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Flower Girl | |
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Directed by | Michelle Bello |
Written by | Jigi Bello |
Produced by | Michelle Bello Michelle Dede |
Starring |
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Cinematography | James M. Costello |
Edited by | Jigi Bello |
Music by | Joe Hogue |
Production company | Blu Star Entertainment |
Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 79 minutes |
Country | Nigeria |
Language | English |
Budget | ₦50 million (est)[ citation needed ] |
Box office | ₦29,763,854 (domestic gross) [1] |
Flower Girl is a 2013 Nigerian Romantic comedy film produced by Michelle Bello and Michelle Dede, and distributed by Blu Star Entertainment. The film was directed by Michelle Bello. It stars Damilola Adegbite as a hopeless romantic florist who dreams of marrying her long-time boyfriend Umar (Chris Attoh). Though he promises to marry her once he becomes partner at the law firm he works for, she begins to become impatient.
The film premiered in Nigeria on Valentine's Day 2013.
Flower Girl is a Nigerian romantic comedy released in 2013, directed by Michelle Bello. The film centers on the character Kemi, portrayed by Damilola Adegbite, who is a reserved florist eager to marry her longtime boyfriend, Umar, played by Chris Attoh. When Umar hesitates to propose, Kemi devises a plan with the assistance of a famous actor, Tunde, portrayed by Blossom Chukwujekwu, in hopes of making Umar jealous and prompting him to propose. The movie is a blend of romance and comedy, exploring the nuances of modern relationships and personal growth [2]
The storyline of Flower Girl follows Kemi’s efforts to manage the ups and downs of love and relationships. Faced with Umar's reluctance to propose, Kemi conspires with Tunde, a charismatic movie star, to create a situation that will make Umar realize her worth. However, as Kemi goes through this process, she begins to reflect on her true feelings and desires. The plot not only highlights the lengths to which people might go for love but also emphasizes Kemi's journey towards self-realization and understanding what she genuinely seeks in a relationship [2]
Kemi, working in her parents’ flower shop, dreams of becoming one of the happily married couples she sees every day. Her longtime lawyer boyfriend Umar has promised to marry her when he gets a promotion, but she is growing impatient. Still living with her parents, she spends her nights in her room planning the wedding she hopes to have someday. When Umar gets a promotion, she expects a big proposal, but Umar breaks up with her instead. Devastated, she goes on a delivery, and unable to see where she is going through tears of grief, is hit by a car. The driver turns out to be Tunde Kelani, a famous Nollywood movie star.
While Tunde tends to her wounds, Kemi breaks down and tells him about her dilemma. Tunde offers to help her get Umar to propose. Together they devise a plan: they will pretend to be a couple to make Umar jealous and get him back.
The film delves into themes of self-discovery, especially in the context of romantic relationships. It challenges conventional ideas about love and marriage, suggesting that personal happiness and fulfillment are more important than merely conforming to societal expectations. Additionally, Flower Girl addresses the social pressures surrounding marriage in contemporary Nigerian society, particularly the expectations that women face regarding securing a marriage proposal [2]
As with Small Boy, Bello brought new faces to the secondary roles and decided to mix the main cast with up-and-coming young actors. For most of them, including TV star Damilola Adegbite, it was their first time acting in a Nigerian feature film. They had to get used to the director’s unique style and techniques during their weeks of rehearsal.
Michelle Bello developed the initial rough draft for the film while studying for her master's degree in Communication at Regent University in Virginia, United States. The class was asked to write a full-length feature film script, which she had never done before. She gave a lot of thought to the story she would want to write about; one that would be exciting enough to develop into a ninety-page script.
She says; "I loved watching romantic comedies. I’ve always been a romantic at heart and I could often relate to the main characters and their experiences. I wanted to take this genre and adapt it to a modern day movie set in Lagos, Nigeria. I wanted to explore a whole range of colorful characters - both their good sides and their bad sides because at the end of the day, no one is perfect."
Bello wrote the first draft of Flower Girl, which was originally called Caught Up, in the short period of two months. She added issues occurring in relationships of young couples today in Nigerian society making it relatable for the young audiences.
"I remember my screenwriting professor really liked the first draft of the script because he gave me an A, so I was really happy. Back then, I never really thought of it as my second feature film. It was only when trying to come up with some ideas with my brother who wrote the final script that I realized that this script would be great to shoot back home as it had an international theme and crossover appeal," says Bello.
Screenwriter Jigi Bello says Flower Girl was a unique opportunity to create a cinematic world that would appeal to audiences in his country. He says As a Nigerian, it was exciting to explore the characters in the new quickly emerging middle class. It starts with a real group of characters you would meet on a Lagos street: the romantic, the playboy, the businessman, the mentor, and through a twist of fate allow them to discover each other.
"The fun for me as a writer and where the comedy comes from is the honesty of these characters to their own beliefs, no matter how crazy the situation. I hope others enjoy the story as much as I did," adds Bello.
Co-Producer Michelle Dede says, Producing a film, especially in Nigeria, is not the easiest thing to do. It was very rewarding because of the experience of being on a film set and all the little things that go into making a movie possible.
Music was composed by Hitplay. Several additional songs include:
The world premiere of Flower Girl took place on 13 February 2013 in Lagos, Nigeria. It went on general release in Nigeria on Valentine’s Day 2013 and received mixed critical reviews. The film was the number one box office hit that weekend in Lagos. [3] The Ghana premiere subsequently took place on 5 May 2013 in Accra and on the first night had to be shown in an additional cinema hall due to the large number of people there who had anxiously awaited the arrival of the movie in their country.
The UK premiere was held on 26 September 2013 at the Odeon Cinema in Greenwich. Talking Drum Entertainment UK distributed a new edited version of the romantic comedy on Friday, 4 October 2013 in selected Odeon, Vue, Cineworld and independent cinemas. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Flower Girl was also screened at the Hollywood Black Film Festival 2013 and had its US premiere at the festival screening in Los Angeles on 3 October 2013. [9]
The movie received praise for its cinematography and weave of romance and comedy. It was however criticized for poor sound design and limited musical choice. [11]
Flower Girl was well-received both in Nigeria and internationally. The film garnered praise for its lighthearted yet meaningful narrative, as well as the performances of its lead actors. Damilola Adegbite and Blossom Chukwujekwu were particularly noted for their chemistry and the depth they brought to their roles. The movie's relatable story and its balance of humor with emotional depth resonated with audiences, contributing to its success and solidifying its place within the romantic comedy genre in Nollywood [2]
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
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2013 | Black International Film Festival U.K | Best African Film | Won | |
2014 | Nollywood Movies Awards | Best Set Design | Won | [12] |
Best Sound Design | Won | |||
Best Soundtrack (Efya) | Won | |||
Best Editing | Won | |||
Best Movie | Nominated | |||
Best Lead Female | Nominated | |||
Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |||
Best Director | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
Screen Nation Awards | Favourite New Nollywood Film | Won | ||
Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards | The Trailblazer Award | Won | ||
Best Supporting Actress | Won | |||
Best Script (Comedy) | Won |
The success of Flower Girl marked a significant moment in Nollywood, particularly for the romantic comedy genre. It helped establish Michelle Bello as a noteworthy director and highlighted the potential of Nigerian cinema to produce high-quality romantic comedies. The film’s popularity has since inspired other filmmakers to explore similar themes, further enriching the industry’s offerings in this genre [2]
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Michelle Bello is a British Nigerian film director and film producer. She is also CEO of a Nigerian-based entertainment and publishing company, Blu Star Entertainment Limited. Bello was born in London, England.
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