A cloth weaver arrives in the town of Oyo with nothing. He finds love, fortune and then a mythical bird that can bring the dead back to life. Anikulapo, directed by Kunle Afolayan and released on Netflix in 2022, became one of the most celebrated Nigerian films of its year and swept the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The story
The film is set in the old Oyo empire. Saro, played by Kunle Remi, is a young man who travels to Oyo to seek his fortune. He begins a relationship with Arolake, a queen of the king, and their affair leads to tragedy. After his death, a mystical bird, the akala, brings him back to life and gives him the power to resurrect others. The power brings fame, wealth and danger.
The title
“Anikulapo” is a Yoruba name often translated as “one who carries death in his pouch”, implying someone who cannot be killed. Fela Kuti adopted it as part of his name.
Kunle Afolayan
Kunle Afolayan is one of Nigeria’s best-known filmmakers. His films include The Figurine, October 1 and Citation. He is the son of the late Yoruba filmmaker Adeyemi Afolayan, known as Ade Love. Anikulapo was part of a deal with Netflix to produce Nigerian films for global audiences.
The look
The film’s costumes, sets and landscapes recreate a pre-colonial Yoruba world with care. Critics praised its visual style and its use of Yoruba language and culture, presenting them without apology to international viewers.
AMVCA sweep
At the 2023 AMVCAs, Anikulapo led with 16 nominations and won five awards, including Overall Best Movie, Best Writer, Best Sound Editor, Best Soundtrack and Best Indigenous Language Movie (Yoruba). In his acceptance speech, Afolayan thanked the veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani as his mentor.
Netflix numbers
The film reached Netflix’s global top ten for non-English films after its release, a sign of growing international interest in Nigerian stories.
The sequel
The story continued in a series, Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre, released on Netflix, expanding the world of the film.
Nollywood is often associated with contemporary dramas set in Lagos. Anikulapo looked back several centuries and found an audience by telling a Yoruba myth in Yoruba, which is perhaps the boldest move a Nigerian filmmaker can make for a global platform.
