Senator Dino Melaye’s foray into the entertainment industry may have taken a notch higher as he made his debut for the screens in a sickle cell awareness movie titled ‘Crescent’.
He recently made history when he became the first Nigerian serving lawmaker to be featured in a music video.
The movie, which premiered at the Cinemas on Saturday, is a story of three young single cell warriors and their constant battle to survive, who find themselves admitted in a hospital at the same time, being managed by a doctor who just returned from the UK.
The movie also exposed the poor hospital system, office politics and a tough environment that hinders these sickle cell warriors from living normal lives.
According to Executive Producer and Founder of Miss Dee for Sickle Cell Foundation, Adaoara Stephanie Nwodo, she wrote the movie 7 years ago having lost close family members to the sickle cell disorder.
“I decided to shoot this film which I wrote 7 years ago this year because I needed to reach more people.
“I needed to pass a message to more people at a go; my little outreaches were not hitting the target and I didn’t have the required funding.
“I come from a family that has the sickle cell trait; I have warriors as we like to call them in my family and a couple we have lost. I have lost a lot of close friends to this disease,” she said.
She further revealed the challenges she encountered to produce the movie, saying that the proceeds from the movie will be donated to sickle cell warriors.
“I kept getting discouraged about this production as I didn’t have the required funds or knowledge about production. Finally, I spoke to close associates in the movie industry and the encouragement I received propelled me into project mode.
“I saved for about a year, took a few loans, got an amazing co-producer, a fantastic script writer and today the Crescent is here.
“I intend to assist to particular warriors with the proceeds of this film. Mr. Japheth and Mr. Emmanuel Kwosho,” she said.
Other actors in the movie include Ayoola Ayolola, Ifeanyi Kalu, Iyke Okechukwu, Ivie Okujaye, and Yakubu Mohammed, amongst others.
