Chude Jideonwo’s ‘Awaiting Trial’ screens in UNILAG
On Thursday, 16th February 2023, Chude Jideonwo’s debut film, Awaiting Trial, was screened at the Biodun Shobanjo Multi-media Complex, University of Lagos. The movie screening was held in partnership with the Department of Mass Communication, UNILAG and attended by students who were all enthusiastic about the film.
In October 2022, Chude Jideonwo Presents : The Factual Film Studio released ‘Awaiting Trial’ documentary that explores both the #EndSARS protests and the ‘deeper illness’ they point to – the phenomenon in Nigeria’s communal justice system called ‘awaiting trial’ where people are arrested and detained indefinitely without charge.
The film follows the lives of 3 families – Iloanya, Onyemelue, and Yellowe caught by the injustice of the Nigerian Police and down held by its criminal justice system and features actors Falz, Mr Macaroni; activist Rinu Oduala; and Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association.
After its 5-day digital screening on YouTube, the documentary has been at the centre of popular discourse, screening at the 2022 African International Film Festival, the effective altruism event in Abuja, the University of Ibadan, and recently at the department of Communication in the University of Lagos.
Speaking about the documentary, a student shared, ‘The movie captured the emotions of the victim’s family members, I think it opened a lot of people’s eyes to a lot of things. People would have heard a lot about this matter (#EndSARS), but their eyes are just getting open to the reality of this situation that we are in. I also love the way the documentary captures the unending evil circle in the system”.