Actress and filmmaker Dayo Amusa is set to release a new movie, ‘Omoniyun’, in cinemas on November 29. In this interview with Joe Agbr JR., Dayo who is also an entrepreneur talks about why she is telling a story of female sexual harassment, sharing her medical status and other issues. Excerpts….
So, what motivated your movie, Omoniyun?
To start with, I’m this person that draw inspiration from things that happen around me, things I hear, things I read, things I get to see. So, I didn’t write the script. I didn’t write the story. It was written by Dayo Fawore but when I got the synopsis of the story and I read through it, I said ‘wow’, this looks good.
And I’m like, can you send me the whole script, which he did. I read through. I did one or two corrections and then he had to go and make another draft. But before then, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a particular situation way back in Sagamu (Ogun State) whereby this 11-year-old girl actually fell into child molestation. So, when this story came in, I like treating stories that deal with social issues. I think I have strength in it. It’s just something that I like doing. These issues of child molestation, child abuse, girl-child marriage and all that is rampant in our society. We don’t get to address them, not because we don’t know they are existing but probably because they’re not being voiced out like it should. I’m like, this is another platform for me to get to the audience, try to educate people, the kids and the older ones.
The movie also grazed on HIV and sometime ago, you posted your HIV status. What was the reason for doing that?
Well, it wasn’t even attached to the movie. The result I posted was just a random thing. I just felt like the issue of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases is everywhere, whether we want to admit it or not. As individuals, di thing wey cloth dey cover, no bi small thing. And I just feel like, I’ve done mine, I’m negative. You don’t have to be scared to do it. It is better for you to even have it done, know your status. But it is better for you to know your medical status in general so as to be able to do the needful.
Would you have shared your result if it was positive?
I would. Maybe, not exactly at that particular moment. But I would because, for me, I feel being HIV positive is not like the end of the world and it doesn’t stop you from living your life. You don’t have to die before death. You get informed, you get educated about your status so that every other person that is living around you will live healthy. So, it was just a way of (saying), ‘thank God that I am negative. Now that I am negative, biko, make una go do una own.’ That was just it.
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