The Story⚡ Donald Tombia’s production company, Rocks and Badgers, is set to release its first title, Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip, a surrealist short film. Tell Me More The short film is Rocks and Badgers’ first production, and it uses the subconscious to express ideas about economy, religion, and parenting through illogical and dreamlike scenes. Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip is written and directed by Donald Tombia and produced by Nosa Isibor. The story follows the life of two average Nigerians plagued with financial struggles and riddled with rolling debt despite their consistent hard work and plans to survive. The film aims to put faces to the alarming poverty statistics in the country, showing two people who, at different times, would not be termed poor. With Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip, filmmaker Donald Tombia takes giant, daring strides to expand the growing diverse Nigerian film consciousness further. Beyond this short film, the production house, Rocks & Badgers, is committed to telling simple stories that run social commentary on our shared communal reality while maintaining a globally recognizable unique stamp of visual mastery and artistry. In his response on why the story should be told now, Donald said that the story is a simple, grounded one that has today's Nigerian society as it is. According to him, "The story won't be the same if it's adapted verbatim in Hollywood. It takes the complexities of living in modern-day Nigeria. Besides, Nollywood is embracing original, rich, diverse storytelling and Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop on This Trip is an original, rich and diverse story." The genre of Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip is slice-of-life, a genre favoured by Eastern storytelling. This is to say that the story is built using an Eastern storytelling technique known as Kishōtenketsu. Donald Tombia described the process of working with his actors as one involving "pressing their necks" with a lot of his ideas, thoughts and direction before production and getting out of their way during production in order for them to give their best in interpreting the story. For him, during production, his actors were his characters, and his characters were his actors. Commenting on the kind of people who will love the project, Chukwu Martin, the lead male actor, said, "Anyone who has lived in a country like Nigeria where you struggle to bring your dreams to reality will find this project interesting. It is playful, exciting and experimental." Also, speaking on the challenges in bringing the script to life, Martin said it was having to separate himself from the character to find the nuances that the character has. On the other hand, Doris Okorie said it was having her character have to do so many things that she personally hasn't done before as an actor. BTS Look at Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip Here are exclusive images from the set of the short film written and directed by Donald Tombia. Rocks and Badgers Founded in 2023 by award-winning filmmaker Donald Tombia (best known for Slum King, Masquerades of Aniedo, and Shanty Town) and operating out of Lagos, Nigeria, Rocks and Badgers is a dynamic and innovative production company dedicated to bringing compelling, high-quality stories to life on the small and silver screen. The company’s mission is to captivate audiences worldwide with innovative storytelling, cinematic excellence, and unique production techniques that redefine the impact of smaller-budget films. Rocks and Badgers is committed to creating memorable, high-quality films that resonate across cultures and inspire audiences to view the world through fresh perspectives. Rocks and Badgers is modelled after A24 and Blumhouse’s business models and marketing strategies. Its vision is to become a leading voice in global cinema by transforming simple stories into visually captivating and emotionally resonant experiences while maximising production quality on efficient budgets. In Summary The distribution route for Òdè! There Is No Bus Stop On This Trip is yet to be disclosed. However, you can follow Rocks and Badgers on Instagram @rocksandbadgers or the film page @ode.themovie to know more about the title.
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