured Lancelot Imasuen with the 2013 Oba
Erediauwa Excellence Award. The historical film highlights the
restoration of the looted priceless ancient artifacts of the Benin
kingdom, including the famous commemorative head and pendant of ivory
mask representing Queen Idia (from court of Benin, 16th century) who
was the mother of Esigie, the Oba of Benin who ruled from 1504 to
1550. The commemorative head is at the British Museum, while the
pendant is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.
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