Golden Effects Productions & Kap Motion Pictures present Jimmy Jean-Louis (Prof. Lucien N’dyare), Temi Ofedola (Moremi), Gabriel Afolayan (Koyejo), Ini Edo (Gloria), Adjety Anang (Kwesi), Joke Silva (Angela), Sadiq Daba (Prof. Yahya), Wole Olewomojuore (Prof. Osagie)Yomi Fash-Lanso (Lucien’s Legal Representative), Executive Producer, Kunle Afolayan; Associate Producers, Seun Soyinka/Chris Adeyemi; Screenplay by Tunde Babalola; Director of Photography, Jonathan Kovel; Director, Kunle Afolayan; Producer, Segun Akintunde. ©2020.
Citation is more an indictment of a foreign university professor, Lucien N’Dyare (Jimmy Jean-Louis), for attempted rape of Moremi (Temi Ofedola), a student of his international relations postgraduate class. The film opens in medias res. The student reports her case to the university board. The aggrieved professor refused to give her the rightful grade for denying him sex. The professor was sent a citation, and an investigation committee ensues.
The panel consists of the university’s most eminent, like Professor (Sadiq Daba). If you are Afolayan’s movie freak, you must remember Sadiq Daba. The Inspector Danladi, sent by the British Colonial white officers, investigating the serial murders of virgins in Prince Adoropo’s kingdom, October 1. Professor Asagie (Wole Olewomojuore), and Professor Lucien’s legal representative (Yomi Fash-Lanso) are there. Moremi gets from Ajeke Advocacy Center, an NGO for the right of womanhood in Nigeria, Angela (Joke Silver), to represent her. The student body representative was also on the panel.
On one or two occasions, Professor Lucien tries kissing Moremi, mistaking Moremi’s friendship for love. But she turned down all approaches. The dam breaks when Lucien tries raping her and kicks him in the groin. After the incident, Lucien is no longer happy and friendly with her. Lucien, being infatuated with the young girl, had to beg her back to his class, as she avoided his sessions. Moremi was praised by Professor Lucien for her postgraduate standings and dissertations. “Excellent!” He had praised. Suddenly, her work was torn, smells like s**t, and made shame in front of the class as unfit.
The Burden of proof here in Citation is on Moremi that there was attempted rape. Professor Lucien and his representative are discrediting Moremi by the mile. And all witnesses presented by her including Gloria couldn’t help in her favor. By chance, however, Moremi takes a trip into the historical background of Professor Lucien. She went to Senegal and Cape Verde. Lucien had lied to Moremi, he doesn’t drive manual automobiles, and 2, he had had an affair with a Cape Verde girl student, who had gotten pregnant for him and had a boy, the little boy who had held Moremi’s hand and directed her into the alley in Cape Verde. Out of Lucien’s disparagement and her disappointment in him, the female student jumped over a cliff to her death. Lucien had visited the same spot the woman drowned with Moremi on the visit to Cape Verde. Moremi got the father of the late woman to come in and testify on her behalf.
The contrast here is, Moremi takes the sensible route by taking the professor to the board. The students were expelled in the accidental death of Professor Grillo. And their university records were expunged. Nigerian federal government imprisoned them for taking the law into their own hands. What a loss to them! With the help of Angela, her NGO representative, who sensitizes the general womanhood on university campuses, Moremi won public opinion and support. Yet, she needs proof. Her torn undergarment couldn’t do much, just as was embarrassing to the panel.
Afolayan’s style of writing and productions can be recommendable. He puts hefty meat on the bones of the story. Kunle is telling an expository story here: In medias res. It is the one so long as Kunle goes on to expose us to the drama firsthand. It’s like, here’s what you paid your Naira to watch. For instance, he tells you upfront, this incident happened before, there was an action taken. Here, he presents us the same story in bold letters, in the present. In Grillo’s case, the students take the law into their own hands. Moremi seeks refuge in the rule of the law of the land. And she is vanquished. Lucien lost his job with immediate effect.
Anang and Edo, both veterans, put sheer beef on the story with their expert acting. Anang wants Edo but, she’s beyond dating students and we even heard her commenting that Professor Lucien is one she can have her baby with. Boy, that makes Anang jealous. Anang and Edo’s roles flesh out the characters of Moremi and Lucien by the gossip and backbiting, and Kwesi’s disdain for this professor hurting his best friend, Moremi in the class. Gabriel Afolayan, the real-life younger brother of the Avant-garde of modern Nollywood cinema, Kunle Afolayan, has the acting capability, though his role here, does not amount to much. Besides production value, the presence of Seun Kuti doesn’t add anything to the story, except the presence of Lucien at the concert creeping around Moremi.
For an introductory performance alongside veteran actress Ini Edo without intimidation, Temi Ofedola (Moremi) sure deserves our attention. Her acting and interchanges among the veteran actors like Adjety Anang and Ini Edo and the grand ol’ actress, Joke Silva could have been intimidating to most newbies in the business. She takes the cue well, without the viewers’ notices. The camera seems to love her. She naturally walks into Moremi, with such a personality, dignity, and acting style, making Genevieve jealous. Temi Ofedola, you are on the way to achieving your golden dream, go around the curve, there are accolades waiting for you. Welcome to Nollywood, may the power be with you!